Title: Appearances (or Love at 1001st Sight) 1/3
Author: Cyberwulf
Rating: PG
Summary: Buffy learns that things aren't always what they seem.
Spoilers: Set in season 5, but no specific ones.
Disclaimer: It's all Joss's, except the plot.
Distribution: You want it, it's yours, just tell me where it's going.
Feedback: Feed the Wulf! cyberwulf_1andonly@yahoo.co.uk
Author's Note: For the purposes of this story, assume that somewhere along the line, Buffy passed a driving test.
" I can't believe Mom actually let you drive her car," Dawn remarked.
" Hey, now that I've got my licence, she's got no reason to say no," Buffy replied. She frowned. " Except for that one time with the candy when I almost totalled it, but that wasn't all my fault . . ."
Buffy began to slow down as they approached the mall. She scanned the parking lot, spotted a space and set about manoeuvring the SUV into it.
" Are you sure you can do this?" Dawn asked nervously. They seemed very close to the car on her side.
" No problem," Buffy replied. She adjusted the rear-view mirror . . . and suddenly spotted something ahead of and to the left of her.
" Check out the hottie," she breathed. Dawn looked. A guy in blue jeans was bent over a car that appeared to have stalled in the parking lot. He'd popped the hood and was examining the engine. The only parts of him visible were his legs, his rear, his arms and part of his back.
" That is such a cute butt," Buffy remarked, unaware that she was continuing to back up. Dawn's squeal of " Buffy!" was followed instantly by the tinkle of breaking glass.
" Oh no," Buffy murmured. She moved the jeep forward a little, switched off the engine, and both girls hopped out. They walked around to the back of the vehicle and surveyed the damage.
" Mom is gonna KILL me," Buffy moaned.
" Look on the bright side," Dawn told her. " You only smashed one tail light. I'd say you got off easy, considering you backed into a wall."
" Tell that to Mom," Buffy said, gazing woefully at the shards of glass and plastic on the tarmac.
" Buffy!"
The sisters looked up as Giles jogged up to them.
" I heard a crunch," he continued. " Are you both all right?"
" Giles?" Buffy said, dumbfounded. " Where did you spring from?"
He turned and gestured towards the stalled car, now deserted.
" I was just over there," he explained, " helping a friend of mine with her car, and when I heard the noise and saw that you'd just pulled in, I thought . . ."
" Oh my God," Buffy gasped in horror. She covered her rapidly reddening face with her hands and prayed for the Hellmouth to swallow her up.
" Buffy?" Giles asked in confusion, but was suddenly distracted by Dawn, who unexpectedly collapsed into hysterics.
" Oh my GOD!" she howled. " You were checking out his BUTT!" Seeing Giles' perplexed expression, Dawn elaborated. " She was parking the car, and everything was going fine, and then she saw this real hot guy bent over THAT car," she pointed, " and she was all like, 'Man, what a cute butt,' and she got so distracted that she CRASHED the car, and then it turns out it was YOUR butt!" Dawn almost collapsed and had to lean against the jeep, shaking with laughter.
" This is SO embarrassing," Buffy moaned. Tentatively, she looked up at Giles. His eyes had turned hard and his mouth was set in a grim line.
" I see," he said coldly, and walked back to his friend's car.
" Giles, wait!" Buffy called after him, but he didn't turn around. She glared at his retreating back. Great. She turned her attention to her still-giggling sister.
" I can't believe you were checking out GILES!" Dawn cackled. She attempted to screw up her face in disgust, but she was laughing too much to pull it off. " He's like, what, fifty? Gross much, Buffy?"
" I thought you came here to shop," Buffy snapped. Instantly, Dawn stopped laughing and directed a surly glare at her sister.
" Fine," she spat. She grabbed her bag from the back seat of the jeep and stormed into the mall. With a sigh, Buffy locked the jeep. She looked up and saw Giles give his friend a wave as she drove out of the parking lot, mechanical problem solved. He made his way over to his own car. Buffy sprinted towards him.
" Giles?" He didn't look at her. Buffy bit her lip. " Look, I, I'm sorry about Dawn." He leaned into his convertible and took out a leather jacket. " B-but, you gotta admit, it is pretty funny . . ."
He turned suddenly and Buffy took a step back when she saw the expression on his face.
" Yes, I find it highly amusing that I get snickered at," he hissed. He turned away again and furiously polished his glasses. " Not to mention the fact that you're obviously utterly mortified to discover you were looking at MY ancient backside."
" No – Giles, it's not like that," Buffy replied. " The cringe factor had absolutely nothing to do with you."
He looked at her disbelievingly.
" Well, okay, kinda," Buffy admitted, then added in a rush, " but not – not because I was looking at YOU, more that you found out I was looking – and that I got distracted by – I mean –" She took a deep breath and looked up at him. " Can I start over?"
Giles leaned against his car and put his glasses back on.
" All right," he replied, folding his arms.
" Okay," Buffy began, wrapping her arms around herself. " Okay. It's like . . . well, I was parking Mom's jeep, y'know, just an everyday thing, nothing out of the ordinary, and then I look up and I see this guy bent over a car. And he's got a really cute butt. It's so cute that I can't take my eyes off it. All I can think about is –" She felt her face fill with heat. " – is how much I wanna squeeze it." He blushed. Buffy continued, unable to look at him. " And I was so distracted I ended up backing into a wall and smashing a tail light." She glanced up at him, then focussed on the ground. "And then it turns out that the guy with the cute butt is you."
" Ah," Giles replied stiffly. " So you liked my backside but were put off when you saw my withered old face, then."
" No!" Buffy replied indignantly, glaring up at him. " And your face is not withered!" He'd taken off his glasses and was playing with them nervously. Buffy wrapped her arms tighter around herself and looked at the ground again. " It's just . . . it's just that you're my – my Watcher. One of my best friends. And usually you're all in tweed or suits or – or just really loose clothes and . . . and then it turns out that you've got this really nice butt and . . ."
She looked up again, and her eyes met his.
" And?" he prompted gently.
" And it's confusing," she said softly. She bit her lip. " Are you still mad?"
Giles tried very hard to keep the stern look on his face, but the beginnings of a smile were tugging at the corners of his mouth. He looked away and she could see he was trying not to laugh. He looked back at her and smiled properly.
" No, I suppose not," he sighed.
Buffy grinned.
" So what are you doing here?" she asked. " You're not normally Mall Guy."
" I need to pick up some new guitar strings," Giles replied. " And get my leather jacket dry-cleaned." He waved the jacket slightly.
" Wanna help me find Dawn?" Buffy asked. " Maybe help carry all her bags? And pay for lunch?"
" Are you sure I wouldn't be cramping your style?" Giles replied.
" Nuh-uh," Buffy assured him with a shake of her head. She took his arm and added mischievously, " Besides, you have to come home with us and help me explain to Mom just how I got so distracted."