Smooth
By Jae Kayelle

Title:  Smooth 1/1
Author: Jae Kayelle
Email: bcunningham@sk.sympatico.ca
Rating: G
Distribution: my site, He's A Rebel:
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Crater/7657/index.html
Disclaimer: BtVS characters are owned by 20th Century Fox and WB.  Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own the vision and intent. Lyrics were written by Rob Thomas. Copyright by Arista Records.  No profit is made from this story.
Note: the song Smooth appears on the phenomenal Carlos Santana's CD 'Supernatural'. 
Second note:  inspired by the music, discussion about songs for Giles and Buffy and, of course, by the characters themselves.  The story reads better with a slow, sexy salsa beat playing in the background. For a clip of the song, go to CDNOW: http://www.cdnow.com/cgi-bin/mserver/SID=345249505/pagename=/RP/
CDN/FIND/album.html/ArtistID=SANTANA/DDCN=SD-7822+19080+2
And, no, I'm not getting a percentage of the song's sales.  Rats. :)

Sunnydale was in the midst of killer heatwave.  Certain she was melting on the spot, Buffy knocked impatiently on Giles' apartment door.  When Giles failed to answer, Buffy opened the door and walked into his apartment. 

There was no immediate sign of him, but music was playing on  his stereo.  Loudly.  She walked over to turn it down so he could hear her when she called him again, and stopped cold.  When had Giles bought a CD player?  She nodded approvingly. Maybe this enforced period of having nothing to do was having a positive effect on him after all.

She recognized the next song as "Smooth" by Santana. It was one of the few songs she liked by an old guy.  Buffy began swaying in time to the leisurely yet contagious Latin beat.

*Man it's a hot one
Like seven inches from the midday sun
I hear your whisper and the words melt everyone
But you stay so cool*

In the middle of the verse, she heard a new voice and spun around to see Giles come around the corner from the hallway.  His hair was wet from a shower, his shirt partially unbuttoned, untucked and hanging loosely, and he was barefoot.  He smiled in surprise at the sight of her dancing in his living room, but he kept singing.  That was a surprise to her. 

Buffy's eyes nearly popped.  This was her Giles?  Then she heard his voice, really heard it. He had a wonderful singing voice, a musical voice.  Then she thought about it and decided emotion-filled was a better word. 

*My Munequita, my Spanish Harlem Mona Lisa
You're my reason for reason
The step in my groove*

He continued to sing as he walked over to her with his hands out, his eyes locked with hers.  She lost herself in their green, smiling depths, allowing him to take her hands and lead her in a slow swaying dance. 

*And if you said this life ain't good enough
I would give my world to lift you up*

Suddenly, he whirled her around and she laughed giddily. 

*I would change my life to better suit your mood
Cause you're so smooth*

Giles gathered her close, one hand cradling hers and the other firmly against the small of her back.  She rested her cheek against his chest and listened to the comforting beat of his heart under her ear.

*And it's just like the ocean under the moon
Well that's the same as the emotion that I get from you
You got the kind of lovin' that would be so smooth*

Buffy lifted her head and looked up at him.  Even though she knew most of the words of the song, to hear Giles' voice them to her gave them a whole new meaning.  He watched her face as she came to this realization.  She shivered, convinced he was reading her mind.  Or her face.  Or her body.  She flushed slightly, letting her expression show her pleasure. 

*Give me your heart make it real
Or else just forget about it*

She was certain he emphasized the words "give me your heart."

During the guitar riff they spun around the room, narrowly avoiding a collision with the couch and an end table.  Buffy laughed freely, and Giles joined her, both of them delighting in the silliness, rejoicing in the moment of complete synchronization of their thoughts and feelings.  Words weren't needed to confirm it, yet when Giles joined  the recorded voice again, Buffy was certain she'd never been so happy.

*Well I'll tell you one thing
If you would leave it'd be a crying shame
In every breath and every word
I hear your name calling me out
Out from the barrio, you hear my rhythm on your radio
You feel the turning of the world so soft and slow
Turning you round and round*

Giles took his hand off her back and let her spin out at the end of his extended arm.  When the song ended, he let her go and she collapsed on the couch.  He went to the stereo and stopped the music.  Then he just stood there looking at her.

Buffy returned his gaze, content just to be in the same room with him.

"Well?" he said, speaking for the first time without singing.  She missed his singing.

"Well what?" she asked in return. 

He dropped his eyes, then as if reaching a decision, went to join her on the couch.  Settling beside her, he turned to scrutinize her, his head tilted slightly to one side.  Buffy gazed deeply into his eyes again. 

"Will you give me your heart?" he asked gently, almost shyly.  His eyes flickered over her face as if searching for something.

Buffy was stunned. 

"Don't you know?" she said just as gently.  "You already have it.  You've had it ever since... ever since my eighteenth birthday when you defied orders from the Watcher's Council in order to save me.  Ever since you stood up to Travers.  You've had it ever since you stood by my side when I refused to recognize the Council as an authority in my life... in our lives."

She took his hand, capturing the warm palm against her own.

"My heart belongs to you."

He nodded, his eyes glistening with emotion.  "And you have always owned mine."

END