Double date - part 3

After a short, quiet walk, the sound of their footsteps filling the stillness between them, Buffy finally broke the silence.

"Giles," she probed, her voice soft.

"Hmm?" he hummed absentmindedly, his gaze low and relaxed as he kicked a small stone along the pavement, barely glancing her way.

"She's a very pretty woman, isn't she?" Buffy ventured, turning her head to study his reaction. "Christina, I mean."

Giles glanced at her, his brow furrowing, but before he could truly gauge her expression, Buffy's gaze had already dropped, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of a coaster she had kept from the café, the edges worn under her touch.

"I… I suppose," he replied, his tone light, though with a hint of hesitation.

"And, um, attractive?" she pressed, her tone still casual, though her focus remained on the coaster in her hands, avoiding his gaze, as if the question carried more weight than she wanted to reveal.

"One could say so." He kept walking, but his eyes were now fully on her. "Might I inquire as to why you're asking me this?" His brow lifted, hands still tucked in his pockets, his voice calm but laced with a subtle undertone of interest.

Buffy shrugged lightly, her voice quieter now. "I guess I was just wondering why you blew her off."

Giles slowed his pace slightly, the weight of her question pressing against him. He sighed, his eyes focusing on the pavement as if searching for the right words. "Buffy... bringing someone into my life isn't as simple as it seems," he began. "Few people are prepared to face the risks or understand the responsibilities that come with my duties." He glanced at her, his expression softening. "My life, as you know, is dedicated to saving the world, nearly on a daily basis."

Buffy nodded, though her gaze remained on the ground, "I know. You made an oath to the Council."

Giles frowned at her words. "An oath that became meaningless the moment they fired me," he replied, his voice firm but not unkind. "Since then, I haven't been bound to them. The commitment I made to you after that..." He paused, the words hanging between them, his eyes softening as he continued. "...well, that was entirely my own."

Before she could stop herself, the words had already left her lips. "You must stake yourself every day for that decision," Buffy said, biting the corner of her lower lip as she braced herself for whatever answer he might give.

Giles' steps faltered, taken aback by her statement, lips pressing together. "You know that's not true," he finally replied, his voice steady.

"Sometimes I do," Buffy admitted, and then, in a hesitant, more fragile tone, she added, "Sometimes, I'm not sure."

He cast a sidelong glance at her, taking in her words. "Like now?" he asked softly. Giles was clearly puzzled by the shift in her confidence, though he kept his tone gentle.

"I guess so..." she murmured, her gaze dropping once again to the ground.

Giles couldn't quite grasp what had sparked Buffy's doubts about his loyalty. The idea of leaving for England hadn't crossed his mind in years. They had been training together regularly, their bond steady, with no distance or strain between them. He could only hope that whatever insecurity was surfacing now would soon pass.

They finally reached his door. Giles immediately retrieved his keys and unlocked it. As the door swung open, he turned to Buffy, prepared to thank her for the help earlier at the café.

But before he could say a word, everything shifted. Without warning, Buffy pushed up on her toes and, in a swift, impulsive motion, grasped the back of his neck, pulling him down. Her lips met his in a firm, unhesitant kiss. She held it for just a few seconds before pulling back, her eyes studying his face, waiting for his reaction.

Giles froze. His skin paled, and his expression was one of pure astonishment. His mouth fell open, but no words came out.

Buffy blinked, her heart racing as the realisation of what she'd just done hit her. "Oh God," she whispered, her eyes wide. "What did I…? That was…" She swallowed hard, "You don't... you don't like me that way, do you?" Her voice faltered, as she could already draw her conclusions.

Giles didn't answer. He didn't need to, his expression told her everything.

"I... I should go," she stammered, heat rising in her cheeks. She was quick to turn on her heel, desperate for an escape.

"Buffy?" he called after her, his voice unexpectedly soft. "Please wait."

She hesitated, then turned back slowly, her gaze locking with his, searching for some, any sign of romantic acceptance. But, there was none. Her embarrassment deepened.

However, his eyes were filled with understanding and sympathy. "I think it might be best if we talked about this for a moment," he said gently, opening the door wider and waiting patiently for her to cross the threshold.

Giles closed the door behind her with a quiet click, motioning for Buffy to sit on the couch. He shrugged off his coat, hanging it carefully by the door. For an instant, he considered making tea but he dismissed the idea.

Instead, he pulled the coffee table closer to the couch and sat on it, across from her. She noticed how he had deliberately avoided sitting next to her. Her eyes drifted down to her hands, which rested on her lap. She wished she could disappear, or take back her actions.

Her voice came out hesitantly, "Do you love me as a daughter?"

Giles' gaze softened. "Buffy, I wouldn't say that my love for you is like that of a father to a daughter," he said gently, his tone measured. He paused before adding, "But the thought of engaging in a romantic relationship with you… that's never crossed my mind either."

His legs were planted on either side of hers as he leaned in slightly, trying to offer reassurance. But instead of comforting her, his words made Buffy shrink further back into the couch, retreating even more.

"I'm confused," she admitted, her voice displaying a small tremble, the weight of her emotions coming to surface.

"Buffy, I'm not going anywhere," Giles said firmly, his voice tender. "No matter what, the nature of our relationship doesn't change that. I made my choice, and I wouldn't take it back. My loyalty is to you, and that's never going to change. I'm here for you, always." He searched her face, hoping she'd meet his eyes.

"But tonight, you wanted her," Buffy said quietly, her voice steady but with an undercurrent of uncertainty. She didn't need to say Christina's name for him to understand.

Giles exhaled. "Buffy, I'm a man, like any other. I have desires, needs..." He stretched his upper body slightly, his hand running through his hair as if the thought itself stirred something deep within him. "It's been a long time since I..." His voice trailed off.

"But that doesn't mean I would ever betray my commitment to you," he added, his tone more controlled and tender now.

"It's been a long time for me too," Buffy said, her eyes finally lifting to meet his. The vulnerability was there, just beneath the surface.

Giles swallowed, his thoughts briefly drifting before he caught himself, trying to push away the unsettling images of Buffy making love to a man. A silence settled between them, the tension in the air growing thicker.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

"You know..." Buffy began quietly, breaking the silence at last. Her voice was softer. "I'm not confused about the kiss. I didn't do it because I thought you'd leave."

Giles' eyes remained steady on hers, waiting.

"I want you... as a man," she said bluntly, repeating his earlier words. "But I don't know how permanent that is. Maybe it's just for tonight. That's where I'm confused."

She hesitated, the interaction filled with anticipation. "I just don't want to freak you out."

Giles remained silent, staring at her as if her words had momentarily left him frozen. His chest rose and fell with slow, measured breaths, but his body stayed still, as though he were trying to process what she'd just said.

Buffy shifted a bit closer, her voice light, more innocent than one might expect in such a moment. "Um... do you think we, you know, click?"

Giles blinked, thrown by the question. "I... I honestly wouldn't know," he finally managed, his voice wavering as his mind raced over the question uncontrollably..

Buffy nodded slightly. "How did you feel about the kiss?" she asked.

He scratched the back of his head, still working through it. "I was… caught off guard, honestly. I'm not sure how it felt."

She glanced up at him, her eyes uncertain but steady. "Giles, what if I… I kissed you again?" she asked, her voice quieter now. "Just to see how it feels."

Giles remained silent, his mind racing, overwhelmed by it all. But he didn't pull away as Buffy shifted forward on the couch, moving closer to him. Her hand reached out, gently removing his glasses and placing them on the coffee table beside him, her movements unhurried. When her hand found his thigh, he shivered, a subtle tremor running through him at the touch.

Her other hand drifted to the back of his neck, her fingers tracing lightly across his skin. Giles didn't pull back. His gaze instinctively dropped to her lips as she gently drew him in, their faces inches apart. This time, when she kissed him, it was slower, letting her lips linger, warm and soft. But before he could fully process the contact, Buffy pulled back, her eyes locked on his, studying him carefully.

Her expression was calm, but there was a silent intensity in her gaze as she searched his face for any reaction. His breath hitched, the weight of the moment settling over him, surreal and unexpected. Giles realised then, that the course of the night now rested entirely in his hands.

Will Giles' reaction be a positive one? Or a negative one? What did he feel about their kiss?

A/N: I'm trying something different in this fic, and I hope you guys don't mind—or even enjoy it. In all the B/G fics I've written before, Giles is always the one who's been in love with Buffy for quite some time. So, I wanted to flip the script and explore a new dynamic, as you've probably noticed.

Please let me know your thoughts. :)

xoxo

Rippertish