Title: Still a Fool 3/4
Author: Luisa
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer/Notes: As in Part 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 3
"Giles?"
Her soft voice carried to where he stood now looking at the books, not really seeing them. Giles heard the question it held and felt his heart breaking. He knew she had seen his reaction and interpreted it, and like himself earlier, she wanted to know the truth. *There really is no way out of this, is there?* he asked himself silently. *How can I answer her honestly when she sees me as only a friend? This will change everything.* "Buffy..." He whispered her name like a prayer, turning slowly to face her once more.
She could only stare at him, transfixed yet again by the way his body moved - the way it answered her question without needing words. "It's true, isn't it?" she asked with wide eyes.
Buffy was amazed at the amount of control she still had over her voice, as her body still felt like Jello and her heart was pounding at a million beats a minute despite the little voice in her head insisting that was impossible. *Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating there, but still...* No-one had ever invoked this sort of reaction within her, and she was glad to be sitting down. The only thing holding her attention was the man - *damn sexy man* - standing in front of her. She realised that he hadn't answered her, but was staring back with equal interest.
"Giles?" This time her voice held no question of his feelings, but questions for his silence. The small voice in her mind spoke up once more *Am I wrong?* She dismissed it easily. * No, I can't be.* Still silence filled the air between them and she called him again. "Giles?"
He at last managed to work his vocal chords, pain evident in every word. "Buffy... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I never meant to... to fall in... in love with you. It was an... accident. I couldn't help it - you just look so... so beautiful, and you are... so... brave. I... I know this changes things, and I understand if..."
"Sssh, Giles"
The words sounded empty without the accompanying action of forgiving hugs or fingertips to lips and he looked at her in surprise. Their eyes met, and suddenly she wanted to run to him and wrap her arms around him. Instead a fat tear fell unexpectedly, plopping ungraciously onto her lap.
"Buffy? What's wrong?" His gentle, loving voice was enough to prompt several more tears to fall, and he approached the counter without a second thought.
"I've been so stupid, Giles."
He paused mid-stride, yet again finding himself surprised. *This is certainly an evening for revelations* He snapped out of it before his thoughts could distract him further, and stepped through the counter entrance. "Why ever do you think that, Buffy?"
"Because..." Now that she could say the words the way she wanted to, she allowed herself the luxury of savouring them. Every word felt like it was taking her a step closer to heaven, her heart fluttering in anticipation. "Because I love you, too - and I should have told you sooner."
Giles wondered if this torture would never end. Now he had to console the woman who had broken his heart. "Buffy, you did tell me. Just now. Why should you cry? I won't leave you due to my unrequited love, if that's what you're afraid of...that is, unless you want..."
"No!" she practically shouted.
Giles looked at her bewildered, and she closed her eyes against the sudden ache at the thought of his absence.
"Giles, I don't want you to leave. I'm crying because I made so many mistakes because I thought you were unattainable." She saw him grin at her through her tears at her use of the long word. She managed a watery smile in return. "I think you're rubbing off on me."
Despite his grin, Giles frowned slightly in confusion. "What do you mean, I was unattainable? I thought you said..." Warm rays of hope crept into his heart, gently restoring his frazzled nerves and battered soul.
"I know what I said, but I thought you... I thought that you didn't feel the same. I figured that you and Jenny... and then... you and Olivia... you know... so, I found myself Angel, Parker and Riley to keep my mind off you. All they ever were, were substitutes for you - I never imagined you could love me back."
"Are you saying that you would break up with Riley tomorrow, if I could offer you a future?" He took a step closer to her, aching to hold her.
"I'm saying Giles, that I would drop Riley right this second if he walked through that door now. Because it's you I'm in love with. Not him."
In less than a second Giles closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around the slender frame of his Slayer, and sighing into her hair. "Buffy..." He breathed her name as the rays of hope filled him completely, driving away his fear, hurt, anger and loneliness. He placed a small kiss on the crown of her head before drawing back in wonder that this precious woman he had loved for so many years loved him in return. As he drew back he found himself lost in her eyes, the love and devotion he saw there making his heart skip a beat.
"I love you, Giles" she whispered, surprised that she could find her voice. Everything within her was crying out to be touched, healed, forgiven. Butterflies like she had never experienced invaded her full force as she anticipated his next words and movements.
Giles' arms tightened around her as he let Buffy's admission fill his soul before responding, still lost in those beautiful eyes.
"I love you too, Buffy. More than I could hope to express"
His eyes searched hers for just a few seconds longer, revelling in the silent words she was communicating, before his eyelids drifted shut and his lips lowered to hers.
As his face moved towards hers, Buffy could only marvel at his loving expression before her eyes too closed and their lips met in a tender kiss. They were both certain that fireworks were going off, as passion flowed through them leaving their skin tingling with desire in its wake.
She moaned into his lips as they continued caressing hers, and raised her arms around his neck while sliding slightly to the edge of the seat to be closer to her lover. He hugged her more fiercely in return, his tongue parting her lips gently to explore her warmth.
They both moaned in unison as fresh waves of desire overwhelmed them, fire roaring in their ears causing them to tremble with longing. Buffy wrapped her legs around Giles' waist, and used them to pull him as close as possible to her, given that she was still partially sat on the chair. She now clung to him with arms and legs in her efforts to keep upright, as that Jello feeling had returned stronger than before. She pulled back slightly and gazed dreamily into his green eyes once more. As she saw his undisguised passion, a small smile lit up her face, and she felt like both laughing and crying with indescribable joy.
"I love you so much Giles."
Giles chuckled lightly as he experienced similar feelings, so happy to hear her say those words to him. He began to lower his face to hers for a second round of kisses - already planning on taking this into the back room, when something outside caught his eye. Grinning widely he lowered his face to Buffy's and she tilted hers upward, ready for another of his intense kisses. She was surprised to say the least, when he moved his lips around to her ear, and whispered to her. "Buffy, Love? You know how earlier you expressed what you would do if Riley walked in right now?"
She nodded her head, confused as to where this was going. He grinned against her ear, before dropping his bombshell. "Well, now's your chance."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 3
"Giles?"
Her soft voice carried to where he stood now looking at the books, not really seeing them. Giles heard the question it held and felt his heart breaking. He knew she had seen his reaction and interpreted it, and like himself earlier, she wanted to know the truth. *There really is no way out of this, is there?* he asked himself silently. *How can I answer her honestly when she sees me as only a friend? This will change everything.* "Buffy..." He whispered her name like a prayer, turning slowly to face her once more.
She could only stare at him, transfixed yet again by the way his body moved - the way it answered her question without needing words. "It's true, isn't it?" she asked with wide eyes.
Buffy was amazed at the amount of control she still had over her voice, as her body still felt like Jello and her heart was pounding at a million beats a minute despite the little voice in her head insisting that was impossible. *Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating there, but still...* No-one had ever invoked this sort of reaction within her, and she was glad to be sitting down. The only thing holding her attention was the man - *damn sexy man* - standing in front of her. She realised that he hadn't answered her, but was staring back with equal interest.
"Giles?" This time her voice held no question of his feelings, but questions for his silence. The small voice in her mind spoke up once more *Am I wrong?* She dismissed it easily. * No, I can't be.* Still silence filled the air between them and she called him again. "Giles?"
He at last managed to work his vocal chords, pain evident in every word. "Buffy... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I never meant to... to fall in... in love with you. It was an... accident. I couldn't help it - you just look so... so beautiful, and you are... so... brave. I... I know this changes things, and I understand if..."
"Sssh, Giles"
The words sounded empty without the accompanying action of forgiving hugs or fingertips to lips and he looked at her in surprise. Their eyes met, and suddenly she wanted to run to him and wrap her arms around him. Instead a fat tear fell unexpectedly, plopping ungraciously onto her lap.
"Buffy? What's wrong?" His gentle, loving voice was enough to prompt several more tears to fall, and he approached the counter without a second thought.
"I've been so stupid, Giles."
He paused mid-stride, yet again finding himself surprised. *This is certainly an evening for revelations* He snapped out of it before his thoughts could distract him further, and stepped through the counter entrance. "Why ever do you think that, Buffy?"
"Because..." Now that she could say the words the way she wanted to, she allowed herself the luxury of savouring them. Every word felt like it was taking her a step closer to heaven, her heart fluttering in anticipation. "Because I love you, too - and I should have told you sooner."
Giles wondered if this torture would never end. Now he had to console the woman who had broken his heart. "Buffy, you did tell me. Just now. Why should you cry? I won't leave you due to my unrequited love, if that's what you're afraid of...that is, unless you want..."
"No!" she practically shouted.
Giles looked at her bewildered, and she closed her eyes against the sudden ache at the thought of his absence.
"Giles, I don't want you to leave. I'm crying because I made so many mistakes because I thought you were unattainable." She saw him grin at her through her tears at her use of the long word. She managed a watery smile in return. "I think you're rubbing off on me."
Despite his grin, Giles frowned slightly in confusion. "What do you mean, I was unattainable? I thought you said..." Warm rays of hope crept into his heart, gently restoring his frazzled nerves and battered soul.
"I know what I said, but I thought you... I thought that you didn't feel the same. I figured that you and Jenny... and then... you and Olivia... you know... so, I found myself Angel, Parker and Riley to keep my mind off you. All they ever were, were substitutes for you - I never imagined you could love me back."
"Are you saying that you would break up with Riley tomorrow, if I could offer you a future?" He took a step closer to her, aching to hold her.
"I'm saying Giles, that I would drop Riley right this second if he walked through that door now. Because it's you I'm in love with. Not him."
In less than a second Giles closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around the slender frame of his Slayer, and sighing into her hair. "Buffy..." He breathed her name as the rays of hope filled him completely, driving away his fear, hurt, anger and loneliness. He placed a small kiss on the crown of her head before drawing back in wonder that this precious woman he had loved for so many years loved him in return. As he drew back he found himself lost in her eyes, the love and devotion he saw there making his heart skip a beat.
"I love you, Giles" she whispered, surprised that she could find her voice. Everything within her was crying out to be touched, healed, forgiven. Butterflies like she had never experienced invaded her full force as she anticipated his next words and movements.
Giles' arms tightened around her as he let Buffy's admission fill his soul before responding, still lost in those beautiful eyes.
"I love you too, Buffy. More than I could hope to express"
His eyes searched hers for just a few seconds longer, revelling in the silent words she was communicating, before his eyelids drifted shut and his lips lowered to hers.
As his face moved towards hers, Buffy could only marvel at his loving expression before her eyes too closed and their lips met in a tender kiss. They were both certain that fireworks were going off, as passion flowed through them leaving their skin tingling with desire in its wake.
She moaned into his lips as they continued caressing hers, and raised her arms around his neck while sliding slightly to the edge of the seat to be closer to her lover. He hugged her more fiercely in return, his tongue parting her lips gently to explore her warmth.
They both moaned in unison as fresh waves of desire overwhelmed them, fire roaring in their ears causing them to tremble with longing. Buffy wrapped her legs around Giles' waist, and used them to pull him as close as possible to her, given that she was still partially sat on the chair. She now clung to him with arms and legs in her efforts to keep upright, as that Jello feeling had returned stronger than before. She pulled back slightly and gazed dreamily into his green eyes once more. As she saw his undisguised passion, a small smile lit up her face, and she felt like both laughing and crying with indescribable joy.
"I love you so much Giles."
Giles chuckled lightly as he experienced similar feelings, so happy to hear her say those words to him. He began to lower his face to hers for a second round of kisses - already planning on taking this into the back room, when something outside caught his eye. Grinning widely he lowered his face to Buffy's and she tilted hers upward, ready for another of his intense kisses. She was surprised to say the least, when he moved his lips around to her ear, and whispered to her. "Buffy, Love? You know how earlier you expressed what you would do if Riley walked in right now?"
She nodded her head, confused as to where this was going. He grinned against her ear, before dropping his bombshell. "Well, now's your chance."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~