Title: Best of Intentions
Author: Luisa
Email: leyjd@hotmail.com
Pairing: B/G and a teeny bit of B/S, X/A
Rating: PG-13 (language)
Distribution: Dword, Kattie. Dee, Gabi and TL, if you want it. Any one
else - just let me know where.
Disclaimer, notes, thanks and dedications as per the prologue
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~ Part 2 ~
"Umm... Anya... you mind telling me what the hell I just missed? 'Cause... Giles? Orgasms? I mean... can you please *NOT* use those two words in the same sentence? 'Cause... Ewwww." Buffy's face was flushed at the subject of their conversation and she desperately tried to find something to focus her embarrassed gaze upon in her efforts to avoid the imagery that her thoughts were conjuring.
Anya smirked at the uncomfortable look on the Slayer's face. "What? Oh, Buffy. Stop pretending. We're all alone, and I promise I won't tell anyone. Just spill it, already. What's the big? Do you get into kinky stuff?"
The blush suddenly disappeared from Buffy's face and she instead paled as an expression of disgust crossed her face. "Anya, what the hell are you talking about?" A light bulb went on in her head as she processed what Anya was hinting at. "Ugh. You... you think me... and Giles... do.... stuff? Oh god, you do, don't you? What on earth gave you that idea?"
"Oh come on, Buffy. Why are you still pretending? It's so obvious what's going on, so there's just no point saying otherwise."
"Oh for god's sake, Anya. What's obvious? What are you talking about? And, why the sudden interest in -" her face flamed again, "- Giles' sex life?"
Anya huffed slightly and folded her arms across her chest in impatience and frustration. "Okay, fine then. We'll play your little game of "Let's pretend", if that's what you want. So... you and Giles... you're having sex, right?" She paid no attention to Buffy's shake of her head. "And you're obviously keeping it a secret, otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. Although, heaven knows why you're doing so. I mean anyone can see how in love you two are. My only guess is how long it's been going on. I reckon it was there when I first met you properly... you know, the Mayor thing? You seemed pretty tight, then. I would say that the whole Olivia and Riley thing was just a cover. So, now we're done with this little game, tell me - what's Giles like at giving orgasms?"
Buffy was certain she should be hearing the noise of her jaw hitting the table but it never came, although her mouth was certainly left hanging open in shock. Eventually, she gathered her wits enough to stutter out a response. "Anya... what.... what's made you think this? I, I mean... seriously... there's nothing between Giles and me... *nothing*" she added with a vehement shake of the head.
"You're serious?" Anya questioned in disbelief. "Hah! I don't believe it for a minute. All the longing looks you've given each other the last couple years - like when that Sweet demon came to town... the way you've touched each other so intimately - like that time we lost our voices... the way you got so mad when Giles got turned into a demon... they're dead giveaways, Buffy. You can't tell me there's nothing between you, 'cause I can see it with my own two eyes."
"But... but... but..." Buffy's voice trailed off, and she found herself looking down at her hands in confusion before speaking up in a soft voice. "I used to... I used to have a crush on him... I guess in some small way I still do... after all, he's saved my life so many times... and he's just so, just so... and his eyes... have you noticed his eyes? They're just so sexy... and dreamy... you know, you could get lost for hours just staring into them... and, well... I can't really explain it... but I know he's... well, you know..." her babble again trailed off into awkward silence while Anya gave a triumphant smirk.
"See? See? I knew it! I *knew* there was something going on! I knew you were protesting waaay too much for it to be nothing."
"But there isn't anything going on." Buffy protested quietly, sadly. "Nothing, nada, zip, big fat zilch. He's just not interested in me that way... I guess I'd have to be more like my mom or Olivia for him to see me that way... more... grown up, I guess. Besides... he's on his way to England right now... pretty solid proof of where he really wants to be, eh? Definitely not with me."
"Just how blind are you Buffy? When exactly was it that you got stupid? I... I... I mean..." Anya's voice trailed off rapidly under Buffy's glare. The silence stretched out as Buffy continued to glare at Anya, while mentally reeling from the shock of admitting her love for Giles.
Anya tried a different approach; aware that time was running out. "You know that Giles loves you, don't you?" Just as she suspected, Buffy's glare transformed into a look of surprise. Anya continued. "I mean, okay, if you insist there's nothing going on, fine. But it's obvious that you both *want* something to be going on - you love him and he loves you."
"But how do you...?"
Anya sighed. "Because. Because anyone with eyes can see the way you two look at each other... and how tight you are when there's some big bad coming after us... and when there's not. And then there's the way that Giles smiles at you...and, well..." Again the sentence died, and she sighed, wondering if it wise to mention this [Why not? It's not like Buffy's gonna tell Xander]. "Um... tonight... Giles and me... well, we... umm... we kissed." Buffy's eyes widened even more as she took this in, but Anya wasn't done yet. "It wasn't like... well, you know..." she shifted uncomfortably, beginning to wish she'd never started this. "He thought... we thought we were engaged... so, you know, that's what engaged couples do... anyway, what was I saying? Oh... he... he moaned your name. I guess, even in an 'alternate reality', so to say, he still loves you... after all... work it out: he kissed me, but your name was the one on his... very nice lips." She drew another deep breath before smiling at Buffy's shocked expression. "Oh come on, Buffy... figure it out... he *loves* you."
Buffy slowly started to nod her head in acknowledgement, before changing her mind and shaking it gently, sorrowfully. "I don't understand... if he loves me, why isn't he here? Why is he halfway to England instead of telling me himself that he loves me?"
"Because you never gave him a chance to love you, I'd wager... and I expect he never realised that you love him back... although if I can figure it out then how the hell didn't he? But if he thought you didn't love him, then knowing Giles, I think he'd probably prefer to be apart from you than be near you while watching you with other guys.... probably too painful."
The shocked expression had resumed its place on Buffy's face and she spoke quietly. "Oh god... I've really screwed everything up, haven't I?"
The former demon shook her head. "No, you haven't. You just didn't realise how you felt about him, or how he felt about you... besides nothing's completely screwed up yet... you've still got forty-five minutes."
"Until what?"
"Until Giles' 'plane leaves."
"You... you mean he hasn't gone?"
"Not yet... and if you get there in time, and tell him what you told me... but less vague... he might not go at all."
Buffy smiled at last, a beautiful smile of hope and happiness as she stood and moved to hug Anya tightly. "Thank you." The words were softly spoken, but Anya understood their depths as she hugged Buffy back.
"Go to him."
Buffy disentangled herself and reached for her jacket, suddenly desperate to get out of the Magic Box. She raced up the small flight of steps and towards the door, stopping only for a moment to look back at Anya in wonder. "When did you get so smart?"
Anya shrugged as she sat back down. "After being around for eleven hundred years, it kinda comes with the territory."
The girls shared a last smile, before Buffy disappeared out the door, sprinting into the night.
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~ Part 2 ~
"Umm... Anya... you mind telling me what the hell I just missed? 'Cause... Giles? Orgasms? I mean... can you please *NOT* use those two words in the same sentence? 'Cause... Ewwww." Buffy's face was flushed at the subject of their conversation and she desperately tried to find something to focus her embarrassed gaze upon in her efforts to avoid the imagery that her thoughts were conjuring.
Anya smirked at the uncomfortable look on the Slayer's face. "What? Oh, Buffy. Stop pretending. We're all alone, and I promise I won't tell anyone. Just spill it, already. What's the big? Do you get into kinky stuff?"
The blush suddenly disappeared from Buffy's face and she instead paled as an expression of disgust crossed her face. "Anya, what the hell are you talking about?" A light bulb went on in her head as she processed what Anya was hinting at. "Ugh. You... you think me... and Giles... do.... stuff? Oh god, you do, don't you? What on earth gave you that idea?"
"Oh come on, Buffy. Why are you still pretending? It's so obvious what's going on, so there's just no point saying otherwise."
"Oh for god's sake, Anya. What's obvious? What are you talking about? And, why the sudden interest in -" her face flamed again, "- Giles' sex life?"
Anya huffed slightly and folded her arms across her chest in impatience and frustration. "Okay, fine then. We'll play your little game of "Let's pretend", if that's what you want. So... you and Giles... you're having sex, right?" She paid no attention to Buffy's shake of her head. "And you're obviously keeping it a secret, otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. Although, heaven knows why you're doing so. I mean anyone can see how in love you two are. My only guess is how long it's been going on. I reckon it was there when I first met you properly... you know, the Mayor thing? You seemed pretty tight, then. I would say that the whole Olivia and Riley thing was just a cover. So, now we're done with this little game, tell me - what's Giles like at giving orgasms?"
Buffy was certain she should be hearing the noise of her jaw hitting the table but it never came, although her mouth was certainly left hanging open in shock. Eventually, she gathered her wits enough to stutter out a response. "Anya... what.... what's made you think this? I, I mean... seriously... there's nothing between Giles and me... *nothing*" she added with a vehement shake of the head.
"You're serious?" Anya questioned in disbelief. "Hah! I don't believe it for a minute. All the longing looks you've given each other the last couple years - like when that Sweet demon came to town... the way you've touched each other so intimately - like that time we lost our voices... the way you got so mad when Giles got turned into a demon... they're dead giveaways, Buffy. You can't tell me there's nothing between you, 'cause I can see it with my own two eyes."
"But... but... but..." Buffy's voice trailed off, and she found herself looking down at her hands in confusion before speaking up in a soft voice. "I used to... I used to have a crush on him... I guess in some small way I still do... after all, he's saved my life so many times... and he's just so, just so... and his eyes... have you noticed his eyes? They're just so sexy... and dreamy... you know, you could get lost for hours just staring into them... and, well... I can't really explain it... but I know he's... well, you know..." her babble again trailed off into awkward silence while Anya gave a triumphant smirk.
"See? See? I knew it! I *knew* there was something going on! I knew you were protesting waaay too much for it to be nothing."
"But there isn't anything going on." Buffy protested quietly, sadly. "Nothing, nada, zip, big fat zilch. He's just not interested in me that way... I guess I'd have to be more like my mom or Olivia for him to see me that way... more... grown up, I guess. Besides... he's on his way to England right now... pretty solid proof of where he really wants to be, eh? Definitely not with me."
"Just how blind are you Buffy? When exactly was it that you got stupid? I... I... I mean..." Anya's voice trailed off rapidly under Buffy's glare. The silence stretched out as Buffy continued to glare at Anya, while mentally reeling from the shock of admitting her love for Giles.
Anya tried a different approach; aware that time was running out. "You know that Giles loves you, don't you?" Just as she suspected, Buffy's glare transformed into a look of surprise. Anya continued. "I mean, okay, if you insist there's nothing going on, fine. But it's obvious that you both *want* something to be going on - you love him and he loves you."
"But how do you...?"
Anya sighed. "Because. Because anyone with eyes can see the way you two look at each other... and how tight you are when there's some big bad coming after us... and when there's not. And then there's the way that Giles smiles at you...and, well..." Again the sentence died, and she sighed, wondering if it wise to mention this [Why not? It's not like Buffy's gonna tell Xander]. "Um... tonight... Giles and me... well, we... umm... we kissed." Buffy's eyes widened even more as she took this in, but Anya wasn't done yet. "It wasn't like... well, you know..." she shifted uncomfortably, beginning to wish she'd never started this. "He thought... we thought we were engaged... so, you know, that's what engaged couples do... anyway, what was I saying? Oh... he... he moaned your name. I guess, even in an 'alternate reality', so to say, he still loves you... after all... work it out: he kissed me, but your name was the one on his... very nice lips." She drew another deep breath before smiling at Buffy's shocked expression. "Oh come on, Buffy... figure it out... he *loves* you."
Buffy slowly started to nod her head in acknowledgement, before changing her mind and shaking it gently, sorrowfully. "I don't understand... if he loves me, why isn't he here? Why is he halfway to England instead of telling me himself that he loves me?"
"Because you never gave him a chance to love you, I'd wager... and I expect he never realised that you love him back... although if I can figure it out then how the hell didn't he? But if he thought you didn't love him, then knowing Giles, I think he'd probably prefer to be apart from you than be near you while watching you with other guys.... probably too painful."
The shocked expression had resumed its place on Buffy's face and she spoke quietly. "Oh god... I've really screwed everything up, haven't I?"
The former demon shook her head. "No, you haven't. You just didn't realise how you felt about him, or how he felt about you... besides nothing's completely screwed up yet... you've still got forty-five minutes."
"Until what?"
"Until Giles' 'plane leaves."
"You... you mean he hasn't gone?"
"Not yet... and if you get there in time, and tell him what you told me... but less vague... he might not go at all."
Buffy smiled at last, a beautiful smile of hope and happiness as she stood and moved to hug Anya tightly. "Thank you." The words were softly spoken, but Anya understood their depths as she hugged Buffy back.
"Go to him."
Buffy disentangled herself and reached for her jacket, suddenly desperate to get out of the Magic Box. She raced up the small flight of steps and towards the door, stopping only for a moment to look back at Anya in wonder. "When did you get so smart?"
Anya shrugged as she sat back down. "After being around for eleven hundred years, it kinda comes with the territory."
The girls shared a last smile, before Buffy disappeared out the door, sprinting into the night.
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