__Painful Truth__
By Gibberish



     Buffy luxuriated in the warmth that surrounded her. She could feel his heartbeat against her back, the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, his breath on her neck. Who knew that breathing could be erotic? His breath faltered and his heart rate increased, he was awake. "Good morning." She said quietly. Buffy grinned when he shifted his hips away from her bottom as if she hadn't already felt his reaction.

 "G-good morning." Giles returned. "Sleep well?"

 "Like the dead." Buffy told him wryly.

 Giles rolled his eyes as he sat up. "Very amusing."

 Buffy turned and grinned up at him. "But true." She tilted her head to the side. "What do you have planned today?"

 "The museum asked me to authenticate an artifact for them." Giles told her.

 "You've been there a lot lately." Buffy commented. "Why haven't they just hired you? You probably know more than the rest of them put together."

 "While I am quite flattered by your opinion, I am also quite content with the arrangement as it is." Giles said. "Is Willow stopping by today?"

 Buffy shrugged. "Dunno. Warren and Kelly are though. They'd like the benefit of my experience. Although, I don't know if he meant my experience as a Slayer or a vampire."

 Giles gave a silent laugh. "Both, I should imagine. However, you are hardly typical for either."

 Buffy tilted her head in a flirting manner and grinned. "Should I be flattered or insulted by that comment?"

 "I think I'll take a shower, while you decide." Giles told her as he got out bed.

 "Coward." Buffy said softly as he went downstairs.

 Silently, Giles agreed with her assessment.


   Giles was thoughtful as he closed the door to the bathroom. He pulled off his T-shirt and sweatpants and looked at himself in the mirror. "Don't go fooling yourself, Old Man. She thinks your safe, remember? That's why she's here." He looked down his body. "You don't believe it either, do you?" With a sigh, he turned away from the mirror, turned on the water, adjusted the temperature and got in. What *was* she doing?


 His shower finished, Giles dried himself off, wrapped the towel around his waist and stepped out of the tub. And found Buffy wearing nothing, but a robe.

 "I hope you saved me some hot water." Buffy said casually as she leaned past him to turn the water back on.

 Giles stared in opened mouth shock as Buffy adjusted the water to her satisfaction, turned on the spray, casually threw her robe over the towel rack and, naked, smiled at him before she stepped into the shower.  Giles, once again, looked down his body at the displaced towel. She wasn't going to be safe for too much longer.


 He tried to remain calm as he finished his morning routine. He shaved and ignored the two cuts. Even a razor at his throat hadn't distracted him from the naked young woman in his shower. Giles took his robe off the hook on the door, dropped the towel and put the robe on. When he turned around, he saw that Buffy watched him, with a self satisfied expression. She dried herself for his benefit. His eyes were narrowed on her when she put on her own robe.

"You realize that this isn't finished?" Giles asked as calmly as he could.

 Buffy smiled at him. "Oh, I hope not. I was kinda hoping it was just starting."

 "Do you have any idea of what you're doing?" Giles asked.

 Buffy glanced down his body and grinned. "Looks like it." Her eyes met his again.

 "This isn't a game, Buffy." Giles told her softly.

 Buffy's eyes were serious. "No, it isn't."

 Giles stared at her a moment more, before he turned and left the bathroom.


   Giles was gone and Buffy was dressed when Warren and Kelly arrived. Tea was already waiting on the coffee table, so Buffy led them to the couch. Buffy sat in the chair. "So, what did you want to know?" Buffy asked as she took a sip of tea.

 Buffy told them about her life as the Slayer. Everything from the Harvest to the Master to Spike and Druscilla, the Judge and Angelus. Buffy told them about LA and the little bit of Hell she'd found there. Living puppets, witches and zombies. Bad demons, good demons and Willy. The Order of Taraka, the Three and Ted. Werewolves, bounty hunters and asinine Watchers. "No insult intended, Warren." She went on to tell them about Hansel and Gretyl, the telepathic demons and the Mayor. Then there were Kathy, Gachnar, and the Gentlemen. She even told them about Whistler.

 They asked questions and she answered them as best she could. The most difficult for her, after Angelus, was Faith.

 When Kelly left to meet her Mother for lunch, Warren remained to speak with Buffy. Buffy looked at him once Kelly was gone. "Something you didn't want her to know?"

 "I want her to know anything that will keep her alive." Warren told her.

 "Then, what?" Buffy asked.

 "I wanted to talk to you about Rupert." Warren said. "Why are you living here?"

 "Where am I supposed to live?" Buffy asked, uncertain to where he was leading.

 "I suppose, what I mean is, what do you expect from Rupert?" Warren asked.

 "Expect?" Buffy echoed.

 "I've seen the way you look at each other, Buffy." Warren said uncomfortably. "Are you expecting more than he can give?"

 "What are you trying to say?" Buffy asked. "That Giles wants me to leave?"

 "Of course not." Warren said.

 "Look, I've never been real good with the subtext, so just tell me what you're trying to say." Buffy told him.

 "I just wonder if you're being fair to Rupert." Warren said. "Buffy, you must know how he feels, but to enter into such a relationship ..." He sighed. "He's a Watcher."

 "And I'm the Slayer." Buffy said.

 "No," Warren said sadly. "You're a vampire." Buffy looked stricken. "All I'm saying is ..."

 "No," Buffy stopped him. "I get it. I just, uh ..." She couldn't look at him.

 "I'm sorry, Buffy." Warren said. "I'm concerned for what he might ..."

 "Could you go?" Buffy asked. "Please?"

 Warren didn't say anything more, he just let himself out.

 Buffy curled herself into a ball on the chair, she just sat there, her knees pulled to her chest, her forehead against her upraised knees.


   When Giles returned sometime later, Buffy was gone. It was still daylight, but she wasn't in the flat. Her things were also gone, along with the comforter from his bed.




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