The Blonde Leading the Blind
By GylzGirl

Title:  The Blonde Leading the Blind
Author:  Tricia Stewart (GylzGirl)
Email:  gylzgirl@softcom.net
Rating: NC-17
Pairings:  B/G (implied Xander/Anya)
Disclaimer:  Joss (absent father this season),  WB (whyfor call it New Tuesday when it's 2 1/2 years old), and Fox (anybody got a gun) own the Buffy crew.  I'm just playing because they need somebody to let them have fun.
Distribution:  Solo, my sites, anyone else just ask.
Timeline:  Just before Buffy's Sophomore year in college
Author's Notes:  Thanks to Karen, Beth, Gail, Solo, Brenda, Ann and everyone else who's given me help and smiles over the past icky month :)

Buffy sat on the veranda of Giles' apartment, sipping a glass of iced tea. As she waited for her former Watcher, she sighed, soaking in the warm glow of the afternoon in these dying weeks of summer. She'd be starting her sophomore year of college in another week. For the first time, she allowed herself to reflect on the year that had come before. So much had changed since she left the hallowed, and burned out, halls of Sunnydale High. The Scooby Gang had been pushed and pulled and come so close to being utterly ripped apart. But battered and bruised as they were, they were still together, more or less.

And Riley, Buffy's first real post-Angel romance had now gone the way of the fading summer light. After increasingly fewer and fewer communications, Riley had called from his family's farm a few days ago wondering if he should finish out his education at UC Sunnydale now that the Initiative was destroyed. He'd questioned her about her seemingly growing disinterest in keeping connected to him in any way. He'd asked her point blank if he had anything to come back to in Sunnydale. Buffy had wished him well in his upcoming year at Iowa State University and that had been the end.

All in all, it had been one of the best summers of her life. She had stayed around Sunnydale for the most part, not really feeling the need for the emotional potholes down memory lane that her normal summers in Los Angeles meant. LA, the city of men who didn't want Buffy Summers in their lives. How much it had hurt when she figured that out. How glad she was now to have them gone.

There had been a few excursions here and there with Willow and Xander, and on infrequent occasions both of them. For the most part however, her two friends had needed time away from her, and each other, to reflect and come to decisions about where they wanted to go in their lives and who was going to be coming along with them. That had left Buffy many days free to get her own head in order and many days to repair her bond with Giles.

The past year had forced Buffy to grow up, even if she had spent almost all of that year fighting that growth with every ounce of childishness she could muster. Giles had given her a little push toward independence way back in the first days of her Freshman year and even though he had tried to make up for it not even a full day later, she had spent most of the year making him pay for it. She distanced herself further and further and at any complaints she told him she was just doing what he told her to, being an adult, showing him that she didn't need him. Both were lies and finally she had to admit to herself that she only did it because she could.

Giles being Giles though, he welcomed her back with open arms this summer, when she had no one else to turn to. To her surprise, as school had been gearing up again and her other friends were suddenly more available to her, she would even cancel plans with them in order to keep up new "traditions" with Giles. He was patrolling with her almost every other night now and they'd rent movies or just sit up late and talk. She'd even talked him into a beach outing, though with the sunburn he'd received that was most likely going to be a one time event; but what an event. That's what had brought the obvious change in their relationship rocketing to her attention.

He'd been grumpy all the way home from the beach, though she could hardly blame him as red as he was. After much coercion, she'd gotten him to lay down on his sofa and let her put some soothing balm on his skin. As he sighed under her touch, she realized how good he felt and that her thoughts were rapidly entering territory outside the bounds of simple friendship. When she rubbed the ointment close to the waistband of his swimming trunks and she had to bite her lip to keep from asking him to pull them down, even her abundant powers of denial couldn't save her from the realization that she had fallen for Giles, head over heels.

 Buffy closed her eyes as the breeze wound its way through the thin crinkle-gauze fabric of the floral print summer dress she wore. "Penny for your thoughts," her favorite voice in the world said softly near her ear.

She smiled without opening her eyes. "Oh I was just thinking about that old daydream I used to have as a little girl. The one about a tall handsome man with a foreign accent coming along to sweep me off my feet."

"Oh," he said from seemingly closer than he had been before. "Like this?"

Buffy's eyes flew open as she felt the sensation of falling only to see Giles grinning down on her as he held her chair tipped backwards precariously. "Hey put me down!" she giggled. He complied and moved to sit at the table across from her.

"So what brings you by?"

"I was just waiting for you."

"Has something happened?"

She gave him a stern look. "Giles, I thought we talked about that."

He nodded. "You're right. You don't only come over here in the wake of catastrophe any more. I apologize if it sounded otherwise."

Buffy grinned. "You're forgiven. I just wanted to spend some time with you."

He smiled. "I wish I'd known. I'd have come home sooner. I have an appointment in a little while. I really only have enough time to shower and change."

"Appointment?"

"Prospective job."

"Really?!" She jumped up from her chair and hugged him tightly. "That's great! What kind of job?!"

"There's talk that the curator of the Sunnydale Museum may be retiring at the end of the month and the Museum's Board of Directors wants to interview their pool of candidates. I've had my resume in for months. Shocked the hell out of me when I got the call this morning."

"So where were you?" She pulled back a little and settled herself on his lap.

"Truthfully? Shopping. My old tweeds seemed a little too...stuffy? And I'm afraid I've let my wardrobe tend toward the casual during my...sabbatical from employment."

"Shopping and you didn't ask me to help? I'm hurt."

He looked into her eyes. For a moment, Buffy was hopeful he would kiss her, then he cleared his throat and stood, easing her off of his lap. "I'm sorry. I got the call and just...went."

"It's okay." Buffy tried not to pout when he removed his hold on her arms.

"It was good to see you. I must go shower now."

"Can I come?" Buffy's eyes widened when she realized she'd said that out loud. He turned to face her. "Back and see you later tonight?" she amended, hoping she was convincing as to it having been one question.

"Nice weather like tonight? I thought you might try the Bronze with Willow or Xander?"

"Bronze...yeah, yes but um...could I come and see you for awhile before?"

Giles' smile warmed her heart. "That would be lovely." He jogged up the stairs and went through his door.

Buffy sank into the chair he vacated and thumped her head down on the table. "Coward!"

* * * * *

That evening, Buffy stood on Giles' doorstep, smoothing down her dress just before she knocked on the door. As she heard his footsteps approaching, she quickly brushed a hand through her softly curled hair. She hadn't worn this outfit since her now infamous "sexy dance" with Xander at the Bronze. She didn't think she'd ever have need of it again. Who knew Giles would play this hard to get? 'If he is only playing,' she thought.

Giles answered the door wearing a soft looking gray sweater and blue corduroys. Buffy wondered how she'd keep balance in her high heels with knees that had suddenly gone very weak. "Hey," she smiled up at him.

"Hi," he smiled back. He stepped back to allow her entry. She sat on his couch and watched as he shut the door and came to sit beside her. When he did, she slid her hands over his own.

"So, how did the interview go?"

"It...went. It seems the curator has changed his mind about retiring."

She frowned. "Oh Giles, I'm so sorry." She leaned forward and embraced him. He tentatively hugged her back, then patted her shoulder slightly and released her. After a moment more, Buffy let go as well.

"Well they said I was uniquely qualified and they'd keep me at the head of the list for when he does retire. In three or four years. Course at this rate, in four years I may still need the work."

"You stop that. You've saved the world more times than I can count. Don't you dare put yourself down like that."

He grinned. "You're the Slayer. It was you that saved the world."

"Yeah, but you saved me. I couldn't do what I do if you weren't here to help me. I probably wouldn't even be here now."

"But you are. L-Looking lovely I might add. Are you heading to the Bronze?"

"The Bronze?"

"Yes, you're all dressed up."

"Oh yes, dressed up for Bronzing. Why don't you come?"

"And celebrate my continued unemployment?"

"And cheer yourself up by dancing the night away with your Slayer."

"Buffy, I appreciate the attention but I'm sure the last thing you want is to be seen dancing with me at your favorite hang out."

"I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't want it to happen."

He smiled sweetly and stood. "It's a very sweet gesture but I'm sure you have much better things to do."

Buffy stood as well, trying to cover how disappointed she was. "Right. Better things Buffy. That'd be me. I'll see you later Giles." She didn't look at him again before she left. She couldn't for fear he'd see the start of tears in her eyes.

******

Buffy entered the Bronze with her head down and steered her way over to one of the sofas on the side wall. She plunked down and let her eyes wander to the sad-voiced lead singer of K's Choice, the band currently playing on the stage. It was a perfect soundtrack for her morose mood, but it wasn't exactly conducive to keeping back the tears that had been burning her eyes since she left Giles'.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone sit on the couch right beside her. The corners of her mouth turned up as she recognized the only person who could be wearing those mismatched clothes. Without even looking up at him, she leaned back and tilted her head against him. His arm came around her, loosely holding her shoulder. "Hey Xand."

"Hey. What's with the glum?"

"What glum?"

"Well you walked in here looking like a million bucks but you seem to feel like the $1.99 sweater with one arm slightly longer than the other one left at the bottom of the bargain bin."

She finally looked up at him. "Pretty much. You recognize the dress?"

"Buffy, every fantasy I had Junior year was centered around that dress. And most of the ones Senior year. And actually this year..."

She grinned. "Okay, I get it. Did I ever tell you that you're really braver than me?"

He placed the back of his hand to her forehead. "You sure you're feeling okay?"

"No really. I mean, way back at Spring Fling. You had the courage to ask out one of your best friends because you had come to feel more for her. You knew that I might not feel the same way, but you still asked me. And then when I told you I didn't, you didn't stop being my friend. You're a great man Xander Harris."

"Ah, the pieces are starting to form a picture now. You've fallen for a friend of yours?" She nodded. "Not me though right?" She smiled and shook her head. "Didn't think so. Okay...this friend...you're too scared to ask him out?"

"Terrified is more accurate."

"Uh huh. So you wore this dress so that he would get all hot and bothered and ask you out?" Again she nodded. "And I take it the response was more lukewarm?"

"Try Antarctic."

"Why don't you just ask him then?"

"I can't Xander. It's not just a matter of him maybe saying no. It's a matter of him looking at me with disgust or contempt because of the way I see him now. I honestly have no clue how he feels for me other than friendship. And if we have to remain just friends, I think I can do that, probably. But if he pulls away because he can't be just friends knowing how I feel...I couldn't deal." She sighed. "Xander, what do I do?"

"Truthfully? Ask Willow what she thinks. The Cannonball Run movie that has been my love life is nothing you want to go basing yours on."

Buffy smiled and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Thanks." She stood up and walked out the door.

A few minutes later, Anya came to sit beside her boyfriend. "Why is she so upset?"

He put his arm around her. "It looks like she finally figured some stuff out and now she's depressed because Giles refuses to wake up and smell the Buffy. The blonde leading the blind."

"Well why don't we just go over to Giles' and tell him that Buffy wants to give him orgasms?"

"Because she's a Slayer and I prefer my insides to stay on the inside. She's got to handle this herself. I just hope Giles comes around."

******

Willow was just slipping on her nightgown when Buffy entered their dormroom. "Hi Buffy!" She turned to wave but became tangled in her gown. She fell to the floor giggling. Buffy kicked off her high heels and moved to help Willow. When the blonde finally got the gown down past her best friend's head and her limbs sorted out, she was greeted with a big smile.

"Will, have you been drinking again?"

"Nes...nyo..." she cleared her throat. "I mean, I didn't mean to. Did you know that Becker House spikes?"

"What about Spike?"

"Punch."

"Spike punched somebody? I thought he couldn't!"

"Punch drinkie!"

"Spike did something to the punch?

Willow looked at her friend in disbelief. "Buffy? Which of us is drunk? I'm getting confused."

Buffy smiled weakly and helped her friend to her bed. "Sorry. I'm a little scattered tonight myself. Becker house spiked the punch?"

The redhead nodded enthusiastically. "By the time I figured it out I was already walking on roller skates. I think now I'm just down to the giggles."

"Now's probably not a great time to have big serious talk time then."

"Why not? Hey, I'm all yours and the good thing is I probably won't remember a damn word of it tomorrow so knock me over with the brutal secrets."

"Okay, well I've kinda fallen for someone."

"Who?"

"A...a friend."

"Who?" Willow repeated with a silly grin.

"A guy friend."

The redhead looked Buffy right in the eyes and gave her a tipsy version of her renowned "resolve face". "Whooooo?"

Buffy sighed. "Giles okay? Now stop with the owling."

"Giles? Wow." She paused thoughtfully. "Took you long enough. So why do you not look happy?"

"I said *I'd* fallen for *him*," she let the rest of her sentence pass unspoken.

"Well I think he had warm fuzzies for you before." The blonde brightened. "Of course, after Angel and Riley I stopped looking for it anymore so it may be that he doesn't now."

Buffy frowned. "That's what I'm afraid of. I've done everything I can think of to get him to notice me in a girl way. Even this dress."

"Ah yes, the old "Sexy Dance" dress," Willow yawned then shook her head to stay awake.

"I really will never live that down will I?"

"Oh only as soon as all the witnesses to it are dead."

The Slayer gave her best friend a weak smile. "I don't know what else to do."

"Have you tried sitting on his lap and wiggling?"

"Yes," Buffy admitted.

Willow looked surprised, then broke into a sly smile. "Tried it naked?"

"Willow!"

"Well? Have you?"

Buffy's mouth gaped open in righteous indignation, then she closed it again. "Do you think that would work?"

Her friend shrugged then yawned and lay back against her pillows. "Couldn't hurt. Or hey, novel idea, you could tell him how you feel."

Buffy lay back on her bed. "It all comes back to that doesn't it?"

"It's really over with Riley? Giles is the only one you think of that way now?"

Buffy nodded. "Remember that musical we saw on t.v. a few months ago? Sunday in the Park with George? It's kinda what Bernadette Peters was saying in that. I didn't think I could have what I really wanted. Riley was what I thought I needed. I didn't even know what I wanted, or I did and I wouldn't accept it."

"You need to talk to Giles."

"I'm scared Will. I mean I've thought about this and thought about it. I tried to talk myself out of feeling this way for him. And after analyzing everything that was Giles and me, I only talked myself more into how right this is. How much I love him. And now I don't have a clue how he's going to react to that and I think it might kill me if..." Buffy cut off her sentence at the sound of Willow's light snoring.

Buffy smiled, stood and covered her friend with a blanket. She moved to her closet and took off her dress, ready to change into her pajamas. As her hand reached her nightclothes, she paused in thought. Instead, her hand found it's way to a simple powder blue spaghetti strap dress. She slipped it and some sandals on and exited the room.

* * * * *

Buffy slowly approached Giles door and only knocked when she saw the faintly orange glow of his desk lamp in the window. When he opened it, she smiled. His hair had that slightly rumply look that it got from him running his hand back through it during hours of researching. He was still wearing that wonderfully soft looking sweater that she'd seen him in earlier. She wanted to run her hands over it almost as much as she wanted to run her hands over what lay beneath it.

"Buffy," he eyed her outfit. "I take it you haven't just come from patrol?"

"Nah. Took a sweep earlier. I'll take another later on."

"Ah...um is everything all right?"

She grinned. "A very much more politically correct way of saying "Good Heavens! Buffy's come to see me. The Hellmouth must be opening again." Mr. Oh So Suave."

He returned the grin. "Well you did say you objected to that. Do come in." He stepped back to admit her. He closed the door behind her and followed her to the couch. "It's just that it's sort of...late-ish. I thought you'd still be at the Bronze."

"The Bronze wasn't where I wanted to be after all."

"Ah," he repeated, sitting beside her.

"Giles? Do you think I'm pretty?

He looked to her, a little surprised. She had her hands in her lap and seemed to be studying them. "Tonight?"

She shrugged. "Any night."

He smiled. "As long as we're sticking to the easy questions, then I would have to answer yes." She looked to him. Her smile was hesitant. "Buffy, I've seen you covered head to toe in graveyard dirt, blood, and yellow demon goo and you were still beautiful beyond belief." Now her smile widened.

"I need to ask you something. I need some guy advice."

He sighed quietly. "All right."

"There's a guy I've known for a long, long time. It seems like forever. For a while now, I've started to notice him as more than a friend; but he either hasn't noticed that I've noticed, or he's not interested. Willow said she thought he used to like me in that way, but the last time she caught him looking was...well a couple of boyfriends ago, so she doesn't know if he still does."

"I see. Well have you asked him about it?"

She shook her head. "I'm afraid. I'm afraid if he knows I like him in that way, he won't want to be my friend anymore. And I think that would hurt more than what I could take."

"Have you asked Xander his advice?"

Buffy could tell by Giles' tone that he was assuming the friend she'd fallen for was Xander. 'Not even in the ballpark, G-Man.' "Yeah, his advice was to ask Willow. But you see, the guy I like is a little bit of an older guy and I don't think Will and Xander knew what to tell me to do in his case."

"Ah. What exactly did you need to know?"

"Is there anything physically I could do that might clue him in for the go ahead to make the first move? Something that you know, he'd take as just a friend thing if he doesn't feel the way I feel? I mean, if it were you, what would let you know that the girl was looking to go...further?"

His eyes searched hers for so long that Buffy gulped, sure she had given herself away. 'If it were you! Way with the subtle there Buffy.'

"Hmm," he finally said. "Let me...let me think a moment." Buffy took a deep breath, hoping she'd have the nerve to follow his instructions. "Well, when the two of you sit together, perhaps you could settle yourself a little closer to him."

"Okay." As he began to consider his next statement, she began to slowly inch her way towards him until her leg touched his own. He didn't seem to notice.

"If you see him studying or working, I suppose you might give him a little neck rub."

She smiled. "That might be nice."

"Um, c-compliment him where you can. Not flattery, just if you like something about him, let him know. Make him feel good."

Buffy tentatively reached a hand out and began to rub the sleeve of his sweater. She bit her lip to keep from sighing. It felt every bit as soft as she had thought and more, warm. Knowing it had been heated by being that close to his skin, her fingers began to tremble.

"Other t-than that, I can't think what to tell you. Just pay attention to his reactions. See if he's picking up on things and taking them to where you are trying to lead. Use your instincts from there."

She heard the whistle of his teapot coming from the kitchen. As he started to rise, so did she. "I'll make it Giles. Why don't you go over to your desk? Show me what you were researching?" He nodded. They parted, following their individual tasks.

Buffy quickly made the tea the way Giles had taught her from their all night library research sessions. When she entered the living room with his cup in hand, he was seated at his desk, reading. She carefully set the cup down on his desk and lightly placed her hands on his shoulders. "So what's in the book? A preview of something nasty I'm gonna have to take down next week?"

"No actually it's more of an occult almanac. Just catching up on the various mystical holidays approaching. Reacquainting myself with the rituals associated with them."

She slowly moved her hands from his shoulders to the base of his neck. Her thumbs began to make circular motions at his nape. "Did I ever tell you how much I like this sweater? It's so soft and blue is always such a nice color on you."

Instantly, Giles' shoulders tensed and he froze. Buffy could almost swear she heard a lightbulb switch on inside his head. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing. Just something in the book."

"Something bad?"

"No, just a-a Chaos festival I had forgotten about in October. We'll have to keep an eye out for Ethan around that time I should think."

Buffy smiled behind him, not fooled for a second. She hadn't heard him stutter this much since the first year she met him. Her fingers began to knead his shoulders as her thumbs continued their task, this time sneaking below the collar of his sweater. "I thought the Initiative had Ethan locked up in Nevada somewhere?"

"That's what they said, but with the confusion after the destruction of their base here, I'm sure he's found a way out. Nothing if not resourceful our Ethan. Surely you could ask Riley? I mean, I know he was hardly welcome to their information at the end there but..."

"Giles, when was the last time I mentioned Riley to you?"

He was quiet for a long pause. "Honestly, I can't remember the last time."

"We broke up. We haven't kept up over the summer and a few days ago, we went ahead and made it official."

Giles turned to her, an indiscernible expression on his face. "Oh Buffy, I'm sorry."

She smiled, her hands now resting on his shoulders as he faced her. "Why?"

He shrugged. "Aren't you upset?"

"I'm upset because I think I probably hurt him a little. I didn't mean to do that. But, I didn't know I was going to fall in love, real love, with someone else while he was gone. Sad thing is, I guess he knew me better than I realized, because before I even said anything he knew who I had feelings for and how strong those feelings were."

Giles licked his lips nervously. "So when do I get to meet your new..."

Buffy moved her hand from his shoulders, bringing them to link behind his neck. "You already have."

His eyebrow arched. "I have?"

Buffy took a deep breath to calm the butterflies in her stomach and sat on his lap. "You see him every time you look in the mirror."

"You're saying..."

"That I'm in love with you Giles. Don't ask me when it happened. Don't ask me if I've been fighting it from the beginning or if it happened just a month ago, because honestly, I don't know that answer. I just know that one minute I looked at you and I knew that you were not my Giles because you had been assigned to me by a bunch of Council losers. You were my Giles because you were given to me as a way for The Powers That Be to make up to me the almost impossible path in life they've placed me on. It made me really see you Giles, for the first time in a way." She gently ran her fingers down his cheek. "My heart belongs to you and it will never belong to anyone else. You may not believe that. You may not feel the same way about me. But I know that it's true. You're my gift Giles."

His eyes seemed glassy as they searched her own for any sign that she was not herself. She just regarded him with a calm smile, her eyes shining with affection for him. "Buffy. I-I don't know what to say..."

She pressed a finger to his lips. "I'm going to kiss you now. And when I've finished, I'm going to get up and walk out that door. If you can't handle this or don't feel the same way about me, just let me go and we'll just pretend this never happened okay?" Buffy swallowed, knowing it would break her heart if that was how it went. "And if you do want me, all you have to do is stop me."

Giles opened his mouth to speak but never got the chance. Her lips covered his, her tongue lazily slipping across his, questing for her answer in his reactions to her. At first he was frozen, then he began to kiss her in return. His hands hesitantly slid around her back and loosely held her waist. Though it lasted only moments, it felt like years to Buffy. It was warm, unlike kissing Angel. It was unrushed, unlike kissing Riley. It was the most tender and loving thing Buffy had ever experienced in her life. At that moment, Buffy realized that monsters were not the only true parts of faery tales. That kind of magical love could exist in this day and time too, and she had it within her grasp. They pulled apart slowly, eyes glittering with emotion appraising each other. It was all up to Giles now.

Buffy slowly rose on shaky legs. Giles released his hold on her and made no move to stop her. She quietly turned her back to him and took almost comically small steps toward the door, stretching out the time as much as she could. Far too soon, she was at the door and had not heard Giles so much as stand up. A trembling hand reached for the doorknob. She swallowed a sob as she touched the cold metal surface and began to turn it. She opened the door and looked out into the night. It seemed so cold and lonely now. The stars looked dimmer somehow; the world darker.

* * * * *

As her foot stepped out into the void that would be her new world, strong arms encircled her waist, pulling her back into the haven of Giles' apartment. She was twirled in his embrace to face him. "Buffy..." the rest of his sentence was lost as his mouth claimed hers in a passionate kiss that melted her equilibrium. He swept her into his arms as she began to buckle. Giles kicked the door shut and carried her to the couch.

He sat there with her sitting across his lap. His kisses moved to her neck and she grinned, her hands coming to lace in his hair. "That was close. I wasn't sure you were going to stop me."

He smiled against her neck. "You knew I had to or you would never have told me."

"I..." she momentarily lost her train of thought as he skillfully nibbled just below her earlobe. "I hoped."

He stopped his kisses and ran his hand down her cheek as he looked into her sparkling eyes. "Where do we go from here?"

Buffy got a mischievous smile. "Upstairs I was hoping."

He gulped and took her hand. He held it over his heart. "We don't have to rush this. I'm not going anywhere. I never will."

"This is no rush. I've been thinking about this every night for so long. You can't even imagine."

He smiled. "I think I can."

She moved forward, kissing his earlobe and licking just beneath. "I want you out of this sweater Mister." His breath caught and then came in little excited pants. She decided she liked the sound of that. She slowly stroked his lap with her bottom and felt the effect she was having on him. "And these pants." She kissed her way under his chin. "And anything else you've got on."

His hand slid along the silky expanse of her leg, silently moving under the hem of her dress and toward the damp heat she hid from him. She could not hide it for long as his massaging of her inner thigh encouraged her legs to part and the lace she wore was hardly a barrier. An exciting ripping noise preceded the undergarment's flight into the center of Giles' living room. She gasped and nibbled at his neck as his fingers began to gently pet her. "Up...up..." she panted out.

"I am," he managed between kisses.

She rolled her eyes and smiled, pulling his head back to look at her. "Upstairs."

"Oh," the color that rose in his face made her blood race even faster. "Yes of course."

She climbed off his lap and stood, extending her hand to him. He took it and stood beside her. With a giggle, she turned toward the stairs, tugging him behind her. When they were halfway up, he halted and disentangled his hand. She looked at him confused. "Just a moment Love." He jogged back down the stairs to the door. "Going to bolt this bloody thing. If anyone wants us, they can knock for a change." When he finished locking the door, he turned to the stairs to find Buffy gone. The only proof she had been there was the powder blue dress she had been wearing discarded in a crumple.

At the sound of laughter, his eyes lifted to the loft. She stood naked, leaning against the railing and smiling at him. When he grinned back, she produced her bra from behind her back and shot it, sling style, at his feet. He nearly hit the stairs at a run. "Stop!" her voice commanded. He halted where he was, on the bottom step and looked up at the loft. Buffy seductively sat herself on the bed and inched back until she rested against his pillows. "Whatever you're still wearing when you get to this bedroom, I'm going to make you keep on the entire time."

Within seconds, the soft blue sweater she had admired earlier shot up over the railing and landed on the bed beside her. She laughed and pulled it over her bare breasts, enjoying its softness and inhaling his scent from it. He emerged at the top of the stairs holding the rest of his clothes in a pile over his groin. She threw his sweater aside with a smile and rubbed her legs together slowly, deliberately trying to entice him. It worked.

Giles dropped the pile of clothes where he stood and moved toward her. Her eyes widened when she saw him completely bare before her. She did nothing to disguise how impressed she was. His face flushed a little, more from excitement than anything else. He knelt on the bed and crawled over her. His skin was hot all over as it touched hers. He slid one soft hand possessively over her right breast as his lips reclaimed hers. Buffy's hand found its way into his hair again and then down the smooth contours of his back.

As he continued the kiss, he moved against her. His chest hair was causing the most arousing friction against the breast that his hand wasn't working magic on. The tip of his erection prodded at the wet curls between her legs until she parted them enough that he could touch her clitoris with it. She gasped and threw her head back at the sensation. Giles used the opportunity to move his kisses to her left breast, sucking the pebbled nipple into his mouth and then running his tongue across it until she began to moan his name.

She pulled his head up to meet her eyes again and took his mouth in a hard kiss. At the same time, she moved her legs even farther apart and brought her knees up to cradle his waist. He pulled back to look into her eyes. His unasked question was answered with her bringing her calves to rub his buttocks, her heels locking together behind his thighs. He gently kissed her cheek as he pushed forward with his hips, filling her completely with one easy thrust. This time it was Giles that gasped at the sensation of her heat surrounding him.

Buffy hissed one simple word. "Yesssss." Her arms stretched back over her head and took hold of the pillows there. Giles pulled almost the whole way out before plunging once more into her depths. She tightened her legs around him and he began a faster pace. His arms snaked up along her own; his fingers intertwining with hers. She thrust her hips to meet his every stroke, heightening the internal friction building between them. She felt herself getting close and squeezed him inside of her.

"Bu...Buffy!!" She felt him release and let herself go as well. Her breath seemed to freeze in her chest as the pleasure that began in her abdomen shot out like electricity through her entire being. When she finally could breathe again, she gasped to force air into her lungs. She became vaguely aware of Giles lightly kissing her sweat-dusted forehead and her eyes fluttered open. He smiled down at her and a final wave rippled through her.

"N-now I know."

"What do you know Love?"

"I know what it's like to be a whole person. I found the missing piece of me. I had it all along, I was just too blind to see it." He kissed her forehead again. She smiled slyly. "Plus you always wore enough clothes to hide Atlantis."

Giles grinned as he moved his kisses to her cheek. "I shall endeavor to wear less more often."

"I'm going to hold you to that. But for now, I just want you to wear me."

******

Xander sat beside Anya on Giles' veranda, watching as the light in his loft finally went out.

"So you think they're having orgasms now?"

"Judging by the smoochie we saw before the door shut, I'd say they were well on their way."

She wrapped her arms around one of his. "Well that's nice. They make a good pairing. Plus Giles is always less grumpy with me when he's happy."

"He's less grumpy with everybody. He's probably so happy now we're all going to be dodging group hugs for a month."

Anya smiled. "That could be good. Especially when he wears those nice soft sweaters."

Xander looked at her incredulously. "You're not going to start going on about Giles again are you? Like you did the whole month after we saw him singing?"

She quirked a smile at him. "It's not like you didn't enjoy that month Xander."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "I would have enjoyed it more if you hadn't called out his name."

"Just once."

"Once was enough."

Anya swung her feet under her chair. "Do you think Buffy will get him to sing for her now?"

Xander laughed. "I think Buffy could get him to yodel at this point."

She shrugged. "Well that's not very hard. You just have to squeeze the right pelvic muscles during penetration."

******

Buffy settled against Giles' chest as they held each other. He kissed the top of her hair and she tilted her head and kissed his chin. He took her hand in his and they wove their fingers together once more. "I love you Giles."

"Love you Buffy." He kissed her forehead. "Love you so much." They closed their eyes and sighed contentedly. After a few moments, both of them were startled awake by a noise from outside.

"Giles?"

"Mmm?"

"Do you hear yodeling?"

END