Being Bad
(part 1/2)
by: Holly
Rated NC-17
Buffy and Giles were training in his living room, now that the Library was destroyed. On the plus side, Giles' new job at the Museum was not only more prestigious, but paid a lot better.
The furniture had been pushed out of the way. Willow, lone witness to this session, perched on the kitchen counter. Buffy seemed to be giving her all to training, leaving Giles breathless, but satisfied with the results.
He finally called a halt, and she went into the kitchen for bottled water. When she returned, Willow hopped down, and said, "I have to run. Oz is coming over tonight, and I want things to be perfect. That reminds me…." She turned to Buffy, still drinking thirstily. "Oz and the Dingoes are playing a new song tonight, want to come?"
Giles saw the slight tightening of Buffy’s shoulders before she answered. "Sure Will, that would be great. I have to have dinner with Mom, then an old movie, but after that I’m all yours. Although I have early training tomorrow with Giles. How does 9:30 sound?"
"Sounds like a plan." Said Willow happily. Then with a quick good-bye to each, she left.
Giles studied Buffy’s expression for a few moments, then spoke. "Buffy?"
"Hmmm?"
"Why don’t you take tomorrow off? From training at any rate. I’m rather pleased with your progress."
"Really?" She asked with a hopeful grin.
"Really." He confirmed with a warm smile. "Enjoy the lovely summer day. Do patrol though."
"Absolutely. Thanks, Giles. I really appreciate it."
"Yes, I know. Now go home." He said still smiling.
"See ya’." And with that she left, a small bounce in her step that hadn’t been there before. He watched her go, deep in thought. He moved his furniture back into place, as his considered the change in Buffy. At first he thought her odd behavior was due to Angel leaving. Now he wasn’t so certain. He replayed several conversations in his mind. Mostly between Buffy and her "Slayerettes". Everything that any of them had asked her to do, she had agreed to. And Giles rather had the impression, that she hadn’t wanted to do them all. She and her mother seemed to be having a lot of dinners, followed by old movies.
But the clincher for Giles was the fact that she had been on time for every single training session. It was unprecedented. Of course, last summer she hadn’t been here, so he had no idea if this was typical Buffy summer behavior. It was almost as if…. He stopped. Then spoke to the empty room. "As if she were trying to make up for last summer. Damn." And when he thought about it, he realized that the others were taking advantage of it. Asking her to do things, that they knew she didn’t want to do. Punishing her, probably subconsciously (hopefully), for last summer. And she was letting them. "Damn," he said again.
She was keeping it all bottled up. Not rocking the boat in any way. He couldn’t believe that he’d been so blind. He’d been pleased at her willingness to train, and the dedication she had been putting into it. She’d been…almost… docile. He should have realized. His Buffy was never docile. "Bloody idiot." Now that he knew, the question was-what to do about it? Because he knew from experience, that this self-enforced penance could push one to act out in very violent ways. One could only take so much bottling up, before the cork would pop. And someone could get hurt. He dwelled on those dark thoughts for a few minutes.
Then the answer hit him. The question was, did Buffy trust him enough to let him help her?
The next afternoon, Buffy showed up at his house, even though there was no training. She said she just wanted to spend time with her favorite Watcher. With his newfound awareness, he saw it for what it was. "Penance?" He asked her bluntly.
"What?" She asked blankly.
"Your penance. How is it going?"
She looked at him, eyes huge. "W-what do you mean?"
"Buffy, we both know what this is all about."
"Last summer." She said, head bowed. He walked over to her, and tilted her chin up so that she looked him in the eyes.
"Buffy, you do not owe me for last summer."
"But, I ran…."
"Yes, I know. And while I don’t agree with what you did, I do understand it. And, it’s over and done with. We need to move on. You’re going to…um, what’s the expression? ‘Blow a gasket’." She giggled to hear him say that.
"What do you suggest, oh wise one?"
"You need to… ah ‘cut loose’. Just a little." He looked at her smiling face, his expression serious. "Buffy, do you trust me?" He was still as a statue after he asked the question.
She looked at him, all humor gone from her face. "Yes, I do." She replied simply.
Giles released the breath that he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. "Excellent. Did your Mother go to Los Angeles as she had planned?" At Buffy's nod, he continued, "meet me here tonight at 8:00, or so. Tell the others that you’re training."
"You want me to lie?"
"Just a little. You will learn things, so technically, it will be true." He gave her a Ripperish grin. "Oh, and Buffy?"
"Yes?"
"Wear something less…wholesome." He said, gesturing at her pastel summer dress.
"How…less wholesome?"
"What ever you feel like you can handle." He said, his voice challenging.
"You are so gonna’ regret that."
"Don’t bet on it."
That night, Buffy was deliberately on time, knowing that he expected her to be late. He opened the door and stepped back in shock. She was dressed in a short, very short, black leather skirt, with a cropped red top. And he'd bet cash she wasn't wearing a bra. He swallowed. As he stared at her, she stared, surprised, at him. Blue jeans, T-shirt, black leather jacket, and earring. "Wow." They said in unison.
Then he continued, "much less wholesome. You look great." Buffy was flabbergasted. Such a straightforward, un-stuttering compliment.
"Do I call you Ripper?"
"If it makes you feel better."
She looked at him askance. She'd been having this feeling a lot lately; that she didn't know her Watcher as well as she thought she did. "So, Giles, Ripper, whoever you are, what's the plan?"
"Do you feel like cutting loose? Being bad?"
"How bad are we talkin' here?"
"How bad do you feel like being?"
"I don't know Giles. Last time I was bad...didn't turn out well."
"Yes, well, I'll be with you the entire time, and I promise not to let things go too far. I take that responsibility. All you need do is enjoy yourself. Now, back to my question. 'How bad do you feel like being'?" She smiled the happiest smile he'd seen in a very long time, and threw her arms around him in a fierce hug. He amazed her. He understood her, really, really understood her. No repercussions, better than Halloween. He would be the responsible one.
"Um, what are my choices?" He laughed at her tone. As if she were ordering in a restaurant.
"Well, there's a seedy bar just outside of town. I'm certain that we could get into all sorts of mischief there. Or, I could teach you to hot-wire a car, or pick a lock. We could go up to Lover's Lane and frighten some young couples petting. Nothing cruel of course, mischief only. But the possibilities are endless." Her eyebrows had raised more with every possibility he'd named.
"You can hot wire a car? And pick a lock?"
"Well, yes. From...."
"I know, from your Ripper days."
"Right you are. So what do you want to do?"
She licked her lips. "Bar. Will you teach me to play pool?"
"Of course. And if you're very deserving, you may have one beer."
"What do I have to do to be deserving?"
He eyed her up and down. "I'll get back to you, luv."
She laughed at his bantering tone.
They did indeed go to the bar. He taught her to play pool, standing behind her at the pool table; cradling her body with his. He insisted that it was the only way to properly instruct her how to handle the stick. She snorted in laughter at the double entendre, thrilled with the way he was acting. When they played against each other, she would lean down from the other side, giving him a clear view of her cleavage. The first time, his shot went so wild, that the white ball actually flew off of the table. Buffy laughed in delight at his reaction. Another time he was shooting, and she stood behind him, and gently cupped his butt. He yelped in surprise, then with narrowed eyes, declared war. From that moment on, Buffy was almost afraid to take a shot, not knowing what he would do. Once he trailed his fingers gently down her back, ostensiously to encourage her, but his warm hand on her bare skin only distracted her and she missed the shot.
The next shot, he stood behind her, and when she bent to take her shot she brushed against him. That’s when she realized just how much he liked her outfit. She tentatively wiggled against him. Her reward was for him to grasp her hip and pull her gently against him.
Another time, he told her a dirty joke, while she tried to concentrate. The fact that her Giles knew a dirty joke, let alone would tell her, threw her for such a loop that concentration was impossible. Buffy was a natural at pool, not surprisingly. But, with that kind of stuff going on, she never had a chance. He had a lot more experience than she did.
Later they got into a huge brawl with some tough guys, who seemed to think Buffy should be with them, and not Giles. Buffy noticed that Giles fought pretty dirty. She was shocked to see some moves even she hadn't mastered.
Buffy actually had two beers, under his watchful eye. They danced to strange music. Buffy would have bet money that Giles couldn't dance anything but a waltz, or some such. But he was a smooth dancer. Fast or slow, it made no difference, he was skilled in both. Although, Buffy preferred the slow. He held her close to his warmth, and she felt...comfortable.
If fact, she was so comfortable with him, it astonished her. And she didn't have to be careful of what she said or did. Not with him, not with anyone else. He was right there, Watching her, keeping the more obnoxious guys away from her. One ice-cold look from those green eyes and many a fellow turned tail. Buffy grinned when he possessively slid an arm around her, as a handsome biker approached. She leaned into his embrace and the guy veered off. They flirted and teased, and she had the best time she'd had in ages. When it was finally time to leave, around 1 am, Buffy didn't want it to end. But she knew it was time.
Giles dropped her off at home, and she kissed his cheek. "Thanks Giles. I had a great time. And I can't believe how...relaxed I feel. I never realized being bad could be so much fun." Before he could caution her, she continued. "Although, I realize that it was only because you were keeping things...safe. I won't go off on my own. Really being bad is, well, bad. Thanks again."
"You are most welcome."
The next day when she came over for training, they were able to act as if nothing different had happened. It was as if the night before, the flirting and touching, was a bubble in time. She teased him about being stuffy, and he made fun of her choice of "appropriate" workout shoes.
Willow noticed Buffy’s good mood. She hadn’t realized that Buffy hadn’t been in the best of spirits until she had this to compare it to. [Maybe she met someone new] Willow thought. Then she noticed that Giles had a new bruise. "Giles? How did you get hurt?"
He touched his jaw gingerly. "Training with Buffy last night. She slid right under my guard." Buffy stared at him awed by the way he lied so smoothly. She wondered if he could teach her that. As the training session continued, Willow noticed some other things. Buffy and Giles seemed more at ease with each other than they had in a long time. Since before Buffy’s birthday, since before last summer. She guessed that they’d had a chance to talk last night during training. Willow thought that was a good thing.
As the days went on into weeks, Buffy started to get that edgy feeling again. She didn’t even need to mention it, Giles saw how close she was getting, and told her to meet him again for "special training". She grinned at him, already feeling better. He taught her how to hot-wire his car. Once she mastered that, he took her to an old abandoned building, where he taught her to pick the lock. Once inside they discovered that their abandoned building wasn’t so abandoned.
A nest of vampires had taken it over. They were awake and getting ready to go out. Buffy and Giles waited quietly for them to leave. Buffy wanted to fight them all, even though there were probably fifteen of them. But Giles had a plan. Buffy and Giles made several medium holes in the east wall. They covered the inside doorknobs with holy oil; they booby-trapped the entire place, knowing that the vampires wouldn’t return until the first rays of sunlight were coming. But it would still be too dark for them to see all the nasty surprises that Buffy and Giles had left them. And they certainly wouldn’t have time to find anywhere else to hide.
Buffy and Giles exchanged wicked grins. Then Buffy had a thought. "This is kind of cruel, you know. Even if they are vampires, this is…well torture."
He sighed, "yes, I know. But, we two could not have taken them all out. As it is, we can only hope that some will make an attempt to leave. And I don’t want you enjoy the cruelty of this. But do remember that sometimes one must…improvise. I believe you are quite adept at that." She grinned at the compliment. "We could have set fire to the building, once they’re all in for the day. But fires can spread. We can’t really control it. If you’d rather, we can wait and hope that they return one at a time, and try to take them that way."
"No," she answered thoughtfully. "I understand. This is a lesson in tactics. And, sometimes, you have to do things you may not like." She deepened her voice; "war is hell." He grinned at her.
"Yes." He concurred, still grinning. They did wait for the vampires to return, they came in two smaller groups, and Buffy and Giles did indeed stake several of them. But the howls of pain from the ones that got away once the dawn came were darkly satisfying.
Giles took Buffy home. It hadn’t been as much fun as the last time, but Buffy still felt the same exhilaration that comes from doing something that you know you shouldn’t. As she sat in the car, reluctant to exit, she realized that as difficult as it sometimes was for her to be the good little girl, that it must be two or three times harder for Giles to be the tweedy librarian. That wasn’t who he was, any more than the act she put on was who she was. Not that he was Ripper either. She figured that the real Rupert Giles was probably somewhere in between.
Then she had an insight. "Is this your penance? Is that how you know?"
He met her eyes, "partially. Not you, of course. I care for you very much. You know that, don’t you?" She nodded. "After Randall, I returned to the fold as it were. They, not surprisingly, didn’t want to ‘forgive and forget’ my defection. I had to work twice as hard to prove myself. I didn’t dare ‘cut loose’. Sometimes you just want to do something outrageous, just to prove that you can. That you aren’t really who you’re afraid you are." She nodded, she understood that all too well, as he knew. "It's been a long time since I was able to let go, as I have with you. Thank you."
"For what? We both have been able to...'let go'. It's been great."
"Yes, it has been. But thank you for trusting me, and for letting me show a side of myself that...well, can be scary sometimes. Even for me."
"Scary? You'd never hurt me." She stopped, as they shared an unpleasant memory. Of a time when he had hurt her. With a sudden flash, she finally understood it. "You had to...didn't you? You are...were still having to prove yourself to them. That's why.... Why didn't you say something?" She demanded angrily. "I can understand doing stupid stuff to prove things to people who don't deserve you."
"At first, you didn't want to hear explanations or excuses. Not that I blame you," he rushed on. "Then, we seemed all right, and I didn't want to reopen those wounds. It seemed better not to...ah, 'rock the boat'."
"If it's not broke, don't fix it?"
"Yes." He answered, relieved at her understanding. Would this girl/woman never cease to amaze him? Probably not. "I know that doesn't negate what I did to you, what I took from you, but...I didn't know what else to do. For what it may be worth, I am beyond sorry."
"Well, it still hurts sometimes," she answered honestly. "But, 'for what it may be worth', I forgive you."
His breath whooshed out of his chest. Without thought, he grabbed her and clasped her to his chest. There was nothing romantic about his embrace, but it left Buffy wanting more. When they parted, they looked at each other awkwardly. Buffy leaned back towards him, and brushed his lips with hers. She sat back, waiting for his reaction.
He looked at her with surprise written all over his face. "What was that for?" He asked shakily.
"Because it felt right."
"Ah," was all he could think to say. "You'd best go on in. It's already morning, and we don't want your mother to worry."
She sighed, then nodded, knowing that he was right. She exited the car and went into the house.
The next day, there was no awkwardness over the night before. It was again as if that night had been a bubble in time. The entire Scooby-Gang (Willow, Oz, Xander, Anya, Cordelia and Wesley) was gathered in Giles' living room for Buffy's training. They all remarked on the change in Buffy. She was relaxed and practically glowing with energy. They wondered if she were dating, and wasn't telling them. They exchange worried looks. The last time Buffy had a boyfriend she didn't tell them about, it was Angel back from hell. Willow was designated to find out more.
As the afternoon wore on, Oz started to think that maybe it wasn't someone new. There was something in the way that Buffy looked at Giles. A warmth that hadn't been there before. A new kind of affection. She touched him frequently. And he always moved into the touch, seemingly without realizing it. Giles ordered them pizza. Buffy sat on the arm of Giles' chair, as they ate. And while it was true that there wasn't room on the sofa, and it was also true that it was not the first time she had perched so; it seemed to Oz that there was a special significance to it. It seemed...territorial to the werewolf. That was it. Territorial. And Giles too seemed more relaxed that he had in over a year.
Oz continued to watch them speculatively. Then, Giles looked up from something he was reading; he caught Oz's observant glance and unaccountably flushed as if he'd been caught in some impropriety. For Oz that was enough. He had no problem with such a relationship. It was not his business, except for how it might impact on Willow. Oz shifted his gaze to Willow. Center of his universe. She was happily eating pizza and teasing Wesley about something he had said about living on the Hellmouth. He wasn't sure how Willow would react.
Oz didn't say anything to anyone about his suspicions. He didn't feel that it was his place. But several days’ later Willow came to him upset. "What is it, Baby?" He asked, concerned.
"Buffy. I think she's seeing someone, and she won't tell me anything about him. When I asked her if she had a new boyfriend, she blushed, and denied it. But she looked so guilty that I know she's involved with someone. And Buffy tells me everything. Why would she lie? Unless she knows he's bad or something." She stopped to breathe. Then she had another thought. "Oh, God. You don't think she's back with Angel, do you?"
"No. And I don't think she's seeing anyone new either."
"Then...who?"
"Not sure. But, Buffy wouldn't do anything to endanger you guys. She learned that lesson the hard way. And she'd never hurt Giles that way, again."
"That's true. And they seem awfully close lately. Hey...I wonder if he knows what's going on."
"I doubt it," said Oz with and enigmatic smile.
But Willow couldn't let it go. She just knew something was wrong. After an unsatisfying conversation with Giles, Willow got the Slayerettes together. Wesley was surprised to be included. He hadn't returned to England as planned, knowing if he showed up there, that the powers that be would know that Buffy wasn't really reporting to them anymore. That would make her a target. And he had, against his will and all training, grown rather fond of her. Not to mention Cordelia.
They held the impromptu meeting at the Bronze, where Oz was rehearsing. Willow explained the situation as she perceived it. After a lot of discussion, they agreed to watch her more closely, to spend more time with her. Xander pointed out how little time was left before they had to start college and that that could be their excuse. He seemed to think the whole thing was some sort of game, proposing that they follow Buffy for the next few days (and nights). While the others didn't agree with his lighthearted attitude, they did agree that maybe a little harmless shadowing might be okay.
So, everyone took turns. Wesley made excuses to talk to her at all sorts of odd times on the pretense of attempting to understand the female, teenage mind. Buffy tried to help him, hoping that he'd be spending more time with Cordelia and thus less with herself. Anya wanted to talk about "girl stuff", which Buffy thought might help her and Xander. Cordelia invited her and Willow to go shopping with her. Since it was the first real sign that Cordelia was finally moving past the Willow/Xander indiscretion, Buffy felt that she had to go. Xander just followed her around at night (when he wasn't too distracted trying to show Anya some of the more pleasant aspects of being young and human). They were smothering her and Buffy was ready to scream.
So Giles arranged another "special training" session. Since the others felt pretty safe in their assumption that she'd stay out of trouble with Giles, they all took the night off. Buffy wondered what he had in store for her this time, and couldn't help the small thrill of anticipation. He told her to meet him at "their" abandoned building, and to wear trousers. That night, she picked the lock and grinning wildly, followed the sounds to him. He stood in front of a motorcycle. She gasped.
"Is that yours?" She asked hopefully.
"Yes. Well ours, really. It wouldn't be much fun for me alone."
She grinned, then stopped. "Oh God. You didn't steal it, did you?"
"Of course not." He answered huffily. "I bought it. Do you want to go for a ride?"
"H-have you ever ridden one before?" She asked nervously.
"Oh, yes. I used to be quite the terror." He smiled in fond remembrance. Then shook his head as if to clear it. "Ready?" He asked as he tossed her a helmet.
"Yeah," she said with a grin. He pushed the bike outside and got on, then motioned for her to join him. As she straddled the bike and wrapped her arms around his waist, she started to get the by-now familiar tingling down low. He started it up, and turned to her.
"Hold on, luv." He yelled with a wicked grin. Then he lowered the visor on his helmet and off they went. They rode madly through town, and up to Lovers Lane. They rode past the cars; startling the couples there. Including Xander and Anya. In fact Buffy motioned for Giles to go past them again. He obliged. After that they went zooming up the highway. And while Giles drove fast, he wasn't stupid and didn't take foolish chances. Still, by the time they stopped for gas, Buffy was breathless with excitement. She threw her arms around him.
"Giles, that was great. I have never in my life felt so free." She enthused. His arms closed around her.
"I'm glad you're enjoying it, luv. Ready for more?"
"What did you have in mind?" She asked, leaning more into him, and looking up at him flirtatiously.
He grinned wickedly. "I thought I'd teach you to drive it."
"Really!?" She squealed, her arms tightening on him.
"Really," he confirmed. They proceeded to an empty parking lot, and Giles taught Buffy the basics. She took to it like a fish takes to water, and soon they were riding around, Buffy driving and Giles clinging to her. Finally he signaled that it was time, and Buffy headed for "their" building.
"Do you think it's safe here?" At his startled look she went on. "To leave the bike?"
"No. But I'll take it to a place I found to store it. That's where my car is."
"Oh. Are we going there?"
"I-I suppose we could. We have a little time before you need to be home." This time Giles drove again, and Buffy rested her head on his leather-clad back. The storage place wasn't far, and Giles unlocked the small cubicle he had leased. They pushed the bike inside, and placed the helmets on top of it. Giles moved to leave the small room, but Buffy's hand stopped him. He looked down at her in question.
"I think this was the best yet. Although the bar was fun, too."
"Perhaps next time, we could combine the two. Ride the bike to the bar."
"That would be great." He put his arm across her shoulders and led her to the car. He turned and locked up his storage room, then got in with her. Instead of being on her side of the car, she was in the center. When he got in the car, his hip and thigh brushed hers. He looked at her. She spoke again, "I really have had a wonderful time."
"I-I'm glad." He stuttered, unaccountably nervous.
She wiggled on the seat, until she was on her knees, facing him in the dark car. She reached out her hand and brushed it against his face. He leaned into her caress like a cat. She cupped his face, and lifted her lips to meet his, expecting resistance. To her shocked delight, he met her halfway. The kiss was tentative, curious yet warm and filled with desire. Her lips parted, and his tongue entered to explore her warm mouth. Her own tongue mated with his. Then her hands began to roam. They explored his chest, scraping gently across his nipples through the fabric of his shirt. He gasped against her mouth. Exhilarated by his response, she became bolder, untucking his shirt from his jeans, and sliding her hands under it. Now her hands roamed in earnest, running through the crisp hair on his chest, and over his smooth back. He turned so that he was facing her more, and started his own trek over her body. His hands seemed to be everywhere at once, caressing, petting, and coaxing responses from her she thought long gone. She groaned against his mouth, and sucked his tongue further in her mouth. His breathing became even more ragged. He cupped her breasts through her shirt, and she arched into his hands.
Giving her every chance to stop him, he slowly pushed her shirt and bra up, baring her breasts to his approving eyes. He gently pinched her nipples between thumb and forefinger, causing her to whimper. He moved his hands to her back, and lifted her torso higher, then moved his mouth to first one then the other breast. He circled the nipple with his tongue, then gently nipped and tugged with his teeth. She was breathing in little gasps, overwhelmed by sensations. Her hands clasped his head, holding him in place, as he continued his gentle assault.
Her hand moved to his crotch, stroking the hard bulge there. He thrust into her hand instinctively, and she cupped him. Reveling in his response and in the fact that she had caused that reaction in her normally oh-so-calm Watcher, she moved to unzip him. That's when his sense of responsibility reasserted itself. His hand covered hers, stopping her.
She whimpered in protest. "No, Buffy." He said, his voice shaky, his breathing irregular. "It's time to stop."
"But I don't want to."
"Neither do I, luv, but I made you a promise. And I never break a promise." At her confused look he continued. "When this all started, I promised to be the responsible one. I promised not to let things go too far. Shagging your 45 year old Watcher in a car is definitely too far." She opened her mouth to protest. But he stopped her with a finger across her lips. "No, I'm right and you know it."
She grinned at him. "What about not in a car?" He returned her grin.
"At this point...too far." She pouted. "Now don't do that. It's not playing fair." He caught her lower lip between his teeth and sucked it into his mouth. She made an odd little sound.
"Talk about not playing fair," she said breathlessly once he had released her. He readjusted her shirt and bra. Then moved her down onto the seat. He did however leave her in the center, and as he drove, he kept his arm around her. She snuggled into him. When they pulled up in front of her house, she looked at him, waiting for him to kick into Watcher-mode. To tell her that he thought this was part of the wild side game they'd been playing.
But once again, he surprised her. He leaned down and kissed her, gently but firmly, goodnight. She looked up at him after. "I'll never understand you." She said with a wry grin.
"Oh?"
"I expected a lecture about being confused emotionally. About mistaking our 'training' for...something else. I was expecting you to be all stuffy and stiff. Boy, was I wrong."
His green eyes twinkled down at her wickedly. "Not entirely, luv." At her raised eyebrows he placed her hand on his still hard penis. "Stiff enough?" She looked at him, shocked. Then broke into joyful laughter. When it died down, he continued more seriously. "Buffy, luv, I trust you. You would never play such cruel games. Not with anyone, let alone me, who I hope that you respect. You would never have taken things to this level if you weren't ...serious." He said for lack of a better word. "You of all people know the consequences." She looked at him misty-eyed. "But, we don't need to talk this into the ground. I just think that we need to take things slowly." She nodded her agreement.
"Training tomorrow won't be nearly as much fun." She said in a naughty tone. He just looked at her. When she opened her mouth to say more, he kissed her. Hard. By the time he broke the kiss, they were both breathless.
"You should go in now, luv." She could only nod, and exited the car.
*******
The next day Buffy and her Slayerettes (which now included Wesley and Anya) were gathered at Giles' house. There was a lesser prophecy regarding a demon rising, and they were attempting to find something to corroborate the one small mention that Giles had found. They'd been at it for three hours had found nothing.
Buffy and Giles had fallen back into their normal routine, although they touched more often, and sat near each other. Both seemed super aware of the other. Of the Slayerettes; only Oz noticed anything out of the ordinary. Although anyone who had been watching Buffy and Giles when Xander started talking about the "Biker Gang" that had terrorized Lover's Lane would have seen instantly that there was something afoot.
They very carefully did not look at each other, but their lips were twitching with surpressed mirth. It took them several minutes to settle down. By then, the conversation had moved on to other things.
Such as how small Giles' place seemed with all of them in it. It was Cordelia, with her usual tact that mentioned it.
Giles' response was typical. "Well, I certainly didn't have you lot in mind when I leased it. Although," he continued thoughtfully, "I suppose if we're going to continue our base of operations at my home, I should look into getting a larger place." He looked at Buffy as he said it. She gave a tiny nod.
"Giles, I'd have bet anything that you'd never move out of this place." Said Xander.
"You would have lost." Came Giles' wry reply. Then Buffy replied to all their surprised looks.
"Giles is full of surprises." Her green eyes twinkled merrily.
"I'll bet." Said Cordelia sarcastically.
After the others had left, Buffy helped Giles straighten up the mess. Then they sat closely on the sofa. Buffy wanted to snuggle against him, but it seemed odd to initiate it when they weren't having "special training".
Giles put her questions to rest by putting his arm around her and pulling her gently against him. She instantly relaxed, leaning her head against him, and throwing her arm around his middle. They sat quietly for a long while, just absorbed the peace and the others presence. Then Buffy spoke, while tracing lazy circles on his chest. "What sort of place are you looking for?"
He gave it some thought. "A house. Not too large, although, I'd to have more than the one bedroom; one for a study. I'd want a basement that we could train in. Of course, I’ll need a garage." He said this with a grin down at her. Then he added thoughtfully, "a large kitchen also, I think."
"You cook?" She asked, for some reason surprised.
"Buffy, I've lived on my own for some years. If I couldn't cook, I would have most likely starved. And I rather enjoy it." He paused for a few seconds. "Perhaps you’d like to find out for yourself. Would you like to come for dinner Friday night, Dearheart?"
She blushed happily at the endearment, and nodded. Then looked up at him wide-eyed as he leaned down and captured her lips in a tender kiss. She responded eagerly, tightening her hold on his waist, opening her mouth to his probing tongue. They continued this happy occupation for some time. Then drew breathlessly apart.
"This isn't your car," said Buffy, still trying to catch her breath.
"No, it's not. But it is still very early. I believe that we should move slowly."
"You would." She said with a saucy grin.
"Oh?" He enquired
"Yes. The Marathon Man."
He grinned at her wickedly. "There may yet come a time when you appreciate that particular quality, luv."
She gasped in delighted shock, as his meaning became clear. "That was naughty."
"Is that a complaint?"
"No. Just an observation." She replied as she snuggled back into his embrace. He kissed the top of her head, then rested his chin atop it.
Buffy was overwhelmed by a sense of rightness as he held her to him. And when he once again captured her willing lips, that feeling increased. The kisses were a thorough exploration, warm and passionate. Once again Buffy was left wanting more, as he pulled reluctantly away.
Later that night Buffy patrolled. She still couldn’t believe how quiet it was on the Hellmouth during the summer. But it was great; it left more time for her and Giles to…. She wasn’t sure date was the right word for their little excursions into the wild side. Although, sitting on his sofa kissing and cuddling had been nice. She had almost felt like a normal girl, making out with her boyfriend. Her forty-five year old boyfriend. Still, that was like a fifth of Angel’s age.
They spent the next few days in this manner, kissing, cuddling and making out. Giles always called a halt before things went further than he thought they should. Buffy started to see it as a challenge to see how far she could get him to go. She knew that if she kissed him at the juncture of his neck and shoulder, then he lost it just a little. So she paid special attention to that area, with very satisfying results.
Meanwhile, the Slayerettes were still very concerned about their Slayer. They continued to smother her with attention. Giles had her report for ‘special training’ again. And this time they rode the bike to the seedy bar as he had promised. When they got to Rocko’s (the seedy bar), they were surprised to find several men gathered around one of the pool tables. Then they saw her. A young woman, dancing on the pool table, topless. Buffy looked at Giles sharply. But he, after taking in the woman at a glance, was observing the crowd of men. He was oblivious to Buffy’s hard stare. When she realized that he had barely noticed the semi-nude woman, she snuggled against his side like a kitten.
He looked down at her, "Buffy, luv, I don’t think this going to be a safe place for us to be." She looked at him, confused. "Look at them," he said with a gesture that encompassed the men. "Pretty soon things are going to get very ugly here. And I want you, my love, very far away from here when that happens."
"I can take care of myself. Beside, she’s the one taking her clothes off. Like some stupid scene from Roadhouse™." At his puzzled look, she continued. "In the movie, a girl does that." She said pointing at the girl.
"She may be the one stripping, but she hardly holds a candle to you. Fully clothed you’re a hundred times more desirable than she is virtually naked."
"Giles, that’s so sweet." She said as she leaned to kiss him. He stopped her. She pouted then followed his concerned gaze. Some of the men had grown impatient, and were grabbing at the girl. "Uh oh." She looked back to Giles. "I know you probably think she deserves her fate, but…."
"No one deserves what they’ll do to her. Let’s get her the hell out of here." She smiled at him, relieved. They made their way over to the girl, who was starting to look scared. Buffy grabbed the girl’s hand and told her to come on quickly. As she hopped down, some of the men grabbed for the girl, and for Buffy. Buffy and Giles kicked some butt, as they slowly made for the door.
Once Giles and the girl were outside, he realized that Buffy wasn’t with them. He took the girl over to his bike, and handed her his leather jacket to wear, then he told her to stay put.
He went back inside and found Buffy near the door, fighting two guys. He walked over to her, then grabbed her hand and hoisted her up onto his shoulder. He ran out the door. She squealed as he picked her up, but quieted immediately.
Once they reached the bike, they realized that they had a tactical problem. One bike. Three people. Buffy spoke up, "Giles, you take her home, and I’ll meet you at your place."
"No," said the girl. "If I go home like this, my dad will kill me."
Giles’ look plainly said ‘and rightfully so’, but he kept his mouth closed. Seeing some of the men start to find their way outside, Buffy spoke. "Look, I grabbed her clothes, but this isn’t the place. Giles, take her to your place so that she can get changed. I’ll meet you guys there."
Giles looked at her in surprise. He realized that for an eighteen-year-old girl to send her boyfriend off with an almost naked girl bespoke of a great deal of trust. He leaned down and gave her a hard kiss, filled with promise. She stepped back, breathless, then took off. Giles hopped on the bike and got the girl settled behind him. Then off they went.
When they arrived at Giles’ place, he was reluctant to enter. The girl had sat scrunched forward pressing as much of her body to him as possible, and her hands had roamed over his chest. Still, even in summer it wasn’t a good idea to be out in Sunnydale at night, so with a warning look at the girl, he motioned her into his condo.
The girl spoke, "my name is Lisa. I really am grateful for what you and your…friend did for me." There was a question in the way she said "friend".
"Buffy is more than my friend." He said unequivocally.
"Oh." Was all Lisa said. She moved toward him a manner that she clearly thought was seductive. Giles looked at her with disdain. It was, of course, that moment that there was a knock at the door.
It was with tremendous relief that Giles threw open the door. Imagine his surprise to find Xander, Anya, Willow and Oz standing there. "Hi Giles, have you seen…?" Xander’s voice trailed off as he saw the half-dressed Lisa. "Yo. G-man, who would have thought?" Then Xander noticed Giles’ wardrobe of jeans and a T-shirt. Before Xander, or any of the other stunned Slayerettes could say anything else, Buffy walked in the still-open door.
"Hi. What’s up?" She said, trying to sound casual. She took in the situation at a glance, then gave Giles a look that said to handle this however he wanted.