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Title: Of Snowballs and Firelight "Right, you two put your things in there, and I'll take the other bedroom." Giles put down his luggage and went to start the fire. "Why do we have to stay in the same cabin with you? I want to stay with Willow and Tara." "Dawn, put your stuff in our room. We stay here." Buffy would brook no argument, so Dawn contented herself with an exagerated sigh and rolling her eyes as she went. "Yes master." Buffy shook her head as she watched her sister disappear into the other room. The room they would share for the next two nights. "I'm gonna go nuts. Mom...she used to make Dawn and me share beds when we were on vacation. At least, that's what I remember. She has the world's coldest feet." She took a deep breath and picked up her bag. "Buffy, come here a moment. Sit with me." The Slayer joined her Watcher on the bearskin rug before the fire he'd built. "It's all right, you know. To talk about her...and to miss her." The girl ducked her head, looking suddenly far too young to deal with the burdens placed on her slim shoulders. Giles was glad he'd decided to take the entire Scoobygang on weekend getaway to the snow. Joyce's death had taken a far greater toll on Buffy than she would let on to the others. She hadn't allowed herself to break down in front of anyone else since the day they had sat in the hospital morgue awaiting the autopsy results, but Giles had seen the slumped shoulders when she thought no one was looking, the dark circles under her eyes her makeup couldn't always conceal after yet another restless night, the almost imperceptable flinch she couldn't stop whenever her mother's name was mentioned. "I know there's a great deal to face just now with Glory and Dawn and this mess with your father, but you have friends. You have me. Let us help you, Buffy." "Dad didn't show up once in three years. He's broken every promise to me he's ever made, and now he wants Dawn to go live with him. And he can't protect her. He doesn't know what she is, even." "I'm aware of that. We won't let him take her. Your mother left her in your care and mine, not his. But that's enough of that. We're on holiday. No vampires, no demons, no absent fathers will be allowed to spoil our fun." He crooked a smile at her, which she returned in a half hearted manner. "Why don't you go unpack and we'll go see what there is to do around here." "Okay. I think I saw a pond we could skate on." "Unfortunately, I don't know how to do that. But I'll be happy to applaud your efforts from the sidelines." "Nah. Skating's no fun by yourself. Before we do this again, I'm gonna teach you how to do it." "I'd like that. In the meantime, however, we could build snowmen." Despite herself Buffy giggled. Giles thought it was the loveliest sound he'd heard in weeks. "Snowmen? I gotta say, I never pictured you building a snowman." "Just wait until the summer when I can show you how I build my award- winning sand castles." They grinned at one another. "I may just hold you to that promise." "No need. I'll keep it anyway." "I know. You're a man of your word." ***** An hour later, the entire gang was frolicking in the snow like small children. While Buffy and Giles worked together on a snowman, Willow and Tara created a snow Venus with a remarkably small head and huge, pendulous breasts. Off to one side, Xander was showing Dawn and Anya how to make snow angels by laying on their backs and flapping their arms and legs. Giles moved to sculpt the face of his snowman when he felt a sudden wet thwap of snow at the back of his neck. "Bloody hell!" He pivoted with a furious glare on his face. His eyes narrowed when he saw his Slayer doubled over with laughter several feet away. Before she could recover herself, he lunged and dropped a handful of snow down her back. "AAAACCK! Giles!" In no time, they were all hurling wads of snow at one another. Xander packed snowballs for Dawn, who sent them flying with breathtaking precision at her sister and Anya. Anya sent her missles sailing primarily at Willow, though she hit Giles squarely on more than one occasion. Giles hurled snow at Anya and Dawn in large handfuls. Willow and Tara performed a simple guiding spell to make sure their snowballs went over Xander's head and doubled back to land on the back of his neck. Buffy concentrated her efforts on Giles and Dawn, with an occasional toss of a snowball in Tara's direction so she wouldn't be left out. Soon they were all covered in sweat and a fine powder of ice, gasping for breath in between fits of laughter. Buffy fell in the snow giggling madly next to where Giles had landed on his back. every time it seemed one might gain control, their eyes met, and both went off into redoubled gales of mirth. The others had all decided they were cold, so they headed for their cabins. Dawn stopped and stood over the helpless forms of her sister and her new guardian. "I'm going in. Willow asked me to come to her cabin and play some chess with her. Is that okay with you?" Giles struggled to catch his breath. "That's perfectly fine, Dawn. Have a good time. We'll see you at dinner time, yes?" The teenager rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll be there for dinner." Dawn stomped off into the snow as Giles rolled to his side and propped his head on one hand. "Feeling better?" "I had no idea how rotten I was feeling until I had this to compare it with. Thanks, Giles. You're the best." She rolled to him and gave him an impusive hug and a kiss on the cheek. He allowed himself a guilty moment of pleasure before she released him. "What was that for?" "For making me feel so good when I feel so bad." "Do you want to talk about it?" She shook her head. "Not yet. Soon. I need a little more time to process. It just isn't real yet. Can you understand that?" "Probably better than you realize. When...when my mother died, it took me months to truly accept that she was gone. That I would never see her again. I knew it perfectly well, but there was a tiny part of me that kept looking for her, everywhere I went. I was always catching sight of her - so I thought - out of the corner of my eye. Of course, it was only my imagination." "Good. I mean not good good, 'cause it's no fun. More like good, someone else did it so I'm probably not crazy." She hesitated before she spoke again. "Is it sorta normal that I'm not sleeping very well?" "It isn't good for you, but it's a common enough reaction to such a loss." "At least I'm normal in some way." "You're perfectly normal, Buffy, but you could never be ordinary." "Flatterer. Come on, I'm freezing. Let's go in." She practically leapt to her feet and held out her hand to help Giles up. Misjudging her strength, she pulled too hard and they landed in the snow with Giles on top of her. What she saw in his green eyes took her breath away. They lay in the snow, stunned, for a moment, then Giles scrambled off Buffy as quickly as he could. He helped her to her feet and walked to the cabin, his cheeks crimson from more than the cold. ***** Buffy made cocoa as Giles went to change into some dry clothes. She knew she ought to be doing the same, but she wanted the cocoa to be ready as soon as he was. Besides, it gave her time to think about the moment in the snow before. She'd always known on some level that Giles cared about her. He had been her touchstone ever since she'd moved to Sunnydale just after her sixteenth birthday. In those four years, he'd always been there for her. He was the only one who never yelled at her after she ran away. He'd never once reproached her for sleeping with Angel. He'd listened patiently and given sound advice when she rebelled against her inability to lead a normal life. He'd even lost his job - the important one - to save her. She'd always known he loved her, but she was only beginning to realize how. Now if she could just figure out why it moved her so much. *** "This is nice. Comfy." Buffy sat next to Giles on the sofa as they sipped their cocoa. "I wish it could always be like this." "That would be nice, wouldn't it? No Hellmouth, no vampires, just a warm, safe place with no particular responsibilities." "You'd go nuts in a week, Giles. So would I." "You're probably right, at that." They sat in silence for a moment. "So if you didn't mean the lack of danger and responsibility, what did you mean?" "Us. You and me. I like the way we are now. I used to spend a lot of time pushing you away. It feels good to just...I dunno, stop pushing." "I must admit, I like it better this way, too." Buffy was surprised at the warm, squishy feeling that spread through her at his words. She frowned slightly as she tried to remember if she'd ever felt that way about anything Riley or even Angel had said. After a moment of uncharacteristic quiet from his Slayer, Giles put his mug down and turned to her. "Penny for them?" "Huh?" "Your thoughts, Buffy. What's going on in that brain of yours?" She smiled slightly. "I was just thinking. About all the dumb mistakes I've made." "Buffy, you can't change what has happened. It does no good to dwell. Besides, you've made far better choices than I did at your age." "Hey, you didn't obsess about a vampire for years. Then you didn't talk yourself into a relationship you never really committed to with a nice guy whose heart you broke into a million pieces. You didn't run...oh. I guess you did do that." "How do you know what I didn't do? I'll admit, I never did fall in love with a vampire, but I did any number of other reckless things. And I did run away from my destiny. In some ways, I've never stopped. As for broken hearts...well, that is one category in which I find myself more sinned against than sinning. Still, I have hurt one or two people badly. None of that can be changed. All we can do is try not to make the same mistake twice." "Way to cheer me up, Pollyanna." "I didn't think you would appreciate a glib answer." "Probably not." She smiled at Giles and took another sip of cocoa. "So what reckless things did you do?" "What?!" "Hey, your word, not mine. And you know all the dumb things I've done. When do I get to know about you?" "You already know about me. You probably know me better than anyone has in decades." "How sad is that? There's so much I don't know about you. I don't even know...your favorite color or if you like spaghetti." "Green, and I like it well enough with pesto sauce." "Ooh, actual sharage of information. A girl could get spoiled at this rate." Giles hesitated a moment before making up his mind. When he looked at Buffy again, he spoke with a confidence he wasn't sure he felt. "All right. You want to know about me. Ask me anything you like. If I can answer it without divulging a confidence or harming someone else, I will tell you the truth. If I cannot answer a question honestly, I will tell you that." "Sort of Truth or Dare without the dare part?" "Something like that." Buffy put down her cocoa and turned a bit to face her Watcher. Even she was surprised at the question she blurted out. "Were you mad at me when I ran away?" "There were moments, certainly, when I was angry with you. Mainly, though, I was frightened for you. Not so much in terms of your physical well-being, but rather your emotional state. And I spent a great deal of time being angry with myself." "Why would you be mad at you? You weren't the one who ran away." "No. Not in this case, but I made so many mistakes. I felt I should have been firmer with you, that I should have sent Angel away as soon as he appeared in our lives, that I should have found a way to kill him once he lost his soul, that I should have researched his curse more thoroughly...would you like me to go on?" "Okay, okay, I'm getting the picture. But if you knew I was gonna be okay, why were you scared?" "Because I've lived on the streets. I know what it's like. The loneliness, the temptations, the emptiness. The hunger." A pit opened up in Buffy's stomach. She missed the light tone of their previous banter. This new revelation shocked her. She'd known that Giles had run away from Oxford in his youth, but she'd never really considered what his life was like in that time. It had never occurred to her that he might have suffered before Randall's death. Taking a deep breath, she decided to match revelation for revelation. "I never said this to anyone, but when I ran away...I got a job and a place to live pretty quickly, but I was so lonely. I'd never been alone my whole life. I'd always had my family and friends. You. I went out walking one night and suddenly I realized this guy was sorta following me. He offered me money to sleep with him. Giles, I almost took it. I almost did it. Not for the money; I didn't really need it. But just to not be alone anymore." By the time she finished, tears slid down her cheeks. Giles pulled the trembling girl into his arms and rocked her. "It's all right, Buffy. I understand. Listen to me; it was a long time ago, and you didn't do it." "But I wanted to. I didn't care that I didn't know him or that he could have a disease or anything." "I know, I know. Shhh, you didn't do it. You did nothing wrong, Buffy." When she finally stilled, he continued to hold her. After a moment he spoke again, his tone harsh. "At least you said no. Again, you made a better choice than I did." Buffy pulled back slightly so she could see his face. "You...you mean...you said yes?" "I was cold, and hungry, and desperately lonely. I could have stolen food - had done before - but the loneliness...I couldn't bear it anymore. What I didn't know was that the loneliness would be worse afterwards. The emptiness stayed with me." He tried to pull away, but she wouldn't let him go. "Giles. I didn't know. And, okay, I'm sorta shocked here, but it doesn't change anything. Not with us." "How can you say that, Buffy? Do you understand what I've just told you? I- I prostituted myself." "I got that. And I came within an inch of doing that too. And do you know why I didn't?" Giles shook his head miserably. "So I'd never have to come to you and tell you I'd done it. If I'd gotten pregnant or caught AIDS or something. And not because you'd be mad at me; because you'd be so disappointed." "And now you know I'm no fine example after all." Yes, you are. You keep on giving me something no one else does. Hope. You've made all the mistakes and broken all the rules, just like me, and you turned out okay. Better than okay. You're a good man, Rupert Giles." She pulled him closer, determined to make him understand that she hadn't lost faith in him. "You know what your problem was, Giles?" "No. What was my problem." "You never had a Giles." With that, he gave himself over to the comfort of her arms. As soon as Buffy realized he was crying, she began to croon soothing words to him, as he had done for her earlier. Her mind flashed back to the night she had held him as he cried for Jenny outside the burning factory. "You don't have to deal alone. I'm not going anywhere. I need you too much." At last, Giles recovered himself and began to disengage himself from Buffy's embrace. He gave a small, self-deprecating smile as he wiped his eyes and nose with the spotless handkerchief he always carried. "And I was meant to be cheering you this weekend." "And you already have. Plus we've got another two days to cheer up each other in." She smoothed back his rumpled hair, glad of an excuse to keep touching him. "But Dawn's gonna be back soon, so we'd better figure out what's for dinner." A smile twitched at the corners of Giles' lips. "Would you believe, spaghetti?" They both burst out laughing. When Dawn returned a short time later, she found her sister and her guardian cooking as if nothing unusual had happened, but Dawn could feel something different all the same. Their smiles were broader, they touched more frequently, and there was a new confidence in Buffy's every move. She groaned inwardly. Not another boyfriend. *** That night as Buffy slid into bed, Dawn asked the question she'd been afraid to earlier. "Are you and Giles getting all coupley?" "I don't know yet. Would it bug you?" Dawn shrugged. The gesture was lost in the dark. "He's okay, I guess, for an old guy. But he's so old. Why can't you find just a normal guy for once?" "I don't know. I thought Riley was a normal guy. Maybe normal just isn't for me." "Then I guess it's not for me, either." "What's that supposed to mean?" "I'm already the school freak. I'm the one who cut myself. I'm the one whose mother died. Now I'll be the one whose sister is having sex with a man old enough to be our father." "Dawn, Giles and I haven't...this isn't about you." "No. But everyone at school will look at me all funny. And they'll talk." "You think I don't know that? You think there weren't rumors when I was in school? Half my class thought I was sleeping with Giles then. You can't let what somebody might say decide your life for you." "At least Angel and Riley looked normal." "And Giles looks like a circus freak?" "No, but he looks like he should find someone his own age. So should you." "Dawnie..." "It's not fair." "No it's not. And there's another thing it's not. It's not your decision." Buffy threw off the covers and stepped into her slippers. "We'll talk again when you're ready to grow up and stop acting like you're six years old." She marched out to the living room. Giles was already there, seated on the sofa. Buffy moved warily to the end furthest from him. "Hi. Whatchya doing up?" "Thinking. And you?" "Trying not to think." "I take it all is not well between you and Dawn?" "In a word, uh uh." "May I ask what the trouble is?" "I don't even want to go there. Is that alright?" "Of course." Unsure of the new boundaries of their relationship, Giles spread one arm casually along the back of the sofa in hopes that Buffy would sit close enough to put his arm around her. Instead she sat at the far end and drew her knees up to her chin. His eyes flickered to the floor before returning to her face. "Giles?" "Yes?" "I don't know what to do." "About...?" Buffy shrugged. "Anything. I can't let Dad take Dawn, but I can't stop him either." "Your mother named us as her guardians in her will." "I know." "But this isn't about your father, is it?" "Stop that." "Stop what?" "Reading my mind." She smile wryly at him. It faded almost immediately. "I don't know what to do." "Tell me, Buffy. Whatever's bothering you, I'd like to know. I'd like to help." "That's just it; you're the one I don't know what to do about." "I see." "No, you don't see. This afternoon...everything fell into place. I knew where I belonged for the first time in my life. It was all so clear. I belong with you. You belong with me, and to hell with anybody who says different. But tonight..." "Tonight, you can't say to hell with your sister." "She's freaked by the idea. She's already been through so much. I'm not sure I can do this to her." "Shall I talk with her in the morning?" "And say what? 'Don't get wiggy that I want to sleep with your sister'?" "That isn't precisely how I planned on putting it. And this is rather more than potential sex on my side." "Mine too. But Dawn's scared of what the kids at school will say. She already takes a lot of crap for other stuff. And I can tell her till the cows come home that it doesn't matter and it shouldn't hurt, but that doesn't change the fact that it does. I know." "So you're willing to give up your happiness for Dawn's temporary comfort?" "Maybe." "Are you willing to give up mine as well?" "What else can I do? Tell me, Giles, what am I supposed to do? Do I let her hear from every kid in the school that you're a big pervert and I'm a slut and she's probably doing it with both of us? 'Cause that's what they're gonna say. She's on the edge, Giles. She just found out she's not really human, and then Mom dies, and now this? How can we do that to her? We're supposed to protect her. I can't protect her and do this to her at the same time." "What are we doing to her if we allow ourselves to be happy? Why would the children at her school know about us? Buffy, we have a shot at real happiness. Trust me, this sort of opportunity doesn't come along every day." "You think I don't know that? But I know what it's like from Dawns' end too. Do you have any idea how many notes I found stuffed in my locker with gross drawings of us doing it in the library? Or how many boys made jokes about tweed burn when I walked by? I won't put her through that." "Y-you mean...?" "They thought we were having it off together. Why else would a student who cut class as much as I did hang with the librarian?" "You never told me." "And a fat lot of good it would have done if I had. You would have gone all White Knight Protector of the Innocent on me and gotten both of us kicked out of school. Then you'd have gotten kicked out of the country. And some demon or vamp would've taken me out within a week. I couldn't lose you." She rose and headed for the bedroom. Just before the doorway, she stopped. "I can't lose you, Giles. I'm just not sure I can ever have you, either." She closed the door behind her. ***** The next morning was strained between the inhabitants of the cabin. Breakfast was a silent affair, as was the dishwashing afterwards. When the morning chores were done, Dawn announced she wanted to go sledding. "Fine. Go sledding. But not alone." "Okay, okay. Xander said yesterday he'd go with me. So did Willow and Tara." "We could all go." Giles stated mildly. Buffy nodded slowly. "Okay. We'll all go." A short time later the entire gang was gathered on the hillside, rented sleds at the ready. Willow took one look at Buffy's drawn face and pulled her aside. "What's wrong, Buff? Spill." "It's nothing, Will. I'm okay." "Is it...is it about your mom? 'Cause I know you're sad, but it seems worse than when we left. And yesterday you seemed so happy. You and Giles...I've never seen you guys look like you were having so much fun. Where'd the fun go? You didn't have a fight with Giles, did you?" "No. Not really. I don't know what I'm gonna do." "About what?" "Will...what would you say if I told you I'm in love with Giles?" "I dunno. Is that something you're likely to tell me?" "I just sorta did. And he's in love with me, I think. He hasn't said the words but I know he does. We had a long talk yesterday, and we sorta sorted some stuff out, and now..." "Now you're...together?" Buffy shook her head miserably. "We want to be, but there's this problem..." "But you don't have anyone else, and he doesn't...he doesn't, does he? I mean, Olivia is gone, right?" "Long. And not coming back." "Then what's the problem? I mean, okay, unexpected. Really unexpected, but not a bad." "Not for us, but we can't just think about us. There's Dawn, too." "And she has a problem?" Buffy nodded. "Maybe she'll be okay if you just don't push her too hard." "Will, she's already hurting so much over so many things and now this...the kids at school are gonna make her life miserable over this." "Only if they find out. And why would they find out?" "She has friends. They come over sometimes. They'll find out." "So you're gonna let being scared of what your sister's friends might think stop you from being happy? Not to mention Giles." "You sound just like him, y'know. He said almost the exact same thing last night." "Then you know it's right. Giles is a pretty smart guy." "I'm just so scared. I don't want to hurt anyone." "Buffy, being in love doesn't hurt anyone, unless you're into painful sex...and I'm gonna hope you forget I ever said that. Look, do you remember when I told you about Tara?" "Not the sort of thing you forget, Will." "I'd been with her for a while then. A couple months. I didn't tell anybody because I was so scared they'd be mad at me or not want to be my friend anymore. I was scared I'd lose you and Xander and Giles, and I almost did. But it wasn't the being in love that did it. It was the not telling part. It was the pushing you all away part that did it. I know this is gonna be weird for Dawn, and I know you want to make things easy on her, but that doesn't mean you have to be miserable. Keep her safe, yeah, but don't let her decide what to do with your heart. That's yours. If you want it to belong to Giles, I say give it to him, and let him give you his. And that was a lot longer lecture than I was planning on giving. Shutting up now." Buffy pulled Willow into a bear hug. "Thank you. I really needed to hear someone who wasn't me or Giles say that." "Oh, and Dawn can stay in our cabin tonight if you and Giles work it out." "You read my mind. How do you do that?" "Magic." *** Giles watched Buffy and Willow walk away. After a moment, he became aware of a voice in his ear. Or more accurately, near his shoulder. "Hey, Giles. Are you coming with us or not?" "Sorry, Anya, I was miles away." "No you weren't. You were right here." It took all Giles' self control not to smile at her literal interpretation of his phrasing. "It's just an expression, Anya." "You were looking at Buffy and it made you sad. Why? You don't usually get sad when you look at her." "I really would prefer not to go into that just now." "You're in love with her, aren't you?" Giles blinked at the former demon. "I beg your pardon!" "Buffy. You're in love with her. I feel sure of it." She narrowed her eyes at her employer. "If you scorn her, I'll hurt you. Powers or no powers." "I have no intention of scorning Buffy. If anything, it's the other way round." "But that's ridiculous. She wants you. I've seen it." "It's complicated. And I really don't care to discuss it." "Okay, fine, we won't talk. But just in case you two work it out, come over to our cabin first. We have condoms and flavored massage oils. That way it will be safe and fun when you have sex." Giles' mouth worked for a moment before he could get any words out at all. "Th-thank you, Anya. That's most...generous of you." "Oh, please, if you're having lots of orgasms, you'll be happy. Then you'll give me a raise, so it's good for me too." She marched off happily to retrieve her sled as Giles stared after her. ***** As they slid to a halt at the bottom of the hill, Xander expected to hear Dawn laugh. when she didn't, he was concerned. "What's with the glum, Dawn Patrol?" "Nothing." "It's about your Mom, isn't it?" Xander nodded sagely. "Look, we all miss her. She was really terrific." "No. I mean, yeah, I miss her. And I'm sad she died, but that's not what's bothering me right now." "I'm listening." Dawn pulled at an imaginary thread on her parka. "Why can't Buffy just do something normal for once? She's like this big freak and I have to deal with it." "So what's the Buff done to you this time?" "Her and Giles." "What? Did they give you an eight o'clock bedtime on Saturday nights? Tell you you could only listen to Beethoven?" "No." She smiled in spite of her determination to be put upon. "They're getting like she was with Riley." "You speak in riddles. Enlighten me." "They're getting together. As a couple." Xander laughed, until he saw how serious Dawn was. "Big G and the Buffmeister, huh? Never would have guessed. And that's a problem for you...how?" "Duh! I'm already freakazoid girl at school. How's this gonna look?" "Probably about the way it looks to you that I'm with Anya. Don't look so surprised. I know you don't think much of her. Neither did anyone else at first. And then there was the brain damaged interlude that was life with Cordelia. The point is, it's okay. We live on the Hellmouth and nothing is normal in our lives." "And this will be a big help when Melinda finds out that my sister's new boyfriend is like a hundred years old." Xander shrugged. "I was guessing more mid forties or so. And my girlfriend is eleven hundred years old. And Angel was a vampire, and Riley was a professional demon hunter for Uncle Sam, and your mother once dated an insane robot. If Melinda can't deal, maybe you need a new friend." "You don't get it." "You'd be surprised how much I get it. I spent every day I was in school being the kid they all laughed at. I got my lunch money stolen, everybody knew my parents were lushes, the jocks used me for their personal punching bag, and I got rotten grades, so the teachers didn't really care what happened to me either. But I had my ace in the hole. I had Willow. Then I got Buffy and Giles, too. All the others, they've come and gone, but I know I can always depend on them. So can you. They won't let you down." "But..." "No buts. This is their decision. Not yours. At least try to give them a chance. For me?" "So what do I do when the kids make fun of me?" "I've always found that a combination of bribes and threats cuts down on the funmaking. Tell them you'll stop doing their homework if they don't lay off, and you'll bring them homemade cookies if they do." Despite herself, Dawn giggled. "You're funny, Xander. I wish you were my brother." "I am. Honorary, but your brother. You can always come to me, y'know, if you have a problem. So are we cool?" "We're cool." "How about Buffy and Giles?" "It's sick. But, okay, I guess it's not my business." "That's the spirit! Why don't you go tell them that?" "Do I hafta?" "See, that's the funny thing about this; they'll never know you changed your mind if you don't tell them." "Why couldn't Buffy keep that aspect of the demon?" ***** When Willow and Buffy returned, Giles looked nervously at the pair. With only the slightest hesitation, Buffy walked to Giles and took his hand. No words were exchanged, but everything was said as Buffy snuggled against Giles' chest and raised her face for a kiss. A few yards away, Willow felt a pair of arms encircle her waist. "So they figured it out?" "Tara! How did you know? I didn't know till I knew just now." "Magic." The two witches grinned at one another. "I think we're gonna have some company tonight. Is that okay with you?" "Dawn's more than welcome to stay with us." "Y'know, they make a really nice couple. Never really thought about it before." Tara's response was never heard because she was distracted by Anya running by them and hurrying to where Buffy and Giles stood kissing. "Giles! Giles!" The Englishman pulled back, somewhat embarrassed when he realized just how many people had witnessed the scene. "Here." Anya handed him a package. "Have fun." "Wh- thank you Anya, but I'm not certain..." Buffy peeked into the bag. "I am. Thanks Anya." She signaled to Willow who returned the signal and went to find Dawn. "Come on, Giles. Let's have fun. I think we've earned it." Dawn and Xander trudged to the top of the hill, dragging the sled behind them. They exchanged a brief look before Dawn headed over to Buffy and Giles. "Look, I think this whole thing is really weird, but I guess it's none of my business. If you guys want to be all coupley, I guess it's okay with me. " "Thanks. I really needed you to be okay with this." Buffy hugged her sister. When they pulled back, Giles cleared his throat. "Am I to understand I have your permission to court your sister?" The Summers girls rolled their eyes at one another. "Who talks like that? Outside a Jane Austen novel?" "My guy. The most old fashioned person in the face of the planet. So are you gonna answer the man?" "It's okay. You can't be worse than the last couple guys she dated. Oh, and can I stay with Willow and Tara tonight?" "You get your wish, baby sister. Scram." ***** Buffy and Giles sat on the bearskin rug before the fire. They had been kissing for some time. Giles tried to rise and lead Buffy to the bedroom, but she stayed resolutely where she was. "Buffy? I thought you wanted to...that is..." "You can say the word, y'know." "I thought you wanted to...make love." "I do." "Then why...?" "I just want to do it here, in front of the fire. It seems right." "Just promise me we'll sleep in the bed." "You got it." She pulled him down for a long, sensuous kiss. "Lie down, bookman." "What are you up to?" He lay back even as he asked. "I'm up to thinking Anya was onto something when she included massage oils in that bag of tricks she gave us. Now, do you want to taste like chocolate or raspberries?" "Depends. Which would you rather I tasted like?" She ran her tongue along the side of his neck, nipping gently at the exposed vein. "Chocolate it is." He pulled her to him for a long, hungry kiss. Their tongues mingled and danced as his hands cupped her firm buttocks. "There's just one thing, Giles." "What's that?" "We gotta get you undressed for this." With that, her hands went to his waist and hauled his sweater over his head. The thermal top underneath quickly followed suit. Giles sat up to remove his shoes and socks as Buffy kissed and nibbled his broad shoulders and ran her fingers through his chest hair. When she touched his nipples, he sucked in a groaning breath. Buffy continued to tease the hard buds as she ran her lips across the nape of Giles' neck until her pulled her to the front and draped her across his lap. He stroked the hair back from her face as he held her. "You know I love you, Buffy." "I love you, too." He kissed her again as he nimbly unbuttoned her shirt and drew it down her arms. The turtleneck she wore underneath was also soon discarded, leaving her clad only in a frivolous satin bra above the waist. *** Giles couldn't help but bury his face between Buffy's breasts as he reached around her back to unhook her bra. After fumbling for a moment, he pulled back and looked questioningly at his lady. "Front closure" she giggled. Then she brought her hands to the fastener and undid it, letting the undergarment slide down her arms. Giles feasted his eyes on the firm globes before him. He ran his thumbs reverently along the swell at her sides before bringing his lips to one nipple and nuzzling gently at it. Her low moan made him smile even as he increased the pressure and brought the tip of his tongue out to flick the distended nub. "Mmmmm, stop it, you're distracting me. I want to get you naked and oiled up." "Oh lord, Buffy, I want you so much. Want to make love to you till you scream." "After I get you oiled up." In a matter of seconds, both had removed the rest of their clothing and they lay down on the bearskin, Giles on top of Buffy, his rampant erection firm and demanding against her thigh. "God, Giles, I want you" she panted as she ground her aching womanhood against him. "Take me, Buffy." She rolled them over until she was on top, the leaned down to kiss his throat. "Lie still. I want you covered in chocolate and that's how I'm gonna have you." She reached into the bag and pulled out the flavor of oil she wanted. "Roll over, Giles. I'm gonna start with your back." Giles obediently followed her orders. He lay on his stomach, his head resting on his crossed arms, a smile on his face. A tiny shiver of anticipation went through him as he heard Buffy open the bottle and rub her palms together to warm the oil. She started with his shoulders, but quickly moved down his back. Every once in a while, she would pause in her ministrations to lick some of the flavored oil off him. When she reached the small of his back, Buffy got a devilish idea. Warming another palmful of oil, she spread it across his firm ass cheeks. Giles gave a delighted murmur as she spread the warm oil over his buns. Then he tensed slightly as he felt her part his cheeks and drizzle oil into the cleft. "Relax, sweetie. I'm just having some fun." "Please do." He groaned as he felt her pointed tongue lick away some of the oil from one cheek as her finger gently explored in between them. The other hand began to rub softly, yet firmly at his balls. He felt as if his cock was going to explode when she brushed her finger against his anus. "Yes" he hissed, and raised his hips to meet her finger. "Like that, huh?" "Very much. Feels so good." "Want more?" "God yes, Buffy." With that, she pressed her finger firmly into his rectum. Giles gave a moan of satisfaction and began to rock his hips in a counter rhythm to Buffy's finger. "Oh yes, Buffy, fuck me. That's wonderful. Keep going." Giles gave himself over to the mindless pleasure of thrusting. He was desperate to fill Buffy, yet unable to give up the pleasure of her insistent finger. He panted and squirmed under her ministrations. Suddenly the finger was gone. Giles groaned at the loss. Buffy rolled him over. "I didn't think the people who own this place would be too happy if they had to clean what you were about to do out of the bearskin." He pulled her down for a blatantly carnal kiss. "It would have been worth buying the bloody bearskin. But I want to be inside you when I come." "Sounds good to me." With a grin, he flipped them over. "Now I rather think it's my turn to have some fun." "Oh yeah? Which side do you want up?" "I like what I see right now." His lips descended on her nipple and he suckled at it hungrily. Buffy moaned and held his head to her breast. She felt his hand fumble beside her for something, then recognized the sound of the bottle opening as he poured oil onto his hands and began to massage it into her other breast. In a flash, he was licking it off again. His hands worked the chocolate flavored oil into her skin, and his tongue followed the trail, cleaning it off again. When he reached the apex of her thighs, he gazed at her dew spattered nest of curls. "I do believe there's enough moisture there already. I wonder if it tastes as good as it looks." Before Buffy could reply, he buried his face in her crotch. "Oh God yes!" Buffy writhed in an agony of delight as Giles explored her sex. His tongue sought out every texture, every spot that made her cry out in bliss. He reveled in the sweet flavor of her nectar as well as the breathless whimpers that filled his ears. He ran his tongue over her nether lips, then touched it to the opening of her channel, and finally flicked it across her swollen clitoris. "Yeah, that's it, right there. Oh Giles, oh God, oh Rupert!" He moaned against her pussy as she came. The vibrations sent her over the edge a second time. By this time she was almost incoherent from his ministrations. Giles kissed and petted her down until her breathing began to return to normal. He moved his way up to hold Buffy and kiss her as she recovered more fully. "It's never been like that before." "I hope that was meant in a good way." Buffy swatted his chest lightly. "Duh! You were only amazing." "And I'm far from done, my love." He kissed her gently but passionately. Buffy reached up to stroke his cheek. "I love you, Rupert." He turned his face and kissed her palm. "And I love you, Buffy. I always will." "Show me?" "With pleasure." Giles reached into the bag and pulled out a foil slip. Once he had sheathed his cock, he moved to position himself at Buffy's entrance. She reached between them and guided him home, her eyes never leaving his as he filled her. They rocked slowly at first, savoring this new connection. Their mating was punctuated with deep kisses and soft words of love. As their excitement built, however, they moved on to sharp cries and fierce thrusts. At last they could no longer hold back. Buffy screamed as her inner walls pulsed around Giles' manhood. A moment later, he too cried out his release. A few final thrusts, and it was done. They lay panting in each other's arms, continuing to stroke and kiss one another as they calmed. Buffy pulled her lover to herself. After another moment, Giles reluctantly pulled himself from Buffy's arms to dispose of the condom. She continued to lie naked on the bearskin, and he returned to her there. "You were wonderful" "So were you, macho man. I'm glad we did this. That I took the chance." "So am I. I know it wasn't easy for you." "Falling in love with you was easy. It's letting you in that was always hard. It's like I said yesterday, I kept pushing and pushing and now that I've stopped, everything is better." She toyed with his chest hair as she spoke, curling it around her finger and occasionally kissing his collar bone. "You weren't the only one pushing away, Buffy. I did it too. Like you, I think things are much better as they are now." "So, how do you feel now that we've made love?" "Happy. Warm. Fulfilled. And so very contented. You?" "The same. Is this how it's gonna feel every time?" "There's only one way to find out. But could we possibly adjourn to the bedroom now?" "Wussy man." "Hardly, but if my back is to be of any use tomorrow..." "'Nuff said. Bedroom." "And Buffy? I feel very certain the experiment will be a success." And it was.
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