Chapter Two

Giles woke to the sound of birds singing outside of his bedroom window, the warmth of the sun already heating up the loft.  He inhaled slowly, then started to push himself up – and was quickly reminded with a sharp stabbing sensation that he had been injured the previous evening.  He glared at his bandaged arm – he was even more certain that it definitely wasn’t broken, but that didn’t stop the pain.  The meds that Buffy had given him last night actually dulled the ache quite adequately though. 

He carefully maneuvered out of the bed and stretched, wincing as his back cracked loudly.  His home was quiet – he could hear nothing other than the birds outside and the ticking of the clock in the living room. Either Buffy had left before he had woken, or she was still asleep.  He started down the stairs, smiling as he looked at the sofa.

Still asleep, then. He mused to himself as he descended the stairs. Though he was doing his best to not wake her, her Slayer hearing picked up on the soft sounds of movement.  Her eyes snapped open and she sat up. 

“Hey, you okay?”  She asked quickly, sleepily.

He gave her a nod and glanced towards the clock.  “Good morning, Buffy.”

“Oh…”  She realised, running her hand through her hair as she yawned.  “How did you sleep?  Are you in pain?”

“Slept well and…”  He thought about lying to her, but then knew that would be a huge mistake – it wasn’t as if he’d be able to hide the truth from her.  “Yes, it’s fairly sore this morning.”

She pushed the blanket off of her and stood up.  “Do I need to take you to the hospital?”

“You just want to drive my car.”  He teased, shaking his head as she stared pointedly at him.  “No.  No, I really think it’s just sprained.  A bad sprain, however.”

They stood there, in the middle of his living room, looking at each other.  If it had been anyone else, Giles probably would have felt very uncomfortable.  But, as it were, he found himself to be slightly amused…and cared for.  He cleared his throat and gestured towards the hall.

“You’re more than welcome to have a shower if you’d like.  Your bag with your emergency change of clothes is in the linen closet.”

“Oh…that would be amazing, thank you.”  She said with a bright smile.  She didn’t want to admit it, but she did feel quite grubby – and a hot shower was always heavenly first thing in the morning.  Then she remembered something important and her smile faded somewhat.  “You, uh…wouldn’t happen to have a spare toothbrush, would you?”

He nodded almost instantly.  “Bottom shelf in the vanity.”

“Hm…”  Buffy mumbled, stretching her arms over her head.  She wanted to ask why he had a spare toothbrush – she also didn’t want to know why he had a spare toothbrush.  At the moment, she was just grateful that he did.  “Okay, thanks…I won’t be long.”

He nodded silently, watching her as she disappeared down the hall, humming a soft tune.  He stood there for a long couple of minutes after she’d closed the bathroom door – and then, with a deep breath, he made his way to the kitchen to get the kettle on.  

--- --- 

Giles looked at her over the rim of his tea mug, not surprised to find her staring intently at him.  He’d already stated numerous times that it was perfectly fine if she needed to be elsewhere -- even promising that he’d call her if the situation changed at any point.  Each time, she had resolutely shaken her head and pushed herself further into the cushions on the sofa.  He lowered the mug and shot her a look that was meant to be one of annoyance -- not that she ever took notice of those looks.

“Alright,” Giles grumbled as if he suspected that he was about to be subjected to torture, “what is it you have planned for me then, today?”

She looked into his eyes, but was hesitant in giving him a response.  Then she glanced towards the kitchen and licked her lips.

His eyes darted to the movement and he was barely able to keep his soft sigh from escaping.  He lifted his gaze just as she turned her eyes back to his, hoping that she hadn’t noticed his wandering eye.  

“Are you up for a culinary lesson?”

“A culinary lesson?”  He asked, arching an eyebrow at her.  “What sort?”

“I’m super interested in finding out how you get from lemons to lemon curd.  I mean, I guess you could tell me, but...I learn much better when it’s a hands-on experience.  So, maybe...you could talk me through it? It could be a distraction.” She nodded her head toward his wrist.

He deliberately shoved his thoughts over her seemingly innocent ‘hands on’ comment and nodded slowly.  “I could...most definitely.  But, I’ve never shared my recipe or process with anyone before, so…”

She grinned as he trailed off, lifting her hand to her mouth and pretending to zip her lips closed.  “What happens between Watcher and Slayer stays between Watcher and Slayer.”

He chuckled and gestured towards the kitchen with a tilt of his head, and tried not to get too excited about that prospect of… secrecy.

“Alright…” Giles began slowly, following her to the kitchen and leaning his shoulder against the entryway. He wanted to explain to ther the idea of lemon curd… the loveliness of it. “A good lemon curd has… a glossy finish, holds together like pudding, and feels… smooth, and creamy, on the tongue. It has a nice balance of flavor between tart and sweet. With just enough sugar to take the sour edge off the lemon, but not so much that the citrus is overshadowed with saccharine flavor.”

Buffy was just staring at him with wide eyes, and didn’t say anything for a beat. He blinked at her, and then she blurted, “Should I be taking notes? I forgot my pencil and paper at home.”

“Har, har.” He dutifully rolled his eyes, but then smirked and gestured toward the refrigerator. “Ingredients, first. You’ll need four eggs and unsalted butter, as well as sugar, a bit of salt, and of course the lemons.”

“Butter? Really?”

“More than you would expect to use…” He nodded, musing, “It creates a lovely velvety mouthfeel to the curd.”

“Jesus.” Buffy muttered.

“I’m sorry?” Giles frowned, confused, and she shook her head and opened up the fridge, ducking in to retrieve the eggs and butter. He paused for a few more seconds, debating on pursuing her reaction, but he decided to let it go for now. “Once you start combining the ingredients, especially on heat, it will be a continually-moving process… so it’s best to prepare everything you need to be ready to use beforehand,” He instructed her, and though she had to physically bite her lip to keep from making some sort of professorial joke at him, they soon fell into a workflow that was not unlike their more Slayer-y training sessions. He guided her patiently, naturally falling into rhythm with her and not rushing her too quickly through any of the steps.

“Hey look, no more sugar,” Buffy noted, peering down into the pan on the stovetop as she continued to maneuver the whisk through the eggy mixture.

“Now you’ll want to add in the lemon juice,” Giles advised from behind her shoulder, standing as close to her as he dared. “A little at a time, slowly - and keep the whisk going.”

With the whisk in her right hand and the measuring cup of freshly-squeezed lemon juice in the other, Buffy concentrated fully on the stove in front of her, a furrow even developing on her brow. Giles bit his lip to hide his smile, but then couldn’t resist when a lock of her hair fell forward and she pouted at it. She pursed her lips in an attempt to blow it out of her face, but it didn’t work, and his smile widened warmly as he reached around to gently pull it back, curling it around her ear.

She trembled when his knuckle brushed the curve of her ear, but so did he, and he swallowed deeply. “May I?” He found himself murmuring, gently tugging at the hair clip that was losing its battle against the messy bun she wore.

“Huh?” She sounded surprised, and then worried as she said, “I don’t know if you should be twisting your wrist like that,”

“It’ll be alright, I can manage.” He really couldn’t resist carding his fingers through the soft strands, and with no further dissuasion from her, he removed the clip from her hair and held it in his mouth as he gathered up her hair, resituating it more fully back from her face. He had to mostly use his right hand, and just his left fingers carefully, but he thought he did well enough.

She said nothing as he brushed his fingers through her hair, under the guise of untangling it before pinning it again, but really he was just marveling in its softness. He wanted to bury his nose against it. So focused was he on his own sensations, he didn’t notice the way her breathing had gone slightly shallow until after he’d secured her clip back onto her head, and lowered his injured hand back to his side.

Her whisking hand had stopped, at some point, and the mixture in the pan was bubbling.

“Shit, I think I scrambled it.”  She suddenly breathed.

He laughed softly, allowing a strand of her hair to curl around his finger.  “We could always strain it, but as you noticed previously, there are plenty of lemons.  We can simply start again. Remember, you want to cook your lemon curd low, and slow…”

He suddenly sounded much closer than she had remembered him being.  She closed her eyes briefly, allowing the timbre of his voice to wash over her. He reached around her, carefully moving the pan from the heat and pushing it towards the back of the stove.  

“”I’ll grab a fresh saucepan from the cupboard and you can start on the lemons again.”  

His breath was warm as it ghosted across her neck, causing her to shudder.  He looked at her from the corner of his eye, feigning innocent concern as he tried to hide the smug quirk of his lips.

“Are you alright?” He was fairly certain she wasn’t cold, but he asked the question anyway.

“Yes.”  She squeaked, squinting her eyes closed in near-mortification.  “Mm-hm, all good.  Lemons…I’ll do that.”  

She squirmed out from between him and the stove, quickly making her way to the chopping board next to the fruit bowl.  

Giles grinned, taking a moment to watch her massacre a lemon before pulling out a clean saucepan.

Buffy felt as if her scalp was actually tingling, and she went at the lemon maybe a little more roughly than was necessary as she tried to keep the flush she could feel from showing on her face. His small gesture had somehow felt better than any spa or hair salon she’d been to - and now she was thinking about him washing her hair… in the shower, with her… or maybe even in the bath, sitting behind her with his long legs-

“Buffy!” Giles warned her, jarring her out of her mortifying-but-not-really thoughts.

“Huh?” She’d frozen automatically at his tone, but didn’t actually follow his concerned gaze until she looked down and realized the paring knife was a mere centimeter from the knuckle of her finger. “Oh.” She laughed awkwardly and set the knife aside, reaching for the measuring cup again and setting the little sieve over it to squeeze more lemon juice into it.

“I’ll get the eggs ready,” Giles murmured as he flipped open the egg carton, and Buffy glanced at him incredulously.

“But-” However, her protestation wasn’t necessary as she watched him proceed to crack open and dump four eggs into the bowl that had held the four previous ones… with just his right hand. “How do you know how to do that?!” Buffy complained, pretending to be annoyed instead of fascinated by the dexterity of his fingers.

“As with anything - practice,” Giles teased, glancing a smile over to her, before double-taking and giving her a more amused look. “Buffy, I believe you’ve squeezed the life out of that one.”

Chagrined, she tossed the crumpled up remains of lemon rind into the sink, and turned her gaze pointedly toward the cutting board, trying to not even let her peripheral vision notice him. They worked together in silence for a few moments, that was comfortable all things considered, and Buffy slowly relaxed and felt once more focused on the cooking process.

This time, Giles stood next to her instead of behind her, his arms crossed loosely over his chest as he watched her and made little hums of approval as she repeated the first few steps she’d already done successfully before.

“Now the butter, a piece at a time…” He murmured once the lemon juice and the zest seemed to be fully incorporated into the mixture on the stove. “It’s a good thing we hadn’t reached this step yet before; I don’t have that much extra butter on hand.” He admitted, slightly teasing her, and she considered informing him that the mess-up had been his fault, but bit her lip to refrain at the last minute. “Continue to whisk, letting each piece partially melt before you add the next… yes, just like that,” He guided her, and she flushed at the tone of his voice and hoped he didn’t notice. “Make sure you get the tongue- tongs of the whisk against every inch… you don’t want to miss a spot… and find yourself with scrambled eggs, again.”

Her quickly increasing heartbeat suddenly stuttered back to normalcy when she registered that he was teasing her, and she dutifully huffed in defense in response to it.

“It’s getting thicker now, I think.” She noted, lifting the whisk up slightly to see how slowly the developing curd dripped back into the pan.

“Hmm.” He hummed lowly instead of really saying anything, and she raised her eyebrow at him.

“This is where I slow down, right?” She asked, watching him more closely now as she phrased her question very purposefully. “I keep whisking but, gently…slowly? Make it thicken up more?” She verbally paused but only briefly.

She caught the way his eyes darkened slightly, which confirmed it for her - they weren’t just bantering, or flirting innocently anymore. But what did that mean? Did it mean anything? Her mind reminded her that of course it meant something - this was Giles.  Everything always meant something with Giles, and this time it meant something very serious.

He didn’t avert his eyes or try to hide the arousal that she could see in them, but just continued to silently stare at her for another minute before he eventually answered her, “Keep it on the heat for about five more minutes, or so.” She wasn’t sure whether his voice really had that bit of gravelly sound to it, or if she was just imagining it. Wanting it.

Wanting… oh, God. She wanted Giles - and in the worst way. As that fact solidified in her brain, her heart immediately rose up almost defensively, reminding her that she didn’t just ‘want’ Giles. She loved him, just as she’d loved him for a long time, but now that she acknowledged that she wanted him… she realized that her love had changed at some point, too. It had grown into something… more.

More than what she’d ever felt before, even with the all-encompassing obsession that had been Angel, and as all this came crashing over her at once, she felt simultaneously a great weight settle against her chest… and a weight lift from her shoulders. She could feel the way her pulse had picked up, the way she wasn’t quite breathing as calmly as she had been a minute ago, but she kept her eyes staring down at the pot in front of her, moving the whisk around the edges of the pan in a very controlled manner.

Or, what she thought was controlled. Her heart didn’t seem to want to stop beating faster and faster, and before she knew it her hand started to move along in the same manner.

“Buffy,” Giles started to giggle in amusement, thinking she’d lost concentration again, but just then she decided that it had been on the heat for long enough, and her hands didn’t seem to want to work together as one shifted the pan off the heat, and the other still tried to draw the whisk around one more time.

The curd splattered a bit, not enough for Buffy to immediately notice right then, though she did set the whisk to the side and pressed her nervous fingers against her pants legs for a moment before then reaching out to turn the burner on the stove off.

“You’ll, ehm, want to strain it before it cools too much,” Giles noted, his tone slightly dry, and when she looked at him in confusion, she immediately widened her eyes and then bit her lip, trying to hold back her snicker.

The splatter had gotten him; a few spots of curd on his cheek, his chin, and the front of his shirt. She snorted and laughed, but he was immovable as he pretended to glare at her. Without thinking, she shifted closer to him and reached up to swipe the pad of her thumb against the spot on his chin, then curiously tucked her thumb between her lips, licking the lemon curd from the pad of her finger.

She considered the taste earnestly, though while still looking at him, and didn’t quite acknowledge the widening of his eyes as she slowly pulled her thumb from her lips.

“Wow!” She exclaimed in surprise at the taste - it was a bit odd, warm as it was, but still incredibly tasty. She blinked, and then realized the way he was staring at her… watching her.

Admittedly, he’d been a little bit annoyed that she’d gotten lemon curd on his shirt, but the moment the warm pad of her thumb had touched his skin, his breath had left him. And after she’d slid her thumb into her mouth… there were no longer any decisions to be made.

She was still standing just inches from him, so he could easily reach for her waist and rest his good hand there, a gentle anchor as he leaned down and… kissed her. Aware of the universally momentous change happening between them, he used every ounce of his self-control available to him to keep the kiss gentle… just a brush of his lips… only lingering for a moment.

He imagined that he felt physical pain when he pulled back against his desires, straightening and removing his hand from her waist, not wanting to crowd her. She looked bewildered, as if she’d had no part in this bantering between them, and he licked his lips as he swallowed and tried to reorient himself to the world around him.

She’d tasted warm, and soft, and he desperately wanted to feel her lips against his again, but forced himself to focus on her face, and her expression, and what - if anything - she was going to say to him. He only desperately hoped that he hadn’t just obliterated everything between them entirely.

“Wow.” She said again, this time just a murmur, as if she were speaking to herself, and he watched the way her tongue darted out to touch her lips as well.

“I- I’m… um…” He wasn’t entirely certain that he should apologize, but felt that it might be a safe idea just in case.

“If you’re about to apologize - don’t you dare.” Buffy informed him, her tone suddenly as firm as it ever was, and he blinked at her in surprise. Before his relief at her words could even fully hit him, she wrapped her fingers around his suspenders to keep him in place, and pressed herself up and forward, kissing him with initiative this time.

Her kiss was less a gentle brush as his had been, and more filled with intent… with focus, with a desire so apparent for more. He leaned into it, meeting her halfway so that she didn’t need to stretch up on her toes for so long, and he was rewarded by the feeling of her hands carding through his hair, gripping onto him, stroking him… probably getting lemon curd all over him.

He found that he didn’t really care about that in the moment, because her tongue was soon coaxing his into her mouth, and suddenly he was hit with the sweet taste of the lemon curd… just enough sugar to draw him in, and then the tart of the lemon kicked in, a zing that awakened his taste buds… And finally left him tasting only Buffy.

After a long moment, the kiss began to slow...coming to a natural end.  They looked into one another’s eyes and his sparkled as he smiled warmly.  He licked his still-tingling lips and sighed heavily.

“Just as I thought…”  He started, tilting his head slightly.  “Absolutely divine.”

“The curd?”  She asked without thought, allowing her fingers to glide up and down his suspenders.

He shook his head, lifting his hand to caress her cheek.  “You.”

“Oh…”  She breathed, surprise showing in her eyes.  

“A taste that makes me want to go back for more…”  He added, his eyes darting to her lips. “If...you’re amenable…”

She grinned up at him, excitement showing clearly in her eyes.  “I’m amenable as fuck…”

He chuckled in amusement, leaning back into her and capturing her lips once more.  He tried his best to contain his enthusiasm, but it was all for naught as she nudged her tongue into his mouth.  A groan rumbled in his chest as he took a step forward, pushing her against the counter.  He vaguely registered the sensation of her pushing the suspenders off of his shoulders, and he had the brief thought of things moving far too quickly.

But, were they, really?  Maybe so.  Maybe he should tap the brakes and take a breath. 

And then her mouth left his, as if she read his thoughts.  She placed a warm open-mouthed kiss on the side of his neck before whispering two words,

“Stop thinking…”

“One of us should, though…”  He countered, his voice thick with desire.

“Oh...I’m thinking.”  She said, flicking her tongue against his skin just below his ear.  She grinned as he trembled.  “And I’m thinking you need to stop worrying about the speed.  Because…”

“Ah, bloody hell…”  He interrupted her with a murmur, pulling her tighter against him. Now that he’d tasted her, he didn’t want to taste anything else. He returned her favor, sliding his lips along her jaw before dipping his head lower and kissing the side of her neck, lingering over her pulse point when it jumped and fluttered. She tasted as what he imagined sunlight to taste; warm and golden beneath his tongue, in complete opposition to her life as the Slayer. The juxtaposition enthralled him.

He made his way back toward her mouth without removing his own from her, enjoying her soft and smooth skin against his lips, and as her lips parted with a soft sigh, he took the opportunity to kiss her fully and deeply. As he urged his tongue back into her mouth and she easily welcomed him, he felt her fingers slide up again, once more into his hair, gripping the strands firmly. There was a confidence in the level of strength she used with him and he trembled involuntarily.

She smiled against his lips then, and he did too, delighted that she could be enjoying kissing him just as much as he was enjoying kissing her - but then he realized that she was shifting, moving her head to bury her face into his shoulder for a moment as she snickered.

“Wh- what is,” He was only mildly embarrassed to find himself out of breath, “I sincerely hope that is not directed at anything particular…”

“You’ve got lemon curd in your hair!” She blurted, her giggles growing louder until she was laughing so hard that her shoulders were shaking and there were tears in her eyes. He could only pretend to be affronted for a moment, because her laughter was as infectious as it always was, and soon enough he found himself giggling as well.

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her to his chest as they laughed.  Their giggles eventually died down and she nuzzled her cheek against the soft material of his shirt.  

“Sorry…”  She said, holding him as tightly as he was holding her.

“Hm?”  He responded, placing a soft kiss in her hair and satisfying an earlier desire.

“I kind of...killed the mood.”

He grinned, pulling back and tilting her head back so he could look into her eyes.  “Oh, I wouldn’t say that, love.”

Her eyes briefly widened, somewhat surprised at the term of endearment.  She recovered quickly though, offering him a cheeky smile.

“No?”

His gaze darted to different points on her face, his smile growing to echo hers.  “No.”

Before she could say anything else, he glanced towards the stove.  “I, uh...think we’ll need to attempt this recipe again later.”

She followed his eyes, grimacing at the mess she’d unintentionally made.  “Um...yeah.  Lemon curd 2, Buffy 0.”

He shrugged a shoulder and allowed his gaze to drift back to her.  “Or...Rupert Giles 1, lemon curd 0...depending on your view, I suppose.”

“This isn’t just a booty call for me.”  She blurted suddenly, her cheeks reddening once more.

“A...booty call…”  He drawled, his voice tinged with light amusement.

“Um...sex.”  She clarified nervously.  “I mean...I want that -- sex...with you.  Like...holy hell do I want that…”

He bit back his smile at her rambling, though he was sure that she’d be able to see it in his eyes.  Instead of calming her nerves, he decided to allow her to continue.  Because it was adorable.

She was adorable.  Heart-stoppingly adorable.

“But, that’s not all I want...with you.  I want...you know, kisses and dates and kisses because, damn, Giles…”  She inhaled sharply, doing her best to regain control of her senses -- though the electricity of his kisses was still heavy in her mind, on her lips, in her mouth, on her skin…

His amusement shifted as he watched her skin, listened to her breathing -- and suddenly he didn’t want to laugh or tease her.  He simply wanted her.  

“Sex is not the end game for me, Buffy.”  He agreed with her, in a low tone that caused her to clench her jaw and her thighs together. “This...what is happening here at this moment between us...is not a means to an end.”

He inhaled deeply, suddenly feeling the heat build within his chest once more.  

“Though I do want you in my bed...”  He admitted, his desire heavy in his voice again.  “I want…”

His eyes drifted down her body and back up to her eyes.  

“Oh, I want everything with you.”  He licked his lips and placed his palm flat against her chest, directly between her breasts, a bit of a solemn gesture. “I want to give you everything, Buffy.”

“I want that too.”  She breathed, fingers toying with a button on his shirt.  “Everything.”

He stared into her eyes for what felt like hours, but was most likely seconds.  Then he swallowed and blinked slowly as he took a large step backwards.

“Come with me.”

“Nearly did already.”  She blurted, and when he shot her a grin, she rolled her eyes.  “Where are you taking me?”

“Where would you like me to take you?”  He countered cheekily.

“Your bed definitely comes to mind.  You know, if you’re...amenable.”

His slow grin grew until it lit up his eyes.  And then he gave her a wink as he echoed one of her earlier sentiments.

“Oh...I’m amenable as fuck…”

Buffy drifted toward his outstretched hand in a daze, staring at him in amazement as he just smirked. A flash of nervousness crossed her face as he guided her another step across the room, and she glanced over his shoulder to the stairs that they were headed toward. Giles squeezed her hand and drew her closer to him, reaching up with his left hand to brush his fingertips against her cheek.

“Do you trust me?” He murmured, lowering his head to look at her directly, and she immediately nodded to him, trusting him but not trusting her voice as she gazed at the softness on his face, and felt it in his touch. He returned a small nod, and kissed her softly, brushing kisses that slowly coaxed her lips open as he began to blindly lead the way to the stairs, and up to the loft. The hand that had been on her cheek drifted down to her neck… then her shoulder… then her arm.

She was fascinated by the way that he touched her, considering how very little he had prior to this. Always very careful, the respectable librarian… but now… he wasn’t scared to touch her, like Angel had been, but he wasn’t needy or desperate in the same anxious way that Riley had been either. He didn’t immediately try to divest her of her clothes, though his fingers played against the collar of her shirt, the buttons of her blouse - sort of teasing gestures as he fluttered his tongue against the roof of her mouth.

Buffy moaned, actually feeling her knees go a little weak, but then the bed was there, and he was gently guiding her to sit on the edge of it, kneeling himself to the floor in front of her so that he didn’t have to stop kissing her. Not nearly as patient as him, she gripped the front of his shirt, her fingers scrambling blindly against the buttons as she tried to begin opening them. He kissed her a little harder, showing his own growing impatience, though his hands rested against her waist now and showed no inclination of moving anywhere else anytime soon.

“Giles,” She whined against his lips, squirming against him, pressing the sides of her knees around his waist. He gasped shortly before she released him, and then chuckled as he dutifully moved his hands to the front of her blouse. In retaliation to her slight roughness, he nipped at her lip with his teeth before straightening his head back far enough that he could see what he was doing.

He was struggling a bit with her shirt more than he wanted to admit, and started to frown as he couldn’t maneuver his wrist quite the right way due to the ace bandage wrapped around it.

“Bloody-” He grunted in frustration, cutting himself off as he focused. He managed to dress himself just fine, but now here he was, fumbling about like a schoolboy seeing breasts for the first time in his life.

“Giles… let me,” She covered his hands with her own, and he huffed, annoyed that the heady moment had been jarred. When he looked up at her though, her eyes were still warm and filled with arousal… with maybe only a tiny spark of amusement. “Sit back,” She suggested, but he only shifted his hands to rest atop her knees, not wanting to move any further away from her than he already was… which wasn’t much.

She slowly brought her hands up to the top of her shirt, starting with the button closest to her collar, and he stared up at her with wide eyes, seeing the desire so clearly written across her face. It wasn’t until she started on her third button that he lowered his gaze to watch, eagerly taking in every small inch of skin that was revealed as the fabric slowly parted.

He brushed his thumbs in a distracted manner against the soft leather beneath his hands, an appreciative and encouraging gesture as she eventually reached the last button of her shirt. She let it drape open casually, but didn’t shrug it off, instead reaching up behind her to fiddle with the clasps of her bra. She loosened those, too, but then left the rest be, and took his good hand, rubbing her thumb against his palm for a lingering moment before guiding it against the front of her shirt.

She pressed his hand there firmly, and then reached forward with both hands for his shirt again, unbuttoning him with measured focus. Giles slowly curled his fingers around the edge of her blouse, understanding her silent point, ‘the rest is up to you’.

He surged forward to kiss her again, a bit madly this time as emotion ran rampant within him, indescribably touched by her gesture. That she’d been nervous just a few minutes ago, downstairs, but now she moved so easily with him, with little word needed sharing between them. She leaned back with the weight of his kiss and he followed her without thought, sliding closer up against the side of the bed, moving to brace his hands on the mattress so he could continue to kiss her as she lay back.

The sharp jolt of pain in his left wrist rudely reminded him of his injury, and he immediately rocked back onto his knees again, quietly hissing in pain as he held his wrist against his chest for a moment.

“Oh- God, maybe-” Buffy panted, her concern fighting it’s way through her dazed arousal, and he pressed his lips firmly together as he swallowed down and pushed away the pain, then shook his head at her as she sat up.

“I’ll be fine,” He promised her, resting both hands atop her thighs again, rubbing his fingers against the leather. Proving that he could still use his left hand at least somewhat. She glanced down at the wrapped appendage dubiously, and then met his eyes again.

“Are you sure?”

“Are you?” He returned gently, using the moment to take a breather, and cool the air between them a little.

“I’m more sure about this than I’ve ever been sure about anything in my life.” She promised him seriously, and he knew she was being earnest. “But I want to make sure you are… with that,” She gestured with her head toward his injured wrist. “Because… as much as I really don’t want to, I can wait…”

“A gentleman never makes a lady wait.” He returned loftily, though inwardly his response was a bit more crude. No way in hell was he going to allow their evening to end here. “I have… passing confidence that my wrist can handle this just fine.” Buffy raised her eyebrow at him, clearly asking him to give her a specific answer to that, and he mused for a moment before saying, “Ninety-four percent?”

She mulled over that for a moment, and then smiled slowly and leaned toward him again. “Well, that’s still an A in my book…”

He returned her smile, allowing her to resume at what she would think to be a suitable pace.  He was only mildly surprised when her mouth covered his and her tongue immediately flicked against his bottom lip, requesting entry.  His lips parted, granting her request without question or hesitation. 

And then her hands were underneath his open shirt, caressing his chest before sliding in opposite directions in an effort to push the fabric off of his shoulders.  His right hand tightened on her knee briefly and then he mirrored her movements, sliding his hands underneath her open blouse.  He groaned softly, his large hand cupping her left breast…her nipple hard against his palm.  She fully expected him to squeeze his hand around it, pushing the bra up to free them completely. 

But, then – true to his nature – he was full of surprises. 

He merely held his hand there for a long moment, gently pressing his palm against her.  And then suddenly his hand moved, his fingers slowly sliding her blouse off and down her arms.  As he dropped the garment onto the floor, his mouth moved down the side of her neck…sucking lightly when she inhaled sharply.  Not hard enough to leave a mark, but hard enough for her to slide her hand to the back of his head to hold him there…encouraging him to continue. 

“Buffy…”  He murmured against her skin, his fingers slipping underneath the strap of her bra. 

“Yeah?”  She nearly moaned as his mouth left her neck and moved along her collarbone.

He gently pulled her bra off and absently dropped it to the side, not really caring where it landed.  He licked and nibbled his way back to her mouth, kissing her deeply as her nails lightly scratched his scalp..  When she started to push herself backwards, further towards the center of the bed, he gripped her thigh with his uninjured hand to hold her still.  She pulled from the kiss and shot him a quizzical look.

A look that he answered with a smirk before allowing his fingertip of his left index finger to glide down her sternum.  His eyes darkened, his hand gently pushing her upper body down to the mattress.  She stared into his eyes, which hadn’t even attempted to steal a glance at her bare breasts yet.  He shifted his weight on his knees, moving even closer to the edge of the bed.

And then he licked his lips and allowed his gaze to drift away from her eyes, pausing briefly on her kiss-swollen lips before continuing down her throat – and then he inhaled sharply as he finally reached her breasts…her nipples hard and begging for attention. 

“What do you like?”  He asked, his right hand sliding along the leather of her trousers towards the fastening.

She trembled at his question, his voice a graveled tone that she had never heard from him before.  “Uh…what?”

He smiled, hooking his finger under the waistband of her trousers.  “I want nothing more than to please you – but, I’m unsure as to what it is you…enjoy.”

“You’re…asking me?”  She asked, furrowing her brow. 

He arched an eyebrow, gently tugging at her waistband before splaying his hand over her abdomen.  “How am I to know otherwise?”

When she merely stared at him, disbelief and appreciation showing brightly in her eyes, he suddenly realized that it was very likely she had never had a lover to take the time to actually ask – and that caused a few emotions within him that he’d need to unpack later. 

“Um…what do you like?”  She asked, her nerves from earlier beginning to make a return appearance. 

Not wanting to push the issue into very uncomfortable territory, he offered her a warm smile…fully prepared to take the lead this time. 

“What if we just go with where it takes us?”  He started, gently rubbing his fingers against the soft skin of her stomach.  “And if either of us does something that doesn’t feel…right…we say something.”

He could almost feel her relief at his suggestion and when she smiled brightly and nodded, he gently pulled her closer to the edge of the bed.  When her eyes widened in sudden realization, he leaned down and placed a warm kiss next to her navel.  Then he rested his chin just below the button on her trousers and lifted his gaze to hers. 

“I would give nearly anything to taste you right now.”  He said, smiling as her breath hitched in her chest.  “I want to map out every millimetre of you with my tongue, inside and out.  I want to feel your thighs gripping me tightly as my tongue pushes you closer and closer to orgasm – and then, when you come…I want to listen to you.”

“Jesus, Giles…”  She groaned, trembling as his warm breath ghosted across her skin.

He lifted his head and glanced pointedly at the button holding her trousers closed.  “As noted earlier, I’m having slight issues with buttons at the moment.  Would you mind?”

His eyes drifted to her hands, watching intently as she pulled the button free with more effort than was necessary.  He chuckled softly, reaching down to unbuckle his belt. 

“Careful, love…wouldn’t want to ruin them.”  He said with a wistful tone.  “They look so lovely on you.”

She watched as he gently batted her hands away and took over for her, slowly lowering the zipper.  She lifted her hand, allowing her fingertips to touch his hair. 

“What about you, though?”

“All in due time.”  He grinned, tapping his fingers on her hip.  “For now though…you need to help me get these off.”

“So, I’m going to be naked and you…?”  She huffed, even as she pushed her trousers down her thighs. 

He looked at her for a moment, his eyes dark with barely restrained desire as she kicked her trousers off – leaving her lying across his bed wearing only a pair of emerald green satiny undies.  He swallowed thickly and pushed himself up to stand before her. 

“Oh god…”  She whispered, his erection impossible to be concealed. She raised up on her elbows, biting her bottom lip as he unfastened his trousers with his uninjured hand.

He stared into her eyes as he rid himself of the rest of his clothing, smiling warmly as she sat up fully.  When she reached out and touched his hip, licking her lips as she squirmed lightly, he gently shook his head.

“You don’t need to – ”

“Shut up.”  She whispered, interrupting him as she looked up at him.  “Can I?”

“You can do whatever you feel like doing.”  He replied, his voice sounding impossibly erotic.

And then a slow smile spread across his face, somewhat surprising her.  She hadn’t expected him to be a stammering nervous wreck, but she also hadn’t expected for him to stand there…unabashedly bare in front of her, with a very serious erection.  She reached out, gently touching him – pushing his cock up towards his stomach.  When he inhaled deeply and muttered a nearly inaudible hum, she looked up at his face – and thought she had never seen anything as…beautiful. 

She’d never thought in a million years that she would use that descriptor for him, but it was so incredibly accurate.  He was beautiful, standing before her…head tilted back slightly, eyes closed, waiting for her to do whatever she felt like doing.  She hesitated for just a moment, letting that sink in – whatever she felt like doing.

She sighed happily, leaning forward and placing a kiss on the underside of his erection.  She smiled inwardly hearing him whisper her name, and then pressed a line of open-mouthed kisses along his length.  She looked up at him when she reached the head, not overly surprised to find him gazing down at her through slightly glazed eyes. 

He swallowed hard, moving his right hand to the side of her face, tenderly caressing her cheek before pushing a long strand of her hair back behind her ear.  And then he emitted a loud groan as she pulled the head of his cock into her mouth.  They stared at one another as she slid her lips back down, taking as much of him as she possibly could into her mouth.  His fingers trembled lightly against her temple as she bobbed her head slowly, swirling her tongue around the head each time she reached it. 

“Don’t…don’t make me come, Buffy.”  He murmured, sliding his fingers into her hair. “Not yet.”

“Mm-mm…”  She mumbled around him, sucking harder as he groaned. She scratched the nails of her left hand down the back of his thigh, pulling her mouth back quickly when he involuntarily thrust his hips forward.

“Sorry…”  He whispered, gently stroking her hair.  He  gave her a lazy smile when he saw the sparkle in her eyes.  “You’re so lovely…”

She slid her mouth down his cock one more time before pulling back and letting him slip from between her lips with a soft pop.  He carefully lowered himself back to his knees in front of her, gliding his thumb along her bottom lip.

“Please tell me I can kiss you.”  He sighed heavily.

“You…want to?  I mean, after – ”

He groaned and quickly covered her mouth with his, pushing his tongue between her lips.  He kissed her wantonly, relishing her moans that he swallowed as he pushed her back down to the mattress. She shifted back, moving more towards the center of the bed – he moved with her, placing his right knee between her thighs as he continued thrusting his tongue against hers.  His cock was hard and warm against her thigh, twitching intermittently while her fingers clawed at his back, doing everything possible to guide him to where she wanted him – fully kneeling between her thighs so she could wrap her legs around him.  To her dismay, he resisted – but, he did curl his right hand around her breast, gently kneading…allowing her nipple to slide between his fingers as he moved his mouth to her throat.

He nipped her lightly with his teeth before soothing the skin with a gentle, sensual lick of his tongue.  While he was preoccupied with her breasts and throat, she slid her hands between them, quickly hooking her thumbs into the waistband of her underwear and began pushing them down.  But, then she realized that wasn’t going to work…not with how he was positioned over her. 

“Giles…”  She panted, squirming underneath him. 

“Mm?”  He mumbled against her throat.

“These need to be off…” She whimpered impatiently. 

“Mm-hm…they do…and your legs need to be wrapped around my head…”

“You need to be inside of me…some part of you…like now.”  She gasped as she gently pushed him to the side.

He chuckled adorably, shifting just enough so she could remove the offending item. His chuckle stopped abruptly when he felt her legs slide over his hips and she reached between them to curl her fingers around his erection. 

“Damn…”  He groaned suddenly, dropping his head to her shoulder.

“What?  What’s wrong? Are you okay?  Is it your wrist?”  She asked, somewhat panicked.  “I knew we should have waited until – ”

“Condoms.”  He grumbled, frustration thick in his voice.  “I…have none…”

“Oh.” She paused, trying not to show her disappointment, but then smiled at him, cheeky and impatient in equal measures. “Well, there are other things we can do,”

“There are,” He groaned again, for different reasons this time, and buried his face against her neck, kissing her hotly as he tried not to get too ahead of himself. Her hand began to stroke his length again, slowly and root to tip, and surely her intention was to drive him completely mad. “Buffy,” He breathed her name against her skin as he trailed his mouth down her neck again, toward her chest. If he started thinking too much about this - about her hand around his cock, her bare skin beneath his mouth, beneath his hands, her little pleased moans due to him - Giles shuddered and put a halt to his overwhelming thoughts immediately.

Buffy whined a little when he shifted too far down for her to reach him, but then slid her hands approvingly along his back as he nuzzled her breast, taking a nipple between his lips. He mouthed her slowly, gently sucking and then laving his tongue across it, learning and cataloguing as he listened to the noises that she made.

When he shifted his attention to her other breast, she whined his name and gripped her fingers in his hair for a brief moment. “Giles… I said… inside,” She complained, and he grinned as he gave her nipple one last lick before lifting himself up over her again, observing the mildly frustrated pout on her face.

“As you wish.” He quipped, quoting one of her favorite movies, and grinned wider as she relaxed and the corner of her mouth twitched in amusement. He lowered one more deep, searching kiss to her mouth before then shifting back between her legs, settling his shoulders beneath her thighs. He gave her one final searching look, for any hesitance or nervousness, but she was only staring down at him with a flushed face and wide, dark eyes.

He brushed his lips against her abdomen first, then lower over her pubic bone, working his way into her curls with purpose. There was no hesitation left within him, not now that he could smell her arousal calling to him, so sweet… “Christ, Buffy,” He whispered in a moan as he nuzzled her curls and darted his tongue out to touch her pussy. She was dripping, already, and- “You are divine,” He purred as the first taste of her reached his taste buds, and she moaned above him when he flattened his tongue more firmly against her. He gently pressed his palms against her thighs to guide them apart wider, opening her up more fully for him, and then settled in… determined to stay true to his word and map out every millimeter of her skin.

He took his time stroking his tongue along her folds, listening to her quietly keening with satisfaction, and closed his eyes as he basked in his own pleasure tasting of her sweet muskiness. He swirled his tongue around her little bud of nerves, closing his lips around it for a moment before lapping into her heat again. Her breath began to pick up into a steady pant, and he felt the muscles in her thighs shift and tighten as she refrained from thrusting up against his face.

Giles pulled back for a moment to catch his breath, continuing to brush his lips against her inner left thigh as he curled his bandaged arm beneath her right hip and around across her abdomen… where he could - perhaps not control, but - remind her not to give him a black eye with her pelvis.

He dove back in then, sucking on her clit and pressing his tongue inside of her wet heat, grinning with excitement when she cried out and arched her back upward with pleasure.

“God! Giles, yes!” Her fingers spread across the top of his head again, holding him down and holding on, and he gladly relented, shifting his mouth lower and rubbing his thumb against her swollen nub. Very quickly her panting picked up again, growing more vocal, and he hummed approvingly, overwhelmingly turned on by her. He could feel his cock throbbing against the mattress beneath him, eager for some attention of its own, but he shifted his hips slightly and then did his best to push those feelings aside. Buffy’s thighs were beginning to tremble in earnest, now, and he could feel her inner muscles clenching around his tongue.

He lifted his head enough to growl encouragingly, rubbing her more quickly, urging forward her orgasm, “Yes, Buffy, come for me… I want to taste you,”

“Jeeeeesus,” She hissed between clenched teeth, her fingers gripping tightly into his hair, and he pressed his face back between her legs just as she sucked in a gasp, her core clenching tightly around his tongue. He closed his eyes in his own ecstasy as she flooded his taste buds, her hips rocking up against his gentle hold as she moaned through her orgasm.

She was without a doubt the most beautiful thing he’d ever experienced, and he devoured her as she throbbed beneath him, unable to have enough of her. When her hips eventually stilled on the mattress, panting for breath as she slowly came down from her high, he slid his hand away from her core and slowed his licking… but didn’t fully stop. He lifted his eyes to observe her, giving her long, slow, wide strokes of his tongue, still feeling her pulse occasionally against the muscle.

“Mmmm,” She released a luxurious hum of pleasure, stretching her legs a bit along his sides, and he shifted his arm to allow her more range of movement, still occasionally lapping at her. “Shit,” She quivered and then laughed, looking down at him in amazement and still within the haze of arousal.

“Mhm,” He agreed against her clit as a shiver of arousal went up his spine, and she sucked in another breath and bit her bottom lip, clenching the bedsheet beside her.

“Giles…” She sounded and looked mildly concerned now, so he eased up and gently replaced his tongue with his right hand, stroking his fingers through her damp folds before sliding them leisurely against her clit. “If I- hell - if I come again I’m gonna hurt you,” She panted out worriedly, and he grinned, raising his eyebrow at her a little bit.

“Well then… perhaps I should just…” He carefully rearranged himself to sit up, cross-legged, pulling her legs across his thighs so that she was still close enough for him to comfortably reach, “Watch.” He ignored his own raging erection as he returned his hand to her core, but she was staring hard at it with a look that he admittedly found difficult to define.

Then she licked her lips, and he groaned and closed his eyes as he pressed his fingers a little more firmly against her, before she distracted him with his own wanting. “Mm, Giles,” She whined quietly, desperately, and just as he opened his eyes again he felt her fingers curling around his length.

He stared down at her outstretched hand wrapped around his girth, squeezing him firmly as if she somehow inherently knew exactly how much pressure he liked… and then she twisted her fist around the head and he felt fire raging down his spine.

“Bloody hell, Buffy,” He groaned deeply as he leaned forward over her and kissed her anxiously, brushing her hand off of him and hoping to distract her from touching him long enough for him to get her off again. Having her come against his face had already put him so close, and her hand on him was too much for him to take at the moment.

Her kiss was briefly hesitant, and just as he realized that she might not be comfortable kissing him with the taste of herself in his mouth, she gripped her hand around his nape and held him down, opening her mouth wider to deepen the kiss. Her hips rutted up against his hand now, and when she began to whine against his tongue, he shifted to bury his face into her neck - only because he didn’t want to risk her accidentally biting it off.

He sucked hard at the curve of her neck where it met with her shoulder, running his teeth against her skin lightly before giving her a wide, firm bite. Not enough to break the skin, but enough to startle her, and she called out suddenly, her nails pressing into the nape of his neck as her hips arched up against his hand, her thighs clenching tightly around his arm.

“Oh, wow, yes,” She keened in amazed ecstasy between breaths, and he stilled his hand to allow her to seek out the sensation she needed, not wanting to overstimulate her now. He panted against her collarbone, revelling in the feel of her coming apart beneath him again, doing his best not to tremble too much, himself. “Giles!” She exclaimed, and then giggled, and pet her fingers through his hair in what felt like a distracted gesture.

He gently slid his hand away from her and she sighed heavily, still squirming a little bit against the sheets, and both of her hands came around him to stroke all along his back. He closed his eyes as he held himself only mere inches above her, trying to keep his threadbare control, reminding himself that he didn’t have condoms and neither of them were in a place to even be thinking about a pregnancy.

That cleared his head enough that he was able to catch his breath, and he gingerly rolled over onto his good side, beside her on the bed and watching her as she recovered.

“Giles,” She sighed happily, lovingly, and gave him a big, sated smile as she reached out and gently stroked his stiff length that rested atop his thigh.

“I can-” He didn’t yelp, of course not, but the rush of arousal that coursed through him from her touch had seemed to lodge itself in his throat and made his voice do odd things. “I can wait, Buffy- Christ-” She’d twisted her fist around the ridge of his cock and brushed her thumb along the top where precum was leaking.

“Can you?” She teased lightly, and he groaned deeply.

“Not that I want to,” He told her honestly, his eyes fluttering closed for a moment. He forced them back open, however, wanting to see her. He’d seen her as he’d made her come and it had been absolutely glorious - he wanted to know what she looked like as she brought him pleasure. Wanted to know if she enjoyed giving it as much as he enjoyed giving it.

“What do you want?” She asked him lowly, facing him more completely to gently guide him over onto his back, all the while slowly stroking him.

He followed her lead, relaxing back against the mattress, his tongue darting against his lips as she swung a leg over him to settle atop his thighs. “To cover you in lemon curd and lick it from your skin.” He blurted, his eyes on her hand and then drifting up to linger on her breasts for a moment, before eventually resting on her face.

She snorted and laughed, softening her grip around him as she leaned over and stretched up to put her mouth against his ear… “Me, too.” As he slowly gaped up at the ceiling as he registered her words, she moved back down his body - suddenly licking her tongue across the curve of his ribs, making him giggle in surprise - before lowering her mouth over his cock.

“Good- lord,” Giles groaned deeply as he watched her lips close around the shaft, simply holding the head in her mouth.  He saw the slight mischievous sparkle in her eye and knew exactly what went through her head. 

He was nearly coming apart already and she had barely done anything.  He inhaled sharply, and then forced himself to take a few long, deep breaths.  And then he realized that wasn’t going to help him calm, because there were a few other things that he preferred to associate ‘long and deep’ with – and breaths would lose out to long thrusts deep within her every single time.

She watched him curl his fingers into the incredibly soft material of the duvet and then gave the head of his cock a firm, but controlled suck.  Hearing a soft curse slip from his lips, she released him and looked up at his face, her thumb rubbing a small circle on the underside near the base. 

“Okay?”

“Oh…oh, yes…”  He said, doing his best not to hyperventilate.  “How do you know exactly how to touch me?”

She smiled at his softly spoken question, not sure if he actually meant to voice it aloud or if it was an inner musing that had slipped out.  She placed an open-mouthed kiss on the head and then decided to give him an answer.

“You’ve been teaching me to hone for years now, Giles.”

He arched an eyebrow at her, shifting slightly as his eyes drifted to his thick cock in her hand.  “In regards to vampires…”

She grinned and slowly stroked him, increasing her pressure in one certain spot that caused him to gasp.  “I think I like honing in on you better.  Heaps more fun than vampires.”

“Christ, Buffy…”  He mumbled, licking his lips as he watched her hand slide back down.  And then he groaned as she pressed her tongue flat against the underside and dragged it back up to the head.

“Can I make you come now?”  She asked, her voice only slightly teasing him.

“Oh, fuck yes…please…” He blurted, then lifted his hand to her cheek.  “Please, Buffy…”

There was something about his tone, his touch that made her want to simultaneously make him come, and also wrap her arms around him.  His cock twitched lightly in her hand and she placed another sucking kiss on the head. 

She could wrap her arms around him later.

With that thought in her mind, she curled her hand around the base of his cock and quickly pulled the head back into her mouth.  He had assumed that she would stroke him while sucking the head…which he was perfectly fine with – her mouth was warm and inviting and her tongue was incredibly talented, swirling and flicking just at the right moments.  But, then she took him by surprise and slid her mouth further down his length until her lips touched her hand. 

His mouth dropped open, his glazed eyes widened as her cheeks hollowed while she sucked.  Her hair brushed against his thighs with each bob of her head and he felt the distinct urge to thrust his hips upwards.  She placed her left hand on his hip to hold him still as she quickly pulled her back, allowing his erection to slip from her mouth.  Before he could protest, the hand around his cock slid up – stopping just below the head – and her mouth latched on the base…lips nipping, teeth lightly scraping, tongue flicking.

“Oh…oh my…”  He moaned, pushing his head back against the pillow as her mouth moved lower, her tongue pressing against his left testicle as she began fully stroking his length. 

She turned her head slightly, placing a nipping kiss on his inner thigh.  She was rewarded with a sound that was somewhere between a giggle and a yelp, causing her to grin before she placed a line of slow, warm kisses over his thigh. 

His muscles quivered under her kisses and he lifted his right hand, his fingertips grazing her hair. She looked up to find him gazing down at her through pleading eyes.  Any other time, she would’ve teased him about how certain expressions don’t always get the reaction you’re after.  But, this wasn’t any other time…and that facial expression was going to get him everything he was wanting.  And possibly more, truth be told. 

“I, uh…”  She started, propping herself up on his thigh as she continued her long, slow strokes.  “I…don’t know if I can, you know…take all of it…”

He looked confused for a moment, as if trying to process her words.  When he was taking longer in the process than she expected, she cast a pointed glance at the thick, warm flesh in her hand. 

“Oh…”  He breathed, suddenly understanding.  “I’m not concerned about that, love.” It was her turn to look confused and he pushed himself up onto his elbows.  “What is it?”

“Nothing.”  She answered too quickly and he covered her hand with his, stilling her movement.  Her eyes darted to their hands, both curled around his warm cock.  “Shit, that’s hot…”

His gaze followed hers, his fingers gently stroked her skin.  “Mm, that it is,” He agreed breathlessly.

When their eyes met again, she smiled…though her cheeks were tinged red.  “I’ll tell you later, okay?”

He nodded slowly, sliding his fingers into her hair.  “You are…amazing…”  He whispered, his voice deep, sensual.

She felt his cock pulse against her palm and she licked her lips.  And just like that, her head was back into…well, taking care of his head.  She nearly laughed at the incredibly stupid joke, but decided this wasn’t the time for random laughter. 

When she felt his hand start to pull away from her head, she darted her eyes to his.  “No, leave it there.”

She swore his eyes darkened two shades instantly and he lowered his upper body back down to the mattress.  But instead of mentioning it, she lowered her mouth back to his erection, bathing the sensitive head with her tongue as she took more of him into her mouth.  His hand clasped around hers fell to the side, landing heavily onto the bed.

And then she began to move in earnest, bobbing her head…sucking hard, sucking light…swirling her tongue around the head, flattening her tongue against the underside…and he growled.  A loud, deep growl that caused a flash of heat to wash over her, through her…and she wondered briefly if she was going to come again. 

His fingers twitched lightly against her scalp, his left hand sliding to the back of her head…holding her as she continued to give him one of the best – if not the best – blowjobs he’d ever had. His palm cradled the back of her head, moving with her…but not directing her movements.  His hips arched towards her, his head pressed further into the pillow.

And she sucked harder, urging him to let go…

And then she heard his voice, gravelly and thick, full of desire.  Three words spilled from his lips as she shifted slightly, enabling her to take a bit more of his length into her mouth.

“Fuck, I’m close…”

Her eyes snapped to his face, finding him staring at her…watching her lips slide up and down, her cheeks hollowing with each upward motion, increasing her suction.  And that was when she felt the rhythmic pulse against her tongue, felt her mouth stretch just a fraction wider as his cock thickened.  And even if he hadn’t muttered the words, she would’ve known.

He was close.  Dangerously, beautifully close. 

She watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed, his fingers curling against her scalp…and then his head fell back, a loud moan escaping his throat as his orgasm crashed over him. 

She clamped her lips tightly just below the head and pumped her fist quicker around him…and then she tasted…him.  Slightly musky, with heavy overtones of sweetness and…citrus.  Uniquely Giles, like everything regarding him. 

She swallowed quickly, determined to not lose one drop.  She briefly wondered if he would find it gross – but then she remembered how enthusiastically he had kissed her, her juices still wet on his lips, his chin.

Of course, he wouldn’t find it gross. 

Her rambling thoughts were interrupted by him gasping her name, his fingers twitching in her hair.  She slowed her movements, watching him as his hand dropped from her head, his chest heaving as he fought for breath.  She carefully pulled her mouth from his flesh, licking her lips.

“Mm…sweet, citrusy…mainly sweet…”  She mused softly. 

“Like…lemon curd?”  He giggled, sounding more intoxicated than anything else. 

She looked up at him and grinned.  “Not as amazing as that…but, definitely not bad.”

He opened his eyes when he felt her crawl up his body, trailing warm soft kisses in her wake.  He sighed, sounding as though he had drifted into a state of complete bliss, and his injured arm moved around her in a loving embrace. 

“Kiss me…”  He whispered, placing his thumb against her chin. 

“I, uh…”  She started, biting her bottom lip.

He smiled and glanced at her lips.  “Tasting myself on your tongue…would be sublime, I’ve no doubt.  But, if you’re not comfortable with that – I completely underst – ”

She interrupted him with a sudden, deep kiss…her tongue delving into his mouth, groaning as he sucked the lithe muscle, her hands cradling his face, holding him still as she plundered his mouth.  He returned her kiss just as frantically, his hands sliding to her hips, holding her tightly against him…atop him. 

And he knew, without a doubt, if their tongues weren’t currently in a duel with one another…he’d be very hard-pressed to stop certain words from falling from his lips.  As deeply as he wanted to tell her exactly how he felt, he wasn’t sure she was ready to hear it yet.  So, he’d keep it to himself for a while longer…well, the actual words – he was fine with showing her. 

The kiss eventually calmed, morphing from post-orgasmic frenzy to post-orgasmic relaxation.  His hold on her eased, his hands moving to her back in a gentle sweeping caress as she moved her lips to his chin, placing a warm kiss before melting against his chest. 

He sighed happily, closing his eyes as she nuzzled his chest with her cheek.

“Stay…”  He whispered softly.

“Hm?”  She murmured, sounding very tired.

“Stay with me.”

She lifted her head, looking into his eyes.  “Tonight?”

“As long as you want.”  He replied, his sincerity showing in his eyes, which had lightened considerably within the past few minutes. 

“I’ll stay.”  She answered simply, her smile bright and wide.

“Good.”  He murmured, inhaling slowly as he fought back a yawn.  His fingers lightly tapped her hip.  “I need to, uh…”

She narrowed her eyes for a moment and then nodded in understanding.  “Oh, yeah...right.  Me too.”

He gave her a soft kiss and looked pleasantly amused when she snickered softly.  “What is it?” 

She brushed her fingers through his hair, before gliding her fingertips along his jaw.  “I don’t know -- it’s kind of funny that you’d have a spare toothbrush, but no condoms…”

“Funny?”

“Interesting, maybe.”  She clarified and then waited to see if he’d pick up on what she was insinuating.

It took him just a couple of seconds to catch on, his eyes brightened as he smiled adorably.  “The spare toothbrush isn’t for an overnight visitor -- I simply buy two at a time.”

“Oh…”  She replied, feeling a sense of relief that she wasn’t exactly expecting.  “Maybe you should apply that logic to condoms too…”

He snorted a laugh and gave her another soft kiss.  “That’s an issue that will be rectified as soon as possible, I assure you.”  He offered her a bright grin before sliding out of bed and walking over to the dresser.  

She watched him -- his confidence in his nudity in front of her was surprising, but also...she was very grateful for that confidence, because his ass was…

He turned to look at her when he heard her heavy sigh.  “Are you alright?”

“Huh?  Oh...yeah, just…”  She blushed lightly and gestured towards him.  “I really like my view at the moment.” 

He chuckled as he pulled a fresh pair of boxers out his top drawer.  He bent over in an exaggerated manner, grinning at her gasp as he slowly slipped them on.  

He turned around to find her sitting on the bed, staring at him through wide eyes...the sheet puddled around her waist.  “My view isn’t that bad either…”

She looked down quickly, obviously not realising that she had dropped the sheet that had been covering her chest.  He smiled as she scrambled to pull it back up...and then opened a second drawer, pulling out a simple dark blue t-shirt.  She bit her lip nervously as he walked back over to the bed and sat down on the edge of the mattress.

“You can wear this, love.”  He whispered, leaning into her and kissing her lips softly.  “Obviously, it will be quite large on you, but...I have a sneaking suspicion that you’ll look absolutely beautiful in it.”

She took the shirt from him, a grateful smile in her eyes as she whispered a soft ‘thank you’.  He gave her a wink, and stood up.  Knowing that she’d prefer to have a bit of privacy at this moment, he gestured towards the stairs.  

“I’ll, um...be downstairs....”

With a bright smile, he turned and fairly bounded down the stairs.  She slipped the shirt on and climbed out of bed, stretching luxuriously, her muscles in her whole body feeling delightfully relaxed. She could hear him messing about in the bathroom when she reached the bottom of the stairs, so she headed for the kitchen first and got herself a glass of water.

She drank a glass and a half before he eventually joined her, and they both smiled shyly at one another as he reached up to grab himself a glass from the cabinet.

“Here, use mine,” She offered, sliding it onto the counter, and then touching his waist with her other hand as she stepped around him. “My turn,” She joked a little, pressing a quick kiss against his arm before hurrying away to the bathroom. She closed the door behind her quietly, and then stared at her reflection in the mirror for a moment. “Doofus.” She laughed at herself and her shyness, and shook her head, ridding it. She curled her hair behind her ears and looked more closely at herself…

Geez, she just looked well-fucked. Buffy snorted a laugh and then quickly covered her hands over her mouth, waiting to hear if Giles had heard the noise and came questioning. There were no footsteps outside the door however, so she relaxed and quickly took care of business.

After washing her hands, Buffy smiled softly as she picked up her toothbrush from the little cupholder on the sink. He’d said he always just bought two at once, but… the brush that had originally been in the holder was dark blue, and the one she’d retrieved from the vanity was yellow.

The same color as her own toothbrush at home. Did he know that? Or had he just picked a ‘sunshiney’ color because it made him think of her? Because it was obvious, now, that this toothbrush was always meant for her… whether that be romantically-associated or not.

She brushed her teeth quickly, desperate to get back into bed with him, wanting a cuddle. A cuddle. Buffy Summers. She was just so… filled, inside, with all this joyful emotion that she wasn’t sure what to do with it. She could hardly believe that she was actually feeling this way, and about Giles. It felt, quite literally, like a dream come true. It felt almost impossible - but she knew otherwise, because she’d experienced it.

And she could experience it again, just as soon as she pulled herself together and got out of the bathroom. She rinsed her toothbrush before tossing it into the little holder next to Giles’, smiling briefly at the two items resting together, and shut the light off as she headed out in search of her lover.

Her lover! Buffy giggled again, and quickly pinched herself to stop it. She did sober a bit when she realized the main area was mostly dark again, though Giles had left the light on at his desk, and soft light on in the stairwell also, to help her navigate back up to the loft. Not that she needed it, as the Slayer with enhanced vision in darkness, but the gesture was sweet.

He was sitting up against the headboard when she reached the bedroom, and smiled at her as he closed the book in his hands and set it on the bedside table, following it with his glasses. “Mind switching the light?” He requested, and she flipped the switch off before taking a step toward the mattress. She hesitated, and he rested his palm beside him where he had turned down the covers for her. “Did you need anything-”

She interrupted his question by grinning and skipping forward, leaping onto the bed and bouncing a little toward him. His smile widened and he easily accepted her searching kiss once she’d moved close enough. They kissed a bit silly for a moment, but it soon softened and slowed, and Giles gently guided them both to slide a little further down so they could stretch out, and he tucked the blankets over her.

Buffy pressed one last lingering kiss to his chin, and then buried her face against his chest, taking a deep breath of his scent. She sighed out happily, rather quickly finding her exhaustion catching up to her.

She felt him kiss the top of her head just as she was starting to fall asleep, and smiled to herself, trying not to make any more embarrassing noises that might betray the overwhelming joy she felt.