__Hopelessly Devoted To You__
By Angelwakes and Luisa



Giles stood for a moment and then crossed to the sofa, sinking into the cushions that had recently held his love.

#Guess mine is not the first heart broken,
my eyes are not the first to cry
I'm not the first to know,
there's just no gettin' over you#


Surrounded by the scent of her, he closed his eyes and imagined she was there beside him.

#Hello, I'm just a fool who's willing
to sit around and wait for you
But baby can't you see,
there's nothin' else for me to do
I'm hopelessly devoted to you#


He was reluctant to open them again, his mind conjuring a picture of the two of them patrolling together like the old days but with the small touches that show an intimate relationship. If he did open his eyes, the lovely fantasy would be broken and he would have to face the fact he was alone.

#But now there's nowhere to hide,
since you pushed my love aside
I'm not in my head,
hopelessly devoted to you
Hopelessly devoted to you,
hopelessly devoted to you#


And that was all he could ever be. Alone. So many times in the past, he'd fretted that he'd disclosed his feelings unintentionally - with longing looks and lingering touches - yet she'd remained typically unaware of anyone's feelings other than her own. Although now, looking back, he wondered he'd needed to worry about it all. Maybe he should have listened to her properly tonight. Maybe he should have confessed. Maybe there was a chance...

#My head is saying "fool, forget him",
my heart is saying "don't let go"
Hold on to the end,
and that's what I intend to do
I'm hopelessly devoted to you#


He shook his head. The only maybe that truly affected him was the 'maybe' that finished, 'he'd be lucky enough to keep her in his life at all after this evening's fiasco'. He heaved a deep sigh and tried to pull himself together. After all, he reminded himself, he was her Watcher and nothing more. Nothing. He slowly opened his eyes and upon rising, climbed the stairs to his bed. Alone.

#But now there's nowhere to hide,
since you pushed my love aside
I'm not in my head,
hopelessly devoted to you
Hopelessly devoted to you,
hopelessly devoted to you.#


Across Sunnydale, his heartbroken Slayer was sobbing silently into her pillow, trying to avoid waking her roomate. From the other bed, Willow watched the silent, trembling form and her expression changed from pity into the 'Do-Not-Mess-With-Me' resolve face. Giles was in big trouble.

* * *