__Completion__
By Coast2Coast



"There's a word guys use to describe a girl like you, Buffy."

"Riley..."

"A tease."

"So I've heard," Buffy said, snatching her clothes up off the floor and dressing hurriedly.

"I'm not surprised," Riley watched his girlfriend and realized that in less than a minute she would be fully clothed and, likely, out the door. "Buffy, running off won't help. Don't you think we should talk about this?"

"I told you, Riley," Buffy said, dropping onto a chair to put her shoes on. "I'm just not..."

"Ready," Riley finished for her.

"I... it just doesn't feel..."

"Right."

Buffy glared at him for a moment, then rose and stalked to the door. She laid her hand on the doorknob before she turned to him. "It looks like you can have this conversation all by yourself," she retorted. She slammed the door behind her as she left.

*** --- *** --- *** --- ***

Buffy jogged across campus towards a nearby wooded area. It was late in the evening, but not yet midnight; there might be a vampire or two lurking about hoping find an easy meal by catching an otherwise occupied couple unawares.

Not that she wanted to run across any 'otherwise occupied' couples. She sighed to herself as she slowed and moved more quietly into the trees. She was sorry she had left Riley unsatisfied. Although they had never 'gone all the way', the few times they had been intimate she had at least participated in his release.

But tonight, instead of taking things slowly to the point where she had always called a halt to his explorations and turned the activities towards his needs, he had rushed on - as though if he could get to a certain point she would... What? Just let him go for it? Well, that hadn't been the case, had it?

Buffy stood at the edge of the woods, slapping her stake against her thigh. No vampires here. And she really felt like killing something. She headed off toward a park, now angry at the Initiative in general as well as Riley in particular. They had been picking off all the easy, unwary demons, necessitating that Buffy hunt more thoroughly for more intelligent, careful and dangerous prey.

Riley Finn. He had seemed perfect. A few years older than she, good looking, friendly, smart and funny. And human. Buffy groaned. [Let's not go there,] she mentally chastised herself.

If he had just been patient, given her time to be ready... No, that wasn't accurate. She *was* ready. She was *beyond* ready. If things got any worse, 'ready' would be a speck on the horizon. She hadn't been truthful when she'd told Riley she wasn't ready. But she *was* telling the truth when she said it didn't feel right. Not with Riley. Not with Angel, either. And certainly not with the few other boys she had dated once or twice.

After an efficient survey of the small park, Buffy plopped down onto the seat of a swing in the playground area. Either a demon would appear and attack her or she could get in more thinking time. At this point she didn't really care which came to pass.

When Faith had come to Sunnydale and spoken so frankly about her...urges, Buffy had been shocked and embarrassed - at first. Over time she had recognized similar feelings in herself and, lately, she felt a need growing in her that was almost overwhelming. The aching emptiness in her body told her quite clearly what she needed. What she couldn't seem to overcome was her mind telling her she wasn't going about getting it in the right way.

"When did I start listening to my brain?" she asked aloud. "Giles will be so..." Giles. At the thought of him something tense uncoiled in her belly. [Giles. Giles can help me.]

She shook her head. "What did I mean by that?" she asked herself.

[Giles can help. He always does.]

"Great, now I'm talking to myself," she groaned. "Oh well, maybe I can enlighten me. Okay, so maybe Giles can help. How? Well, Giles *is* Knowledge Guy. And maybe this isn't a Buffy thing. Maybe it's a Slayer thing."

[Buffy thing. Slayer thing. It doesn't matter. Giles will help.]

"But, if it's a Buffy thing, what can he tell me... Oh! Oh, no. Tell me I'm not thinking what I *think* I'm thinking."

[Giles cares about me. Giles won't hurt me. Giles won't leave me. I can trust Giles.]

"I can trust Giles," Buffy whispered aloud.

Trust.

She thought about Angel. She had loved Angel. At least she thought she had, but she had never been able to trust him. Not entirely. He was a vampire. That was something she had never been able to forget; especially when he touched her. Although they had never spoken of it, she was sure that her inability to let him in completely was the reason he had gone to L.A.

Riley was sweet and attentive and seemed, on the surface, to be the perfect guy for her. He knew about the Slayer thing and was okay with it. He was attracted to her and she to him, but... She sighed again. As confidently as she had defended Riley, and even the Initiative, to Giles she secretly had her doubts about their motives. The more she learned the more she feared they would become estranged, maybe even enemies, if it turned out their objectives were too far removed from hers. No, she couldn't trust him wholly, either.

But, Giles. Giles she *could* trust. Wholly, completely. With her life, with everything. Granted, he wasn't perfect. There had been the Cruciamentum - that had hurt her terribly; but she knew it had hurt him as much as it had her. Then there was that 'experiment' he had tried at the beginning of the school year, telling her to be self-sufficient and that she didn't need a Watcher anymore. That had gone very badly, but he had apologized almost immediately. No, he wasn't perfect - but she could trust him. She could trust him to do what he thought was best for her.

"Okay, so I can trust him. And he won't leave me. He didn't leave when the Council told him to. He hasn't left yet, even though he doesn't have a job anymore. And he won't deliberately hurt me. But does that mean he's the right person to help me with my, uh, problem? I mean, that's not what our relationship is about. I've never even thought about him that way."

[Oh yes you have. And you know it.]

"Oh, shut up," she told herself, jumping off the swing and striding purposefully toward her dormitory. "Why did I have to take psychology? I'm sorry I ever learned about my id."

And now that she had thought about Giles, consciously, in *that* way, she couldn't seem to think of any other way out of her dilemma. Or anything else at all, for that matter.

She entered her dorm room quietly, not wanting to disturb Willow. After changing into her pajamas and climbing into bed, she willed her mind to settle down and allow her the oblivion of sleep.

[I'll go talk to Giles in the morning,] she promised herself. [Even if he can't, or won't, help me directly he'll at least listen to me. And maybe help me think of another way.]

[Assuming he doesn't just grab you by the scruff of your neck and fling you out into the courtyard,] offered the more negative part of her mind.

She groaned and rolled over and finally slept.

*** --- *** --- *** --- ***

Buffy woke early the next morning after a fitful and unsatisfying night's sleep. As she showered and dressed her nerves began to fret at her. Only her certainty that this situation would only get worse if she didn't take some action spurred her to follow through with the decision she had reached last night. As she eased open the door to leave, Willow's voice mumbled to her from across the room.

"Where ya goin' so early on a Saturday, Buff? I didn't even hear you come in last night."

Buffy turned to see her friend and roommate blinking sleepily at her from her bed. "I was quiet. I didn't want to wake you," she replied.

"Where ya goin'?" Willow repeated.

"I have, uh, something I need to do," Buffy answered lamely. [Darn it! Why did she have to wake up? This is *so* the last thing I need right now.]

"Oooh, big plans with the studly soldier guy? Remember, I need my vicarious smoochies. I'm counting on you," Willow pouted, only half-serious.

"I'll... I'll see what I can do," Buffy gulped. "Gotta go. See ya," she finished before darting out the door and closing it swiftly behind her.

"What's up with her?" Willow wondered aloud, then shrugged and rose to start her day.

*** --- *** --- *** --- ***

A short while later, Buffy found herself standing outside the door to Giles' flat. She shifted from foot to foot and tried to muster the courage she needed to knock. [Come on, chicken. If you can't even knock on his door how are you going to...] Before her inner voice could go on and remind her of the more difficult task that lay ahead, she raised the door knocker and dropped it. The metallic 'thunk' it made caused her to jump.

The door swung open a moment later, not giving her the opportunity to second guess herself and bolt for the street. Giles stood before her dressed in sweatpants and a white T-shirt, holding a pair of trainers and some socks in one hand.

"Buffy," he said with a smile. "This is a surprise." He stepped back to allow her room to enter and closed the door behind her. "I was just about to go for a run. Would you like to join me?"

Giles watched her move to a point between the entryway and the living room. She turned and looked him up and down in a manner Giles had never seen her use on him before. He cocked his head to the side and considered the fact that she had yet to speak a word to him. "Buffy, are you all right?"

"Yes, well, yes I'm... fine. I mean, I'm not hurt or anything," she stammered. Before Giles could say she might not be hurt, but didn't seem herself, she hurried on. "I need to... talk to you about something. Do you mind? I mean, is that okay?"

"Of course I don't mind. I told you I'm here for you if you need me, Buffy," he reached out and squeezed her shoulder. "Would you like some tea? Juice?"

Buffy smiled at both his reassurance and the familiarity of the question he unfailingly asked any guest in his home within moments of their arrival. "I'd really like some juice. Thanks."

Giles set his shoes and socks down on one of the stools by the counter and continued into the kitchen. "Have a seat," he told Buffy. "I'll be right back."

Buffy sat down on the couch and raised her voice slightly. "Sorry I interrupted your run."

"As I hadn't left yet, you didn't interrupt it. One good thing about being a gentleman of leisure is that one may adjust one's schedule at will," he replied over the sounds of him moving around the kitchen.

Giles quickly put a glass of orange juice and a cup of tea on a tray. He was gratified to see their relationship continued to rebound in a healthy way after a few false steps in the past few months had caused a rift between them. With his most recent encounter with Ethan Rayne providing an impetus, he and Buffy had cleared the air somewhat. Now she had come to him, unbidden, to talk.

He carried the tray out into the living room and set it down on the coffee table, then seated himself next to Buffy and lifted his cup of tea. "So," he began. "What brings you to my door so early on a Saturday morning?"

Buffy took a sip of her juice, fingered the glass nervously then set it back down. She turned, tucking one leg under the other so she sat sideways on the couch facing him. "I've gone over and over this in my head, Giles, and I can't think of a subtle way to approach this so I'm just gonna come right out and say it."

Giles nodded slightly, giving her his full attention. Buffy found herself momentarily distracted by the sight of his eyes, unobstructed by glasses which she supposed he had left off in anticipation of his run. She shook off her bemusement and took a deep breath to fortify herself.

"I want to have sex," she stated firmly.

"I beg your pardon?" he rasped.

"I want to have sex," Buffy repeated.

"I see," Giles replied. He set his cup down and cleared his throat before turning back to Buffy. "Don't you, ah, think you should be discussing this with, um, Riley?" He reached up to remove his glasses and was momentarily nonplussed to find them missing.

Buffy smiled inwardly at his consternation and his inability to use his normal method of dealing with an uncomfortable situation. "No, I really don't think so. The only thing I had to say to him on the subject is the fact that it isn't... right. For me. With him, I mean. It's going to be awhile, if ever, before I talk to him about it again."

"Ah," Giles managed.

"Anyway," Buffy continued, blowing out a breath. "I want... I need to have sex. And I want it to be with you."

Giles simply stared at her. She stared back, waiting for him to say something. After a while she started to get worried. "Giles? Uh, Giles? Are you still in there?" she asked waving her hand in front of his face.

Giles blinked and nodded fractionally. "Uh, yes. I'm sorry, I don't believe I heard you correctly..."

"I said I want to have sex with you."

"M... me?" Giles voice quavered.

Buffy rose and began to pace back and forth in front of the fireplace. Giles sat motionless -- except for his eyes, which tracked her motion ceaselessly.

"See, I've been thinking about this a lot and I realized that, as badly as I *need* to have sex I can't just do it with anybody. It has to be someone I trust, *really* trust. At least for the first time. I don't know if that will change, you know, after." She stopped and turned to meet Giles' eyes.

Giles brain froze up on him again. "Excuse me. F... first t... time?" he stuttered. "You mean to say you're... you're a..."

"Virgin. Yes, I'm a virgin," Buffy noticed Giles was now doing a very good impression of a goldfish. "Are you having a problem with this concept, Giles?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"*No*, ah, no. I thought, that is to say, I presumed you and Angel had..." he stopped again.

Buffy snorted. "Right. I had sex with a vampire and you didn't know about it."

"I thought perhaps you were simply, ah, discreet," Giles replied.

"Uh, thanks. I think," Buffy said, not sure how to interpret that comment. "But, no, I never had sex with Angel." She returned to her previous position on the couch. "So, I guess you have questions, then?" Buffy asked.

Giles nodded. "Quite a few, actually. I find the most pressing to be: Why me?"

Buffy was prepared for this, having thought about it since her epiphany the previous evening. She ticked the reasons off on her fingers as she replied. "We know each other probably better than anyone else does. We care about each other. We're both healthy adults and free agents," at this she raised one eyebrow in question - not being completely sure that Olivia was permanently out of the picture. Giles nodded for her to go on. "And, most importantly, I trust you." She sat back and waited for him to respond.

Giles cleared his throat. "As... intriguing... as I find your reasoning I couldn't help but notice a glaring omission from your list. In the case of, ah, relations such as you are suggesting there is usually at least a modicum of mutual attraction."

"You don't find me attractive?" She winced slightly at the whine that had crept into her voice.

Giles pinched the bridge of his nose. "What I meant to say is that I was never given to understand that you found *me* attractive. Quite the opposite, in fact. Leaving aside more recent events, I seem to recall a 'Raise your hand if ewww' comment?"

Buffy blushed, quite prettily Giles thought. "Uh, yeah - that." She chewed her lip and wondered how to get around this. She decided that it was only fair that she be honest; it was what she would want from him. "A couple of days before Faith showed up and started drooling over you, I had this dream - a really *good* dream, and it wigged me out. I spent a lot of time over the next few days telling myself 'No, Buffy' and 'Bad Slayer' every time I thought about it. Which was a lot. And then Faith comes along and..." she trailed off.

Giles managed to repress the grin that threatened to spread across his face. [Just as well I didn't know about *that*. She was, what, seventeen at the time?]. This little piece of information also brought another perspective to her extreme reaction on finding Olivia in his flat. In his shirt. And him in his robe. "I see," he replied. "Thank you for the clarification."

Buffy fidgeted, hoping he wouldn't bring up the whole Olivia thing. She really, *really* didn't want to rehash that fiasco. She was relieved when he took another tack.

"It seems to me you expressed some, ah, urgency about the situation, which I don't quite understand," he said.

Buffy sighed. "It *is* urgent, Giles. I don't know if I can explain it, but I can't seem to concentrate any more. I get really cranky for almost no reason. I'm having more and more trouble with the slaying. I'm almost... clumsy. And when I miss a kill it's like I'm all, I don't know, on fire inside. But empty, too. My body is telling me... I know what I need, but until last night I couldn't figure out how to go about getting it."

"Until you thought about me," Giles guessed.

"Yeah," Buffy admitted. "And once I did, I couldn't think about anything else."

Giles nodded slowly, considering the hopeful, open look she was giving him. He was surprised it hadn't occurred to him before that this moment might inevitably come. A Slayer's libido was customarily very robust indeed. Hence his assumption that she had found a way to cope, without informing or involving her Watcher. "I assume you have attempted other, er, remedies to alleviate your, um, distress?"

"Yeah, I have. It's just not enough anymore, Giles," she insisted, desperation creeping into her voice. "I don't know what else to do."

So. She needed something he could easily provide. Too easily, perhaps. But the ramifications of this course of action? He hesitated to even consider them. If he refused, it would damage their relationship; perhaps beyond repair. In any case, he had no desire to refuse her and no intention of doing so. He would allow an opening, but she must set the rules and the pace.

"This dream you mentioned. It was 'good' I believe you said?" he inquired.

Buffy's eyes went wide and she swallowed noticeably. "It was wicked good," she agreed.

"Tell me," Giles almost whispered, leaning forward a little.

"I... we were training and I knocked you to the floor. I bent over to give you a hand up but instead I knelt down and started touching you," she told him.

"How?" Giles asked. "Show me."

Buffy leaned forward and trailed her fingertips down the side of his face until she cupped his cheek in her palm. She slid her thumb slowly back and forth along his lips twice then turned her hand over to stroke his cheek with the backs of her fingers.

Giles became aware of the friction generated by his day's growth of beard. "I'm sorry, Buffy," he said, moving away a little. "I meant to shave when I showered after my run." Damn it! He had forgotten he wasn't exactly his usual fastidious self.

Buffy moved forward to make up for the distance he had retreated. "It's nice. I kinda like it," she said, stroking his cheek again.

"Still, I'm not exactly, well, fresh," Giles apologized. "I haven't showered since yesterday afternoon."

"And you've been, what, mucking out stables since then?" Buffy asked with a grin.

Giles snorted, thinking of his activities of the last eighteen hours which consisted of reading, preparing and eating dinner and sleeping. "Even so..."

Buffy leaned forward and licked the base of his throat, just above the neck of his T-shirt, causing Giles to gasp. Then she nuzzled behind his ear before placing her face in the middle of his chest and inhaling deeply. She had detected just a ghost of the cologne he had applied to his neck yesterday. Through the thin cotton of his T-shirt she had smelled a hint of his soap but mostly the scent that was purely and uniquely his. It wasn't strong enough to be unpleasant, but vivid enough to send a thrill of arousal through her.

Buffy sat back and smiled at him. "You smell good," she stated confidently. "Forget about it."

"If you say so," he offered hesitantly.

"I do." Buffy trailed her hands down his shirt until she reached the hem then tucked her hands under the shirt and slid them up over his stomach and around his ribs. "In my dream you weren't wearing a shirt."

Giles lifted his arms and allowed her to shove the garment up over his head where he grasped it and tossed it onto the floor behind them.

"Then I helped you up," Buffy told him, grasping his hands in hers and bringing him with her as she rose to her feet. "And you took my shirt off."

Giles reached out and fingered the hem of her cotton tank top briefly before lifting it upward. She mimicked his earlier action by raising her arms in the air until he had cleared her hands and dropped the top to the floor. Buffy popped open the front closure of her bra and lowered her hands while shrugging her shoulders, allowing the silky, white undergarment to slide off her arms to land behind her.

The sight of her smooth, pale skin and the rounded globes of her bosom adorned by pert, pink nipples caused Giles heart rate to accelerate alarmingly. He suddenly realized they were standing, half-naked, in clear view of the small, but un-curtained, window set in the wall next to the front door. "I think we should go upstairs," he suggested.

*** --- *** --- *** --- ***

Buffy preceded him and by the time he stood at the end of his bed in the loft she had slipped off her sandals and turned back toward him. She laid her head on his chest and slid her hands around his waist. As she began stroking his back with her palms she brushed her nipples against his chest, dragging them through the sprinkling of chest hair. "Oh God," she moaned. "That feels *so* good."

Buffy turned her head and slowly licked her way around one flat nipple, causing Giles to utter a moan to answer hers. She alternated her attention between his nipples while continuing to explore his back with her hands until they finally dove lower and slid under the waistband of his sweatpants. When she encountered the bare skin of his backside she hesitated, each hand cupping an ass cheek.

"No shorts?" she murmured.

Giles chuckled. "I was about to go for a run. Boxer shorts aren't, well, appropriate for that activity." He grasped her forearms lightly and slid her hands down a little further until her fingers touched the elastic bands framing the lower curve of his buttocks.

Buffy allowed a slight gap between their bodies in order to push the waistband of his sweatpants over his hips. Giles let them fall to his ankles before kicking them away from his feet. Buffy moved back and surveyed the sight before her. Giles stood quietly and unselfconsciously under her gaze as it swept from his face to his chest to his waist and, finally, down a bit more.

Buffy's attention was riveted to the long, bold presence within the ribbed pouch attached to the wide elastic band that circled Giles' waist. She stared for a long time before looking back up to see the amusement dancing in Giles' eyes.

She began to speak and then found she had to clear her throat first. "Isn't that, um, a little uncomfortable?" she asked, a slight squeak evident in her voice.

"It is, rather," Giles replied dryly.

Buffy hesitantly slipped her fingers under the elastic of the waistband. Giles assisted her so that his engorged cock sprang free easily as they lifted the band out and away. Buffy stooped to slide the athletic supporter down to Giles' ankles and he obligingly lifted one foot at a time so she could toss it away.

Buffy rose, took Giles' hand and led him over to the bed. "Lie down," she requested. Giles sat and then pushed himself over into the center of the bed. He lay back, folding a pillow under his head so that he could maintain eye contact with Buffy, who still stood at the end of the bed. He watched as she unfastened her shorts and slid them and her panties down her legs.

Giles sighed, as much in appreciation for the beauty she revealed as for the fact that she had removed most of her clothes herself. He would have dearly loved to have performed that task for her. Slowly, with a great deal of kissing and touching and teasing. [Ah well. Perhaps another time.] If there was to be another time. Giles squashed that thought immediately. [Focus on the present.]

Buffy crawled up on the bed and knelt beside Giles' left hip. Her eyes roamed his body and her fingertips twitched against the sheet on either side of her legs.

"What are you thinking?" Giles asked when she had remained silent and still for quite some time.

"So beautiful," she replied softly, instantly.

Giles gave a self-deprecating chuckle. "Oh, yes. I'm sure one in ten million of your contemporaries would agree."

"I don't care," Buffy retorted. "You *are* beautiful." She knew what he meant. He wasn't buff or sculpted. His legs were a little thin compared to the bulk of his torso. His hair had a sprinkling of gray - on his head, on his chest, even at his groin. His stomach had a slight swell to it when he was standing. And none of it made a bit of difference to her - he was large, strong, solid and incontrovertibly *male*. More than that, he was *Giles*. As much as she appreciated his handsome head and features, his smoky green eyes, his long arms that could comfort her so easily and the broad chest that was simply heaven to rest against, she was as captivated by his personality, his soul, his heart.

"You have no idea what you do to me," she said seriously.

"Tell me," Giles asked.

Instead of speaking, Buffy spread her knees slightly and reached between her legs with her right hand. The hand reappeared, her first two fingers lightly crooked, and she extended it toward him. Her fingers glistened with the proof of her arousal. Before the copious liquid could drip, Giles grasped her wrist and brought her hand to his mouth, sucking her fingers into the warm, wet cavern.

Buffy gasped and closed her eyes, the better to focus on the sensation of his broad, strong tongue swirling around each finger, cleaning away every particle of her nectar. When he slowly pulled her fingers out of his mouth and released her wrist, Buffy opened her eyes again. A patch of moisture shimmered on his lower lip and Buffy felt an urgent need to taste herself there. She lowered her head and covered his mouth with hers, licking his lower lip, then delving into his mouth as he opened himself to her.

She explored his mouth thoroughly, enjoying the taste of herself overlaying his own essence. Their tongues dueled for a long while, each discovering crevices, depths and textures that heightened their arousal.

Eventually, Buffy moved on to kiss and taste Giles' face and neck. She ran her fingers through his hair and nibbled on his ears. Every time Giles tried to touch her, however, she gently but firmly moved his hands away. After the fifth or sixth time, she growled at him. "You're distracting me."

Giles touched her chin, encouraging her to lift her head away from her current preoccupation with his collarbone. When she met his eyes he said softly, "I want to touch you."

She grinned at him. "You'll get your turn," she promised. "But I want to explore for a little while. Is that okay?"

She licked her lips and Giles found that he couldn't frame the words in his mind to deny her -- even if he could bring himself to want to do so.

Taking his silence as agreement, Buffy resumed her ministrations. Giles was frankly astonished at the level of concentration she maintained. She moved slowly over his body; first touching with fingers, palm and thumbs. Often she would pause to deeply inhale his scent, then taste him lightly. If he showed the slightest reaction to her attentions she would explore that area more carefully, testing the range of responses she could elicit from him. Giles was amused to note that she would, apparently unconsciously, hum under her breath as she progressed in her exploration of his body.

When she had worked her way down to his toes, having studiously ignored his cock which now stood in a stiff, red curve over his belly, she lifted her head to catch his eyes. "Roll over," she purred.

"God, Buffy. What..."

"Please?" she almost begged.

He complied and as she started to work her way back up his legs he could both feel and hear her resume her humming. She displayed a modest amount of interest in the backs of his legs, pausing for a more involved survey of the inside bend of each knee. When she reached his ass, however, she settled in to a thorough, loving investigation.

Giles let go the workings of his rational mind and gave himself over to pure sensation as Buffy kneaded, licked and nibbled on his ass cheeks. She trailed her fingers and nails lightly over his curves. She spent quite a bit of time laving the crease below each buttock over and over with her tongue. Finally, she placed a hand on each cheek and slowly grasped, then released, the large muscles. Giles was about to ask her if she'd found something she liked when Buffy moved her hands gently away from each other, parting his buttocks, and he felt her gently outline the puckered circle of his anus once with just the tip of her tongue.

His hips jerked forward of their own volition, driving his aching, rigid cock into the mattress. "*Bloody hell*!!" he growled through gritted teeth.

Buffy removed her touch immediately and shifted herself up to lie a few inches away but beside him on the bed. Sensing her movement, he turned his head to see her worried expression.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to... I didn't know you wouldn't..."

Giles reached out a trembling hand to caress her cheek. "Good Lord, don't apologize, you silly girl," he said with a shaky laugh. "Just don't do that again right now unless you're ready for a lengthy intermission while I recuperate."

"Oh," she breathed with a tiny, relieved smile. "Okay."

"Where did you learn..." Giles cut himself off and shook his head slightly. "Never mind," he concluded.

"It's okay, Giles," Buffy assured him. "I've never actually, um, tried anything like that before. I just got a little carried away, I guess."

"And almost took me with you," Giles said with a grin. "If you'll give me a few more moments to regain my composure, I'd like to see what sort of reactions I can extract from *you*."

After several minutes of rest, Giles proceeded to give Buffy's body every bit as complete an examination as she had given his. His talented fingers and large, hot tongue found a spot behind one ear that caused her to heave deep sighs. Along the side of her neck he discovered an area that made her moan. Not an inch of her escaped his notice or interest. He moved from shoulders to knees, arms to feet, breasts to belly; endlessly surprising her with sensations she had never felt before. Giles occasionally stroked his fingers through the patch of hair at her crotch, lightly up an inner thigh or along the outer lips of her center; testing her readiness. He found that the hollow just inside either hip bone, when lavished attentively with his tongue, caused her to writhe and moan so he focused his attention there while allowing his hands to drift over her body, touching and caressing everywhere he could reach.

Finally, Buffy reached the limit of her control. "Oh God, Giles. Please..." she whimpered, reaching out to grasp his shoulder. "I need... I need..."

Giles raised himself and shifted his body to lie beside her.

Buffy let out a shaky breath. "Please, Giles. I need to feel you inside me."

Giles looked deep into her eyes. "You're sure?" he asked. "I won't leave you like this, Buffy; you know that. But I can satisfy you, as many times as you like, without..."

Buffy pressed a finger to his lips. "You being my first will satisfy me," she said with certainty.

Giles considered her serious expression for a moment longer before inclining his head in a brief nod. "As you wish," he said with a twitch of his lips. He rolled over, pulled open the drawer of his beside table and lifted a small box from inside. He turned it over and shook it, but nothing fell out.

"Oh dear lord!"

"Giles, what's wrong? You know I hate it when you say that," Buffy remarked in alarm.

Giles turned to her and presented the open condom box. She could see that it was empty. "I don't believe this is happening," he groaned.

"Let's not panic," Buffy advised, clutching his arm. "I'm on the pill and I'm disease free," she offered. "You?"

"I'm clean as well," Giles told her. Then his brow furrowed. "The pill? But you haven't... You're..."

"A virgin. Right," Buffy confirmed. "My mom took one look at Angel three years ago and took me to the gynecologist the next day. It's not like I could tell her he was a vampire. She said it was 'prudent'. And after Angel left, well... I decided I might as well remain 'prudent'.

The tension in Giles' face eased and he chuckled. "Evidently I owe your mother a debt of gratitude."

"I'd pay good money to witness *that* conversation," Buffy shot back.

"Ah, hmmm... Perhaps not," Giles decided.

"Smart man. Now, where were we?"

"Here, I believe," Giles replied. He lifted himself over her, then lowered his body slowly; bending down to capture her mouth in a deep, hungry kiss.

Buffy parted her legs as he sank toward her, allowing his hips to settle between her thighs; the heavy length of his penis sliding along the outer lips of her center. As Giles continued to kiss her, he raised and lowered his hips several times, coating the top of his shaft with her juices. Buffy moaned into his mouth at the heady sensation and finally wrenched her mouth free.

"Please, Giles," she pleaded. "I can't wait. I need to feel you inside me."

Giles pushed himself back to a kneeling position between her legs and used one hand to collect more moisture from her wet core. He slicked his cock from tip to base while she watched him with heavy-lidded eyes, her breast heaving with passion. He leaned forward over her, guiding the tip of his cock to her entrance. Her eyes slid shut and she let out a long, low moan as he slipped between her inner folds and came to rest an inch or so inside her.

Buffy opened her eyes to see Giles' face suspended above her. Their gazes locked as he slid in a little further, then back out to her entrance; testing her tolerance for his size. Giles took up a slow, steady rocking motion with each repetition increasing the distance he traveled into her.

Giles was sorely pressed to maintain his control. She was so tight and slick and hot it was all he could do to rein in his impulse to drive himself as deeply as possible. He had never experienced anything so incredibly gratifying in his life. Ultimately, he felt the slight resistance of her hymen against the tip of his cock and he ceased his steady movement.

Buffy gave him a small nod of approval and he leaned forward, pressing himself beyond the barrier she had asked him to breach. If she felt any pain it was only evident in a brief blink of her eyes before the haze of arousal began to cloud them again.

Giles resumed the rhythm he had abandoned moments ago, now sliding the length of her channel with each stroke. He could feel the tension rising in her body and the gathering pressure in his balls. Each seemed to echo the other and he increased his pace as Buffy began to lift her hips to encourage him. Giles lowered his upper body until the skin of his chest skimmed the tips of her nipples with each thrust of his body against her.

"Giles!" Buffy cried out at the new stimulation that threatened to overwhelm her senses. "Oh God, Giles," she panted. "Please, please..."

Giles reached between their bodies and rubbed the ball of his thumb firmly over her clitoris. Buffy's back arched, then her hips rose, driving him deeper. The walls of her vagina clenched around his hard length, wave after wave of muscle contractions pulsing against the surface of his shaft. Giles felt his burgeoning release surging, seemingly, up from his toes. His climax was so sweet and long it brought tears to his eyes, and he cried out her name, "Buffy, Buffy," as each spasm tore its way through him.

Buffy's orgasm had eased as Giles felt the last shudder of his own move through his lower back, to his groin and to the end of his cock. He sighed deeply and lowered himself to rest atop her body, most of his weight balanced on his elbows.

Buffy came back to herself to feel Giles blowing breath after cooling breath against her heated face and upper chest. His slowly softening member still rested inside her. She slid her hands around his back and pressed his body more firmly against her as she opened her eyes.

"Hello, luv," Giles greeted her softly, with a smile. His eyes were crinkled at the corners and Buffy thought she had never seen anything more beautiful.

"Hi, yourself," she breathed.

"How do you feel?"

Buffy's lips curled with utter contentment. "Complete."

*** --- *** --- *** --- ***

They spent the rest of the morning and afternoon together; playing, touching, fondling and napping as the mood took them. Giles spent a long time pleasuring Buffy with his mouth, bringing her to orgasm several times. Finally, the stimulation became too much for her and he simply held her and stroked her hair, whispering soothingly to her until she calmed down and slept. When she woke she got her revenge, although Giles couldn't regret the experience. The joy she took in satisfying him was almost as arousing as the sensation of her lovely mouth against his skin.

Late in the afternoon, Buffy lifted her head from its resting place on Giles' chest and met her Watcher's eyes. "I should be going soon. Willow made plans for us to go out for pizza with Xander and Anya. If I don't show up they'll come looking for me."

Giles brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "Are you going to tell them about... this?" He had almost said 'us' but caught himself at the last moment. There was no assurance there was an 'us', at least in this context.

Buffy sat up, letting the sheet pool around her waist. "Well, I'm not planning to rent billboard space for an announcement, but I don't see any reason to be all secretive, either. I'm not ashamed of what we did. It wasn't wrong or anything."

"True," Giles agreed. "I just wondered if you were concerned about what they might think. Or how they might react."

Buffy shrugged. "They're our friends. They'll deal. I don't plan on babbling about this to them the moment I see them, by the way. But they will find out sooner or later. Willow will probably take one look at me and know I've had sex. And you know she can't keep a secret; she's not a good enough liar."

"Fair enough," Giles allowed. "So we just take things as they come?"

"That's my plan," Buffy replied.

They showered together and that prompted another round of play. By the time Buffy was dry and dressed she was alarmed to see how late it was. She found Giles in the kitchen, brewing a pot of tea.

Buffy reached up to pull his head down for a brief kiss, then stepped back. "I've got to run or I'll be late." When Giles tipped her an incredulous look, she laughed. "Okay, Mr. Punctuality; even later than I normally am." A satisfied grin settled on his face and he turned back to his tea-making.

Buffy bit her lip, not wanting to just run off but not sure what else to say. "Giles," she said softly. He turned a gently inquisitive face to her. "Thank you," she said, simply.

Giles reached out and lightly stroked her cheek with one finger. "You're quite welcome, Buffy."

The volume of tenderness and affection with which he imbued those four words nearly brought tears to her eyes, so she departed quickly before she could embarrass either of them with an emotional display.

*** --- *** --- *** --- ***

Willow looked up when the dorm room door opened. "Hey, Buffy. Where have you been all..." she trailed off and jumped up from her desk chair, approaching her friend. She narrowed her eyes and searched Buffy's expression and demeanor -- then bounced up and down, clapping her hands. "You had sex!" she shouted.

Buffy winced. "Uh, thanks for the news broadcast, Will, but do you think you could keep it down just a little?"

Willow quieted down a bit but couldn't stop beaming. She grabbed Buffy's upper arm and dragged her over to her bed. She pushed Buffy into a seated position and plopped down next to her.

"You had sex!" she repeated. "This is major. Was it good? It must have been good. You're all... glowy. Does Riley need CPR or anything... Hey!" Suddenly, Willow frowned.

"What?" Buffy asked, wondering if, or rather how, she was going to break the *real* news to her friend.

Willow responded slowly. "Riley was here about an hour ago, looking for you. He *definitely* did not have a happy, glowy thing going on." Willow looked back up at her friend. "But, you had sex. I can tell."

Buffy nodded.

"But not with Riley?"

"No," Buffy confirmed. "Not with Riley."

When Buffy did not go on Willow tapped her chin with an index finger in thought, then gasped. "You didn't," Willow began, a stricken look on her face. "You didn't sleep with Parker Abrams, did you?"

Willow had seen Parker sniffing around Buffy. He was a womanizing jerk and Willow was pretty sure Buffy knew that. Still... if she had had a fight with Riley or something...

"God, Will. How could you even *think* that! I should make you wash your mind out with soap," Buffy chided.

"You're right, you're right. I'm sorry," Willow apologized. "But if it wasn't Riley or Parker..."

Just then the two of them heard Xander and Anya's voices from the hallway, arguing about something in their typical fashion - not exactly angry but loud nonetheless.

Buffy jumped up off the bed. "We'll have to talk about this later."

"Buffy!" Willow objected strenuously. "You can't just..."

Buffy opened the door in anticipation of Xander and Anya's knock and the couple stepped into the doorway. At the sight of Willow's 'resolve face', Buffy spoke up. "Not now, Will. I mean it," she warned her.

"Okay," Willow relented. "But we're going to continue this conversation later."

"Which conversation are we going to continue?" Anya asked. "And why does Buffy smell like Giles?"

The squeal Willow emitted nearly deafened all four of them.

*** --- *** --- *** --- ***

When they reached the pizza parlor, Buffy excused herself and almost ran for the pay phones.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Giles."

"Buffy. Are you all right?"

Buffy smiled at the concern in his voice. Did he *ever* stop worrying about her? "I'm fine, Giles. Terrific, actually. I just called to warn you that the guys know."

"How did they find out?" Giles asked.

"I had my face with me when I got back to my room," Buffy informed him.

"Willow knew you had sex?" Giles inquired.

"Yup."

"With me?"

"Not until Anya asked why I smelled like you."

Giles sighed. "And you're all right? With them knowing?"

"I told you, Giles, it will be okay. I just wanted to tell you that there's no need to be Stealth-Guy. The cat is definitely out of the bag. Besides, you should be prepared in case Xander regains the power of speech. He might, I don't know, decide to get in your face and ask you what your intentions are."

Giles chuckled. Xander had always demonstrated a severe antipathy toward any male who showed the slightest interest in Buffy. Originally, it had been prompted by jealousy. Now, it seemed to be more in the manner of an older brother; although it still irked Anya no end. "I think I can handle Xander," Giles said.

"I know you can. I'd better get back to the group. Bye now," Buffy said.

"Good-bye, Buffy."

*** --- *** --- *** --- ***

After the initial adjustment the group experienced at learning of the encounter between Buffy and Giles, things seemed to settle down into normality, considering they lived on an active Hellmouth.

As days passed since the event, Giles grew more restless and concerned that some of the possible negative effects of having had sex with Buffy might be coming to pass.

On the surface, she appeared calm and her interactions with him seemed to be the same as they had been before their intimacy had occurred but Giles was unable to shake a sense of unease.

As the following week went by, he found himself, understandably, recounting their liaison in his mind countless times. He sometimes woke from incredibly intense and realistic dreams to find himself fully aroused; and, while he was adept at releasing his immediate need, he found that a more vital yearning remained unsatisfied.

Giles prayed that these reactions would fade over time if it turned out that this one episode with Buffy was all he would be allowed. Whatever else they were or might be to each other he could not tolerate any emotion or action on his part to damage their relationship as Watcher and Slayer. The only thing that encouraged him to hold out hope for something more was the news that Buffy had broken up with Riley. Giles' brain told him that this didn't mean she would turn to him, but his heart could not be tamed when it came to his deepest desire.

*** --- *** --- *** --- ***

Buffy was having a similar, but more intense, reaction to the aftermath of having slept with Giles. She found herself thinking about him all the time and was surprised to realize that, while the joyous memories of their sexual union persisted, she found herself more often musing on the more mundane aspects of their relationship.

One day, nearly two weeks later, Buffy sat in class daydreaming about her Watcher. As she had become accustomed, the majority of her thoughts were centered on the normal, everyday interactions that made up the bulk of their history together; training, researching, patrolling, relaxing in the library - sometimes along with Willow and Xander, more often just the two of them. She let her memory drift to all the times he had helped her, tended her wounds, given her a word of encouragement or relied on her to bring the group together to solve a problem or defeat an enemy. A dreamy smile lit her face as the image of his face, laughing at some silly joke she had told, rose foremost in her mind.

Suddenly, out of the blue, she recalled with perfect clarity a conversation she'd had with her mother years ago. She had asked, with the innocence only an eleven year old girl could muster, when she would know she was in love. "Well," her mother had replied with a gentle smile. "When you meet someone who loves you for who you truly are, you're close. If you can tell that person anything, even your deepest, darkest secret you'll know you're almost there. If you find that you like yourself more when you're with that person than when you're with anyone else or by yourself, that's when you'll know you've found the one. That's when you'll know you're in love."

Buffy stiffened in her chair and mentally ticked off the criteria her mother had outlined. There was no question that each applied to the way Giles treated her and the way she felt about him. She was in love - with Giles.

She was so stunned by the realization that she sat in a daze, the next awareness of her surroundings being Willow shaking her arm.

"Buffy, are you okay? Class has been over for five minutes," her friend told her, a concerned look on her face.

Buffy turned a shocked expression to her. "I'm in love with Giles," she informed Willow in a grave tone.

"Well, duh," Willow replied. "But, unless you want that to be the discussion topic for the next lecture we should probably leave."

Buffy now noticed the students filing into the room. She gathered her belongings and followed Willow out into the hallway. "What do you mean: 'Well, duh'? You knew this? You knew I was in love with Giles?" Buffy demanded.

"I was pretty sure. Ever since you two, uh, got cozy you've been daydreaming more and more. And you, um, say his name in your sleep," at this comment Willow blushed and Buffy suspected Giles' name probably wasn't the only thing she vocalized while sleeping.

"And you didn't say anything to me because?" Buffy prompted.

Willow made a dismissive noise. "Because you would have gone all defensive and denied it. That would have just made you more stubborn about admitting it, to yourself or anyone else."

"You really have been paying attention in Psychology, haven't you?"

"Well, yes. But this is more a matter of knowing you, Buffy," Willow said.

"What am I gonna do, Will?" Buffy wailed, dropping onto a bench outside the building they had just exited.

"Tell him," Willow replied.

"Just like that? I can't just walk up to him and say 'Hi, Giles. Guess what? I'm in love with you.'"

"Okay, that might be a little blunt. But you have to tell him, Buff."

"What if he doesn't feel the same way? I mean, we only got, uh, cozy because I asked him to help me. What if he did it because he saw it as his duty as a Watcher, or as a favor to a friend? It's not like he's ever said or done anything to suggest he feels... that he might..."

"Hello! British guy, remember? This is Giles we're talking about; somewhat reserved, not big with the sharing and the emotional displays," Willow reminded her. "If he is in love with you do you think he'd tell you? Or do you think he'd be worried he was putting you in an uncomfortable situation or jeopardizing the Watcher/Slayer thing?"

Buffy bit her lip and considered this. "He'd be all noble and self-sacrificing," she decided.

"That's our Giles," Willow agreed.

"The big jerk."

"If you say so," Willow said breezily.

"Willow!" Buffy grinned, then sobered. "So I have to tell him, huh?"

Willow nodded. "And the sooner, the better. We do live on the Hellmouth, you know - best not to put these things off."

Buffy looked at her watch. "But we have a Scooby meeting tonight. Giles is going to tell us about that new info on the Initiative he got from Spike."

Willow turned Buffy's wrist toward herself. "You've got time if you hurry. The rest of us won't be there for nearly an hour." She tugged Buffy to her feet, turned her toward the sidewalk and gave her a gentle shove. "Go on. I'll slow Xander and Anya down to give you a little more time."

*** --- *** --- *** --- ***

At the knock on his door, Giles glanced at the clock. He wasn't expecting anyone for at least half an hour. When he opened the door he found Buffy fidgeting nervously on his doorstep. "Buffy, you're early," he exclaimed.

Both the comment and his tone earned him a grin. "Relax, Giles," she said as she entered. "I don't think it's a portent of the next apocalypse."

He snorted. "I bloody well hope not. Come to help me with the refreshments, then?"

"If you'd like, but I really came to talk."

"Oh?" Giles asked lightly, trying to quell his nerves. "About what?"

Buffy followed him into the kitchen and began setting up the tea tray. "I walked around the block about a thousand times going over this in my head, Giles, and I can't think of a subtle way to approach it so I'm just gonna come right out and say it."

Giles froze as the familiarity of her words penetrated his brain. Slowly, he turned to her, valiantly attempting to maintain a neutral expression. "What is it, Buffy?"

Buffy took a deep breath and let it out. She met Giles' gaze steadily and spoke. "I'm in love with you, Giles. I know this is probably a shock and I don't expect you to feel the same way but I knew I had to tell you. This doesn't have to change us being a really good Watcher/Slayer team. I won't expect you to..."

Giles pulled her into his arms and covered her mouth with his, cutting off her inane chatter. Silly girl. As if he could do anything *but* love her more than life itself.

Buffy relaxed into his embrace, joy leaping in her heart at his eloquent response to her clumsy pronouncement. When the need for air became acute, the pair ended the kiss but remained in each other's arms.

In response to his giddy smile, Buffy felt that a bit of reality needed to be introduced into the situation.

"You realize we still have to tell my mother about us," she reminded him.

Giles groaned and dropped his head to rest against her hair.

"We can handle it together," Buffy reassured him, burying her face in his chest and sighing contentedly.

Giles closed his eyes and hugged her a little tighter. Everything was turning out much better than he had ever hoped. If only he could take her in his arms and carry her upstairs...

At that moment, the front door swung open and Anya, Xander and Willow entered, coming to a halt when they came abreast of the counter and caught sight of Buffy and Giles, locked in each other's arms. When the couple showed no sign of releasing their embrace, Anya spoke up.

"Should we leave now so you can give each other more orgasms?"

Giles bit off the sharp retort he was about to deliver and pondered the situation for a moment. In the end he smiled at Anya. "Yes, please," he responded politely.

Anya grinned back and nodded. She made an abrupt about-face and herded Xander and Willow out the door, which she shut behind her.

Giles and Buffy looked at one another and burst into a fit of giggling.

* * *