There was barely any light coming through the windows, it was cool and
blue. Buffy was still and quiet as Giles laid her back on the bed and
kissed her. She reacted calmly, slowly and thoughtfully to Giles' touch,
rising up slowly to meet his kisses, breathing deeply, gently stroking his
hair and neck.
Giles was nervous, he was so happy to be here with her that every touch seemed new and arousing. He didn't know how long they had lain there kissing and holding each other when he finally decided to touch Buffy's bare skin. Not a shoulder or her face, her real unseen skin, her stomach, he slid his hand up her shirt slowly and let it rest on her waist above her hip. It was electric. They hummed silently, and trembled as Giles began sliding his hand up Buffy's torso. The couple pulled away only to be drawn farther into each other, clothes began to disappear, kisses became urgent pleas for action.
Buffy had always felt small to Giles and even when they sparred, she seemed fragile. Now she felt like his equal, her strength and energy matching his size and experience. Buffy followed Giles pace, slow and deliberate, absorbing him and the moments with joy. He never wanted to leave this night, this bed, this woman, and he made every attempt to stay forever. Nevertheless, Buffy couldn't stay, so he left with her, following her quick breaths and low moans into a peaceful, sound sleep.
He woke the next morning cradling Buffy, whose arm was wrapped around his torso, and their legs tangled together. He breathed her in and squeezed her, then checked the time as she stirred.
"Good morning, Buffy."
"What time is it?" Her eyes were still closed tight, but a look of consternation had passed over her previously sweet and peaceful face.
"Seven."
She squeezed her eyes shut tighter, "In the morning?"
"Yes, which is why one generally says 'Good Morning.'"
"Very funny."
Giles took a pause and looked at Buffy, he knew that they would have to talk about everything all over again. She would have to remember.
He spoke again, a little less softly, "Buffy."
She rolled over and moved away from him, pulling the blankets up to her head, "What?"
"We need to get up, we're meeting with everyone shortly, and we'll have to set up a meeting with your mother's attorney."
"Oh, no, Giles…" Buffy's eyes popped open, and a look of horror crossed her face, "What did we do last night? My mom… How could I forget? I forgot to call my dad." She pulled away from him and rolled out of bed, grabbing his shirt from the floor and throwing it on, Giles noticed that it hung almost to her knees.
Buffy was frantic. She also seemed a little more ground in reality this morning than she had last night. Giles slid himself to the edge of the bed and reached out to her. She came to him and he held her close, finger combing her hair.
"Buffy, we can take care of that, it's all right. Right now, I'm more concerned about Dawn. I think she's already downstairs."
Buffy pulled away and looked at him wide-eyed, "Dawn's already awake?"
"I believe so, so unless your first order of business is to tell everyone about what we did last night, I suggest that you wear something other than my shirt."
"Yes, not your shirt…" Buffy started to unbutton it and then paused, "Um, Giles, could you turn around?"
"Five seconds ago you were prancing around in the nude." However, Giles turned around without anymore complaining, gathered up his clothes and began dressing.
He could hear Buffy rustling through her closet, "How are we going to get downstairs without Dawn noticing?"
"We'll walk downstairs like everything is normal."
"Like everything is normal?"
"As if nothing unusual has happened."
"Okay, you can turn around now," As he turned around Giles saw that Buffy was wearing sweats and a t-shirt and that she looked tired, her voice was getting tremulous, "Do you think your plan will work?"
"Well, not really, but it's the best I can do right now." Rupert sat down on the bed, a little unsure of what to do. He wanted to old Buffy and tell her how much he loved her, how amazed he was by her and how happy he was that they had slept together last night. He wanted to kiss her again, and touch her warm skin.
"Giles," Buffy was looking at him intently, but fidgeted with the hem of her shirt nervously, "Thank you."
She was even more unsure of how to act than he was. Rupert had to remind himself of Buffy's other relationships, especially of Angelus, and how no matter how kind her other lovers were, she would always suspect a monster lurked underneath.
"No, Buffy, thank you." He got up and walked over to her, and held her close. "I love you."
"I love you, too," She took a deep, ragged breath and sighed, "but I feel bad for wanting to not hurt anymore."
"I know, but it is okay to feel emotions other than grief."
Buffy was starting to cry again, her breaths were short and pained.
"I can't lose you, Giles, I can't pretend I don't need you."
Rupert realized that she was talking about later, in front of the gang and Dawn, when any open affection between them would be suspicious.
"You won't have to, Buffy, don't worry. I'll be there for you. I promise."
Giles was nervous, he was so happy to be here with her that every touch seemed new and arousing. He didn't know how long they had lain there kissing and holding each other when he finally decided to touch Buffy's bare skin. Not a shoulder or her face, her real unseen skin, her stomach, he slid his hand up her shirt slowly and let it rest on her waist above her hip. It was electric. They hummed silently, and trembled as Giles began sliding his hand up Buffy's torso. The couple pulled away only to be drawn farther into each other, clothes began to disappear, kisses became urgent pleas for action.
Buffy had always felt small to Giles and even when they sparred, she seemed fragile. Now she felt like his equal, her strength and energy matching his size and experience. Buffy followed Giles pace, slow and deliberate, absorbing him and the moments with joy. He never wanted to leave this night, this bed, this woman, and he made every attempt to stay forever. Nevertheless, Buffy couldn't stay, so he left with her, following her quick breaths and low moans into a peaceful, sound sleep.
He woke the next morning cradling Buffy, whose arm was wrapped around his torso, and their legs tangled together. He breathed her in and squeezed her, then checked the time as she stirred.
"Good morning, Buffy."
"What time is it?" Her eyes were still closed tight, but a look of consternation had passed over her previously sweet and peaceful face.
"Seven."
She squeezed her eyes shut tighter, "In the morning?"
"Yes, which is why one generally says 'Good Morning.'"
"Very funny."
Giles took a pause and looked at Buffy, he knew that they would have to talk about everything all over again. She would have to remember.
He spoke again, a little less softly, "Buffy."
She rolled over and moved away from him, pulling the blankets up to her head, "What?"
"We need to get up, we're meeting with everyone shortly, and we'll have to set up a meeting with your mother's attorney."
"Oh, no, Giles…" Buffy's eyes popped open, and a look of horror crossed her face, "What did we do last night? My mom… How could I forget? I forgot to call my dad." She pulled away from him and rolled out of bed, grabbing his shirt from the floor and throwing it on, Giles noticed that it hung almost to her knees.
Buffy was frantic. She also seemed a little more ground in reality this morning than she had last night. Giles slid himself to the edge of the bed and reached out to her. She came to him and he held her close, finger combing her hair.
"Buffy, we can take care of that, it's all right. Right now, I'm more concerned about Dawn. I think she's already downstairs."
Buffy pulled away and looked at him wide-eyed, "Dawn's already awake?"
"I believe so, so unless your first order of business is to tell everyone about what we did last night, I suggest that you wear something other than my shirt."
"Yes, not your shirt…" Buffy started to unbutton it and then paused, "Um, Giles, could you turn around?"
"Five seconds ago you were prancing around in the nude." However, Giles turned around without anymore complaining, gathered up his clothes and began dressing.
He could hear Buffy rustling through her closet, "How are we going to get downstairs without Dawn noticing?"
"We'll walk downstairs like everything is normal."
"Like everything is normal?"
"As if nothing unusual has happened."
"Okay, you can turn around now," As he turned around Giles saw that Buffy was wearing sweats and a t-shirt and that she looked tired, her voice was getting tremulous, "Do you think your plan will work?"
"Well, not really, but it's the best I can do right now." Rupert sat down on the bed, a little unsure of what to do. He wanted to old Buffy and tell her how much he loved her, how amazed he was by her and how happy he was that they had slept together last night. He wanted to kiss her again, and touch her warm skin.
"Giles," Buffy was looking at him intently, but fidgeted with the hem of her shirt nervously, "Thank you."
She was even more unsure of how to act than he was. Rupert had to remind himself of Buffy's other relationships, especially of Angelus, and how no matter how kind her other lovers were, she would always suspect a monster lurked underneath.
"No, Buffy, thank you." He got up and walked over to her, and held her close. "I love you."
"I love you, too," She took a deep, ragged breath and sighed, "but I feel bad for wanting to not hurt anymore."
"I know, but it is okay to feel emotions other than grief."
Buffy was starting to cry again, her breaths were short and pained.
"I can't lose you, Giles, I can't pretend I don't need you."
Rupert realized that she was talking about later, in front of the gang and Dawn, when any open affection between them would be suspicious.
"You won't have to, Buffy, don't worry. I'll be there for you. I promise."