Title: Masked desire – part 8 (That's all I ask of you - POTO)
Author: Rippertish
A/N: Hi guys! 'I hope this fic finds you happy and well.' (I've learned this new way of greeting, and I wanted to try. Is it nice or a bit outdated? I found it cool though! Hauahua) Anyway... I hope you are all in great shape! :)
A/N2: Special thanks to mischiefmagnet for the EXTRAORDINARY beta. Do not miss out on both of her Buffy/Giles fics!
A/N3:Here it is the final chapter of Masked Desire... Hope you enjoy! :D
Giles realized he had left his mask behind, but it didn't matter anymore. Carnival was over to him.
Buffy was speechless and immobile on the bed. Giles had run away from her. She had done everything including throwing herself at him, and he had denied her.
Wait a minute… had he just declared his love to her?
Yes, it did take a while for all his words to sink into her brain, but when they finally did, she sprang from her bed. She reached for her window and fumbled with the lockers. She finally managed to open it wide, and could spot Giles down on the alleyway only a few meters from her.
She shouted for him with all that she had, putting her whole being into her call. He stopped in his tracks and looked behind.
"Up here!" she said.
He looked up at her and reluctantly gave two steps in her direction.
"Hey," she said, but he didn't reply. He just looked at her.
"Look, I love you," she said in a rather quiet tone.
"WHAT?" he shouted from under her window, not able to hear her.
"I SAID THAT I LOVE YOU," she shouted back at him and noticed many people in the alley turning their attention to them. She continued, too determined to bother being embarrassed. "I THINK THE FEELING WAS THERE ALL ALONG BUT I REFUSED TO SEE IT. I AVOIDED YOU, I PUSHED YOU AWAY. I WAS SO SCARED OF GETTING HURT, OF LOSING ONE MORE PERSON THAT I LOVED."
People had started to gather around him. "BUT I'M NOT AFRAID ANYMORE." she said.
She took a deep breath and filled herself with courage before continuing. "EARLIER TODAY, THE GONDOLIER SAID THAT THE COUPLE THAT KISSES UNDER THE BRIDGE WOULD NEVER LOSE EACH OTHER. GOD! I CAN'T LOSE YOU. I WANT TO LOVE YOU AND TREASURE YOUR LOVE... Please, ' that's all I ask of you'." she finished in a quiet, pleading voice.
Say you'll share with me
one love, one lifetime
let me lead you from your solitude
Say you need me with you here, beside you...
anywhere you go, let me go too
He was astonished. He had put his jacket on but his cape was still in his hands. His tie hung loosely from his neck and the top button of his shirt was still undone.
Giles was scooped from his trance when a round of applause broke out around him. A few onlookers spoke heartening words in Italian or patted him on the back, encouraging him.
He looked around himself and blushed fiercely. He looked back up at Buffy and she was still there waiting for his answer. He said nothing, but strolled back into the hotel at a hurried pace.
Say you love me every waking moment,
turn my head with talk of summertime...
Say you need me with you now and always...
Promise me that all you say is true
that's all I ask of you
Buffy closed the window expectantly and before her brain could wonder too long if he would accept her or not, an insistent knock came at the door. She walked in its direction and opened it with her heart in her throat. Her pulse raced uncontrollably.
Giles was there and held a red rose in his hand. "May I come in?"
"Sure," she said, absently stepping aside to allow him in. She closed the door and faced him.
He offered her the rose. "I hope they won't notice one missing from the rose bouquet in the lobby."
He gave her a smile and she took the rose, reciprocating the smile.
After perceiving the flower's aroma, Buffy scanned the room with her eyes before walking to a table by the bed and placing the rose in a vase.
Giles dropped his cape on a chair and rubbed his palms together in a nervous gesture.
They met again in the middle of the room, stopping in front of each other and feeling uncertain of what to do next. They looked like two teenagers in love for the first time; anxious and Insecure.
All I want is freedom,
a world with no more night
and you, always beside me, to hold me and to hide me...
"You... um... at the window..." Giles managed to say the disconnected words while motioning his hand to the window in a very shy manner.
"Yeah..." she replied softly, obviously able to understand what he had meant. "And, you... um..." she said, pointing to the bed where he had also declared his love for her.
"Um-huh," he confirmed, sticking his hands in his pockets in a boyish manner.
"So..." she said.
"May I kiss you?", he blurted out quite anxiously and strangely out of the blue.
Buffy could not stop her reaction and she giggled at that.
"Sorry," he said also with a soft laugh, "I believe I'm acting rather juvenile. It's just..." he interrupted his sentence, taking her hands and pulling her closer to him in a more self confident manner now. He placed her hands around his own lower back and brought his hands up to caress her face, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
No more talk of darkness,
Forget these wide-eyed fears
I'm here, nothing can harm you
my words will warm and calm you
Let me be your freedom,
let daylight dry your tears.
I'm here with you, beside you,
to guard you and to guide you...
"Christ! I love you so dearly, I still can't believe this is happening," he said, looking into her eyes.
"I love you too, Giles. A lot." she gave him a bright smile.
He cupped her face lovingly and lowered his face to hers, kissing her mouth slowly. His lips at first were just playing with hers in light caresses that seemed to last forever. He then nibbled on her lower lip with a lopsided smile of satisfaction and her lips also curled up. His chest finally hummed in contentment at catching her smiling back at him, "Hmm… do you like my kisses?" he asked over her lips in a teasing yet sexy way.
"I do," she replied smiling, also not able to hide her contentment.
He places more slow, soft kisses over her mouth while teasing, "You were taking advantage of your watcher, weren't you? Hmm?"
"Um-huh!" she voiced with a guilty smile.
"You're very naughty." he said.
"I was what?" she quizzed softly.
"Naughty." he repeated.
"What?" she whispered once again.
Giles stopped his mouth's caresses and moved his head slightly away to gaze into her eyes, not understanding her repeated questions.
He noticed that she was making fun of him and he frowned in puzzlement, somehow managing to continue smiling at the same time.
She laughed softly and confessed, "I love your accent."
He laughed self consciously.
"I've missed it... say that again?" she requested with the most beautiful of smiles.
"Naughty!" he said playfully and pecked her on the lips.
He repeated that a couple of times and she couldn't stop giggling. The same way that he couldn't get tired of the sound of her laugh.
He lowered his mouth to her ear and whispered into it sensuously, "Do you like my accent, Luv?"
His hands caressed her back, spreading their heat. "I know far better words to say than 'naughty'."
"Uuum?" she moaned more than asked in her haze.
"Um-huh... I also know better uses for my mouth," he said mischievously while grinning over her ear.
His mouth travelled down her jaw and his lips found hers once again - their lips parting in an open mouth kiss, tongues caressing one another languidly.
This first kiss after all the loving spoken words seemed surreal. Giles had fantasized so many times about this moment and yet it had been a long time since he last held the hope of it coming true. Long gone were the days in which he dreamed of Buffy knocking at his door and throwing herself in his arms. He would kiss her passionately then, and give her the world.
Now, he was finding out that the so imagined passionate kiss didn't come close to comparing to the indescribable intensity of this one they were sharing now. He felt as if his feet were being lifted from the ground and a mass of huge energy enveloped their bodies. He'd never experienced such a powerful and overwhelming sensation. No magic ever performed would give him such ecstasy and no drug would give him such a kick.
"Giles!" Buffy broke the kiss, breathless, but kept her forehead rested against his.
"Yes, Luv?" he replied, equally out of breath.
"What is this?" she murmured afraid of breaking the magic.
"Can you also feel it?"
"Yeah... Is it magic?"
"I don't know. Are you frightened?" he asked caressing her cheek lovingly.
"Not really... It feels so good!"
"You're so delicious." he whispered while watching her lips, "the taste, the feeling..." His fingers brushed them lightly. He tucked her chin up and he kissed her again.
The magic feeling resumed and they bathed in it. Their faces swaying slowly from side to side. His tongue grazed the top of her mouth, sending a rush of warmth down her back. She moaned into his mouth and he repeated the gesture causing her legs to weaken. However, it didn't matter. They were floating.
Let me be your shelter
let me be your light
You're safe, No one will find you
your fears are far behind you...
Her hands climbed up and her arms rested around his neck, her fingers entwining in his hair. His hands firmly caressing her back made her feel warm and wanted. She bit his lip lightly, stealing a groan from him. That was surely the most exciting sound she'd ever heard.
The kiss deepened even more and he held her tighter to him as their bodies seemed to fuse together, immersed in the cloud of energy around them. They prolonged that magic as long as they could and when the kiss eventually ended they felt themselves quivering with energy and light headed at the same time.
"Lord! I still can't believe this is happening," he said. "You, here with me... In Venice."
He continued while watching her with dazzled, loving eyes. "There are so many things I want to do with you,"
"What time is it?" he blurted, more alert now and looking for his watch. "Do we still have time to go to the ball?"
Buffy laughed at his excitement.
"I want to dance with you... escort you by your side... kiss you at the balcony... I want that night again and again. But with you... and tomorrow... I'll spoil you," he said and took hold of her hands in his. "We will have a delicious Venetian ice-cream. We will go to the markets and I'll buy whatever you wish. Anything! I'll take you on a gondola ride, a full service one with strawberries and champagne. At night, I'll take you to dinner, candles and roses at the most romantic restaurant in the city. And after that... I'll serenade for you..."
"Serenade?" Buffy interrupted him with a giggle.
"Yes! Of course, my lady. Serenade," he confirmed, "right outside of that window." He motioned to her window with his head.
He wore a mix of a serious and witty expression on his face that made it impossible for Buffy to decipher whether or not he was joking about that. The fact was that she had never seen him so happy, and she felt herself wrapped in the most serene warmth and happiness of her own.
Having Giles as her prince in shining armour, Buffy could finally- for the first time in her entire life- see herself in a happily ever after fairy tale.
...And they all lived happily ever after!
The end
A/N: The bold and italic paragraphs are lines from 'That's all I ask of you' from Phantom of the Opera.
A/N2: I really hope you all enjoyed the final chapter of Masked Desire. I honestly will miss this fic. It's so pure and full of fantasy. Quite a bit different from what I usually write. Hihi
A/N3: Thank you for all the feedback along the path and the encouragement to add more and more Phantom elements as well.
A/N4: I also hope this fic motivates those that haven't watch Phantom of the Opera on the theatre or DVD to do so. Also, check Love Never Dies if you have a change, which is the sequel of Phantom released this year in London. It's full of colours and special effects. Beautiful!
A/N5: I've been to the carnival in Venice and I've got to say... IT'S SPETACULAR! You should definitely plan in your life. I tried to translate everything that I've seen there, into this fic but I'm sure I wouldn't be able to put it in words not even in a 300k words fic! Hihi
A/N6: More than a year ago, I've read a B/G fic that describes Giles been from Bath. I don't really know if Giles or the Council are from Bath or the fact that Anthony Head lives around there makes all this Bath myths. The fact is that I've include Bath in my tour program while in England driven by the curiosity of seen the city and I've got to say that was one of the nicest surprises of my tour. So... go to Bath... go to Venice... watch Phantom at the theatre... Have fun!
Rippertish