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Chapter 8- Easy Adjustments and Famous Last Words

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Buffy smiled to herself as she padded up the stairs to get ready for bed, the sounds of Giles locking the front door and turning off lights echoing quietly through the apartment. The day had gone surprisingly well. Giles had reacted about as she had expected to most of the stores in the mall: poorly veiled distaste and a flat refusal to go into most of them. The dimly lit shop with the pounding music and dark, too tight clothing on display had merited a sneer and a pointed crossing to the other side of the walkway. Giles had finally given in when she pouted a little and had accompanied her into some of the less "tween" clothing stores, enduring her and Willow's attempts to improve his wardrobe with a modicum of grace. He had even consented to the purchase of a few items when the others had chimed in with agreement and approval.

Buffy stifled a giggle as she changed into her pajamas, remembering. A stop into a chain bookstore had left Giles and Willow both complaining about poor book selections. When questions about the possibility of placing orders hadn't been as productive as hoped, Giles had nearly pouted, muttering under his breath about useless clerks.

He had brightened up considerably when he spotted a tiny magic shop tucked into an out of the way corner of the mall. They had spent quite a while browsing through the little store. The shopkeeper had been thrilled to see them. The shop didn't see much traffic between the out of the way location and the unusual merchandise. Giles and Willow between them racked up a considerable purchase, with more requests for stock and a promise returning.

As they had left the magic shop, Buffy had eyed him speculatively.

"Giles, you're enjoying yourself. Admit it."

The corner of his mouth twitched and she could see the laughter in his eyes as he retorted, "I shall do no such thing."

She had only shaken her head with a fond smile and wrapped an arm around his waist as they walked. After a moment, he had returned the gesture with an arm around her shoulders and a gentle squeeze.

As they were leaving the mall, the shadows lengthening into evening, Buffy had declared that she needed a night off from patrolling. In all honesty, it was a rare occasion that she really needed to be out and about more than one night in three or so and Sunnydale had been quiet recently. Now, as she climbed into bed and settled back against the headboard to watch as Giles climbed the stairs to the loft, she was glad that she had. She watched him as he moved around the loft, preparing for bed, musing on how quickly she had adjusted to this new phase of her life. It wasn't strange at all to consider this place home and to return here at the end of the day.

Well, I spent enough time here before so maybe that's not that shocking.

Even so, the mental transition from platonic visitor to lover had been surprisingly smooth. Almost as though what they now shared had always been there and had simply needed to be touched off.

Giles noticed her attention and grinned. "Penny for your thoughts?" he asked as he pulled the henley he'd been wearing over his head and discarded it to the hamper.

Buffy stifled a giggle at what the shirt's passing did to his hair. Giles paused in unfastening his belt and gave her a silent, arch look. Which only made her giggle fit worse.

He cast his eyes heavenward, as though in supplication, as he paced to the bed.

"Lord, give me patience with Slayers."

Buffy's giggles turned into outright laughter and he pounced on her with a growl, wrapping her into his arms and tickling ruthlessly. Buffy shrieked and struggled, begging for mercy through her laughter.

Giles relented and wrapped himself around her back, cradling her against his chest. Buffy thought her chest might burst on the wave of happiness that surged through her. She'd always known he was devoted to her. It had been obvious nearly from the beginning of their relationship, from the very first days in the library. But that had been duty, a Watcher's oath to aid the Slayer.

This... this was something else entirely. His every touch spoke of profound love and a cherishing tenderness. Perhaps that was what had always been there. Loving devotion to each other until they were each ready to admit to something more. She wrapped her arms over his where they lay over her middle, stroking his forearms gently.

"Is that penny still available?"

He hummed in assent, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck.

Buffy sighed as a wave of pure, contented joy broke over her. "I was just thinking how not weird it is that I'm here. I mean, it's a little strange to wake up and look over the loft railing rather than up at it, but that's just perspective. I'm guessing I'll get used to it. It's not weird at all that I'm up here with you."

She could hear the smile in his voice and feel it against the back of her neck. "I know what you mean. Despite the lot of you seeming to be here more often than at your own homes at times, I have been long accustomed to living alone. Sleeping alone." He paused, lifting her right hand in both of his own and interlacing their fingers. His voice was softly wondering when he went on. "And yet, though you've only been here a day or so, it seems as though it's always been like this. Like we've always been meant to reach this point."

"Giles..." she whispered, her breath catching in her throat at his voicing of the rest of her thoughts.

"Even after all this, you still call me that." His voice was softly amused.

"Do you not like it?"

"I didn't say that," he said, kissing the back of her neck again. "It's a little odd, but I do like it." He paused and chuckled. "Of course, I expect you could call me just about anything and I'd like it." She felt the sinuous motion of a shrug against her back. "I usually don't care much for my first name anyway."

"Rupert," she said with a smile, twisting slightly in his arms to face him.

His own smile answered hers. "It does sound better when you say it."

She gently pushed his shoulder until he lay back on the bed and hovered over him, bracing herself on outstretched arms.

She leaned down and whispered in his ear, a grin on her face, "Rupert."

He returned the grin and drew breath to speak, his hands sliding up her arms slowly.

They both startled violently as the front door banged open.

Xander's panicked voice called out, "Buffy?! Giles?!"

Giles swore in several languages under his breath. "Oh, I'm going to kill that boy!"

Buffy scrambled off him, stifling a giggle, and called out. "We'll be down in a moment, Xander!" She swiftly gathered clothes, casting a look at Giles. Her Watcher gestured emphatically that he was not in a fit state to be seen at the moment and made a shooing motion toward the stairs. Buffy stifled a giggle and mouthed "Sorry" at him. He scowled, though she could see the grin he was trying to suppress, and rolled his eyes.

Buffy padded rapidly down the stairs and found not just Xander waiting but Willow as well. Her heart sank as she took in their expressions. Wide eyed and panicked looks never boded well.

"What's going on, guys?" she asked as she slid her feet into her boots.

Willow looked ready to launch into blurted and rambled explanations, so Xander cut in. "Corpses with electrical burns on them," he stated, "We saw the demon. It was headed toward Restever Cemetery. Oz is keeping an eye on it until we can all get there."

Giles came down the stairs at last, fully dressed and his boots in one hand. "What did it look like?" he asked Xander and Willow. "Size? Color?"

Buffy interrupted him. "Giles, there's no time for research now! We've gotta go!"

He gave her an irritated look as he sat at his desk to pull on his own boots. "And you'd prefer to go charging into danger with no more idea of what you're facing than just 'it's a demon'?"

She gave him her best 'duh' look. "When it's killing people, I don't exactly need more."

"Buffy..."

She recognized his 'Watcher voice' and hurried to interrupt him. Guess some things just don't change. "Giles, there's no time! There's a demon, I'm the Slayer. Put them together and we get a dead demon. Good enough for me."

His lips thinned into a hard line and Buffy knew that this wasn't the end of the argument. That was fine. They could have it out again. They'd done it before. So long as it was after the fight. She knew that he would back her up regardless of whether he was angry with her or not.

She strode to the weapons cabinet, sighing in irritation. "Safe night to take off patrol. Right. Why do I bother saying things." She pulled stakes and blades from the cabinet, before tossing Giles his crossbow, which he caught easily. "Well, let's go get the creepy."

Author's Notes- Next chapter will FINALLY get into the actual plot of the story. Apologies for the infrequent updates. Work and school have eaten my brain.