Title: Closure - Part 3
Author: Michelle
Email: mrsdrake@sff.net
Rating: FRM (mature persons)
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Summary: Much needed closure for all after the final battle.
Setting: set after season seven
Disclaimer: These are not my characters. They belong to Joss, Twentieth Century Fox, UPN, WB & Mutant Enemy. This is purely for fun.
Note: This is written for ladyforash as part of the allthejellies angstathon. At her request Anya didn’t die.
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Giles knew she was there before she knocked. He could feel her. She’d been behind his door for a while, likely debating whether or not to disturb him. He could have opened the door at any time, but he didn’t. Facing her questions wouldn’t be pleasant, to say the least. Eventually he would need to tell her; he just wished it didn’t have to be tonight. When she finally knocked, he sighed and opened the door, knowing this would change their relationship forever.
“Buffy,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady. “I thought you’d be getting cleaned up.”
“Dawn’s hogging the bathroom. I only got a brief shower before she kicked me out. Besides, I’d like to talk to you.” Buffy looked into the room behind him. “Can I come it? I really don’t want to talk out here.”
“Yes, of course,” he said a bit too quickly. “Do come in.” He shut the door after she walked past him.
He waited expectantly for Buffy to speak, wondering which subject she would broach first. She turned around to face him. “Thank you for paying for the hotel. I know it’s not cheap. The girls were getting restless, and I’m sure they would have killed each other, if they had to spend another night on the bus.”
He waited, knowing that wasn’t the real reason for her visit.
“Giles, are you leaving?” she finally asked.
He had to try a few times before he could speak. “Not right away,” he answered and waited for the question he knew would follow.
“When?”
“I’ll help find a suitable place for you and the others to settle down, but after that-”
“What? You’ll just leave?” Buffy said, not quite yelling.
Giles knew she was angry. He’d expected as much. He looked away before he could see the hurt in her eyes. “Yes,” he said quietly. “There is still a lot of work to be done in England.”
“There’s a lot of work to be done here,” she countered. “We need you.” She was silent a moment before adding, “I need you.”
“As I recall, you told me something quite different not too long ago.”
“Is that what this is about?” He winced at the pain in her voice but said nothing. “You’re leaving because of what I said that night?”
“You obviously don’t want me here, Buffy. You made that perfectly clear when you slammed the door in my face.”
“I was angry, Giles,” she said quietly.
“I know, but you were also right - about many things,” he admitted. “Buffy, I was wrong about Spike. I let my emotions cloud my judgement. If Spike had died, the outcome of the battle may have been very different.” He wanted to look away but forced himself to watch her reaction. He watched as she processed what he’d said, what he’d let slip.
“Your emotions? What emotions?” she asked. “Hate? Fear?”
“Jealousy,” he admitted in a whisper.
A surprised looked passed across Buffy’s face. “You were jealous?”
“Buffy, you confided in Spike, trusted him, believed in him. I spent years trying to gain your trust, your friendship, your -” He couldn’t bring himself to finish the thought. He couldn’t bear to see the rejection in her eyes.
“My what?” she pressed. “What did you want from me?”
As she stepped closer to him, he realized there was no escape. He had to tell her. “Your love.” Buffy stood silent and still as he walked to the door. “That’s why I must leave. I can’t stay here any longer than necessary.” He opened the door.
She stared at him a moment before coming to stand beside him. “I didn’t know,” she told him.
“Buffy, please just go. We can talk about this later.”
“No.” She pushed the door shut. Looking up into his eyes, she said, “I do love you. I just never thought you loved me too.” She looked down at the floor. “After all I’ve done, how could you?”
Giles thought his heart might break. “Buffy, look at me.” When she didn’t, he took her chin in his hand and tilted her face up. “Real love is unconditional.”
“But. . .” Tears formed in her eyes as she tried to speak.
“My love is unconditional.”
“You really love me?” she asked through her tears.
“I do.” He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips.
When he pulled away, Buffy asked, “How long have you. . . ? Weeks? Months?”
“Years,” he stated simply.
“Oh,” she said, surprise and confusion showing in her expression. “Are you still going to leave?”
Giles contemplated the question. He hadn’t prepared himself for the possibility that Buffy loved him in return. “Buffy, do you want me to stay because you need my help with the Slayers, or because you love me?”
“To be honest, both.” She sighed. “I’d like your help with the Slayers, but that’s not all. I think I’d die if you weren’t here. If you left me again, my heart would burst. I can’t live without you.”
“I’ll never leave you again. I promise,” Giles told her.
Buffy let out a soft laugh. “God, this has been a long day. Sorry for all the drama. I should get back to my room and check on Dawn.” She turned back to the door.
Giles was surprised by her abrupt change in mood. In an instant, he was behind her. “Buffy,” he whispered into her ear. “Dawn will be fine.”
“I know,” she said, still facing the door. “It’s just that I wasn’t expecting all this to happen. I didn’t want you to leave, and now you’re staying, but I don’t know what to do or how to act. I don’t want to mess this up.”
“Buffy.” His lips brushed her ear as he spoke softly. “Relax. Take a deep breath.” He waited while she took a few deep breaths. “Please look at me.” She turned and looked up into his eyes. “This is new to me too. I must admit to being a bit frightened myself.”
“Really?” Buffy asked.
Giles nodded. “I’ve never felt this way before. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.”
“But you’ve had girlfriends and lovers and. . .”
“I didn’t love them as deeply as I love you. I’ll never love anyone the way I love you.”
Buffy smiled at him with a twinkle in her eye. “You’re not just saying that to get me into bed, are you? ‘Cause I’ve had guys do that.”
“If I wanted to get you into bed. . .” He brushed her hair away from her face and cupped her head in both hands. “I’d do this.” He leaned down and gave her a passionate kiss, pouring all his emotions into it, holding nothing back. When he felt her sway a bit, he moved a hand to her waist and pulled her tight against him. They both moaned at the contact. Soon, he trailed kisses down her chin to her neck and up to her ear. “Stay with me tonight. I need you here.”
She shivered in response. “I need you, too.”
He kissed her lips once more before bending and picking her up in his arms. As he carried her to the bed, she asked, “Years, huh? How many?”
“Let’s just say I could have lost my job if anyone had known,” he said as he placed her gently on the bed.
“Oh,” was all he heard before he kissed her again.
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Giles didn’t want to wake up; he was having the most wonderful dream. The persistent knocking on the door could not be ignored, however. Groaning, he threw back the covers and sat up. “Who’s there?” he shouted.
“Room service,” a voice beyond the door supplied.
“I didn’t order anything.” He looked around, trying to locate a robe to throw around himself.
“Well, someone did.”
Just as he found his robe, he heard the bathroom door open.
“That would be me,” Buffy said. She walked to the door, opened it, and talked quietly with the person in the hall.
Giles watched as she wheeled the cart into the room and shut the door.
“Buffy?”
“Yes?”
“Are you wearing my clothes?”
“I kinda had to. The way you ripped my last night, I couldn’t really wear them again. Besides, your clothes are way more comfy than mine.”
“So, I wasn’t dreaming? You were really here last night?” he asked as he came to stand beside her.
“No, you’re not dreaming,” she answered. “Yes, I was here all night, and I plan to spend all day here with you. Which is why I ordered room service. You get cranky when you don’t get your tea.” She gestured to the cart. “There’s tea, fruit, donuts —”
He cut her off with a kiss. “I don’t care about tea or breakfast. All I want is you.” He stepped back and looked at her. She was wearing one of his t-shirts and a pair of his silk boxer shorts. “Those look much better on you than they do on me.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Buffy said mischievously. “You weren’t wearing them last night.”
“Was that a problem?”
Buffy shook her head. “Made things a lot easier.” She turned to the cart. “So, breakfast . . .”
“Breakfast,” Giles said, sweeping Buffy off her feet, “can wait.”
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The End
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My assignment was:
season: Post Buffy...does that count?
1 thing you don't want: I don't want Anya to have died. She and Xander are still together, even though it's past season seven.
3 things you want:
1. Buffy and Giles discuss when she slammed the door in his face in season 7.
2. Giles singing a mournful tune on his guitar.
3. This question answered: Does Giles wear boxers, or briefs?
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