A TIME FOR ICECREAM- By FizzyWitch
Rated: G
Buffy/Giles friendship
Some Angel/Buffy
Part One:
And wild horses couldn't drag me away… no, wild, wild horses…
The music faded, and a peppy song filled with discordant blips and bleeps filled the auditorium. At any other time Buffy would have enjoyed the beat- but not then, not that night. Not when Angel pressed a kiss to her forehead.
She knew that was all she would have from him. He had given her that: a single, perfect dance. He would give her no more. Her heart broke once again, the drowning feeling in her lungs almost overwhelming.
"No… Angel, please. Can't we have more than a dance? Can't we have…?"
He cut her off, "What Buffy? What can we have?"
She looked up at him. Her eyes entreating him. 'Forever.' she wanted to say. But she didn't let the word slip free. He knew what she wanted as well as she did. And they both knew that they couldn't ever have it.
Giles watched from the side of the dance floor. He was neglecting his chaperoning duties, to be sure. But he couldn't look away from the sight of his dear Buffy. Her young heart being broken once more. He cleared his throat as Angel walked away, leaving Buffy alone in the middle of the gyrating masses.
Giles knew he couldn't help her fight this battle. He knew, but he didn't want to except it. Truthfully, Giles wanted to go off and stake the vampire. But he knew that would cause Buffy even more pain. That fact may have been the only thing that stayed his hand.
Slowly, Giles maneuvered his way through the crowd until he was standing behind Buffy. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. She took a step away, and turned to face him.
"Don't." She said.
He could barely hear her over the music. "Don't what Buffy?
"Don't be nice, I don't think I'll be able to keep myself. Ya know, completely sane-slayer if you're nice. There could be badness. And tears… Which is a big part of the Buffy-badness." A wet giggle emerged.
"Shush, now, don't be foolish. Come with me." He draped a protective arm around her and led her out of the gym. Leaving the pounding beat and throngs of happy, ignorant children behind.
"Uhh… Giles? Why are we in the cafeteria? I know the food here is evil, but I'm not exactly The Mystery Meat Slayer."
"Right, right. Just hold on a moment. I'll be back."
Buffy jumped up so that she was sitting on the counter top, swinging her legs to and fro as best as she could while wearing the confining prom dress.
Giles returned bearing two spoons and a bag. He set it down on the counter next to Buffy and removed from it eight different cartons of ice cream. Rocky road, Mocha Crunch, Fish Food, Vanilla, Chocolate, Mint Chocolate cookie dough, Strawberry Cheesecake, Green Tea…
"Woah, Giles, making with the sugar cravings much?"
"I wasn't sure, I mean, I didn't know, if there was a particular kind of ice cream that was preferred in this situation."
Buffy looked at him, her lower lip threatened to tremble. "My dear," Said Giles, with a hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry you had to go through all of this."
"I already miss him, Giles. So much. And I feel bad even saying that to you. He hurt you so badly. You shouldn't have to hear all this. Bad Buffy." She looked away, even her weak attempt at wordplay not softening the ball of tears in her throat.
"Never be afraid to tell me anything." He looked choked for a moment, "Know, my dear girl, that yes, Angelus hurt me in unfathomable ways…"
Buffy squeaked.
"But," He continued, "that never meant I wanted you to do without the man you love. As hard as it can be for me to comprehend at times, Angel and Angelus are two separate and distinct creatures. And of them, you loved the one who fights on the side of right, the side of good. I cannot blame you for that, I cannot fault you for that. No one could."
At that, Buffy started to cry.
A/N: So, I will either write a single additional chapter to finish this off OR I will turn it into a big plot filled bit of A/U goodness… But that is up to you, the readers, to decide. Review with your preference!
