Returning Home
Author: Karesia

Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Rating: FRAO - beware much smut ahead
Timeline: approximately 2 years after Chosen
Summary: Giles has been away on business for the new Council. They've missed each other. Enough said. See author notes below for further info.
Thanks: To Gaknar, my beta reader

Author's Notes: This was written for Inell for the allthejellies B/G smut ficathon who requested "something romantic, but with that urgent need of 'we can't wait sort-of-thing'. No angst." I hope this meets with her approval.

"Boarding Flight 182 to Heathrow, London England." came the loud speaker announcement, startling Rupert Giles right out of his thoughts as he got up to join the cattle-like flock to the gate. It never ceased to amaze him that no matter what airport he used, the announcements for flights boarding and such always came over muffled, yet loud enough to cause one to wonder if they had heard it correctly and then have to wait for the repeat call before embarking towards the terminal.

The airline attendant checked his ticket and his carry-on luggage and welcomed him aboard. He made his way towards his seat; secretly hoping this flight wouldn't be full and that he might possibly have the window seat and perhaps even no one sitting next to him. The idea of not having to make small talk on this trip back and returning to his thoughts was all he wished for at this moment. Well… at least until he landed and would be reunited with Buffy.

Shoulders sagging slightly in disappointment, Giles double checked his row and seat number. He was indeed assigned to a window seat, but sitting next to him was an elderly lady who already was working on her knitting.

"Ah, excuse me Ma'am, I believe I…" he trailed off, pointing to the vacant seat next to her.

She looked up at him; bright blue eyes making her gray-white hair seem that much whiter. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry… let me just collect my things…" she said as she ever so slowly bent over to retrieve her knitting bag. As she did so, her knitting needles slipped from her hand, rolling towards the aisle. "Oh my… "

Giles bent quickly to retrieve them and handed them to her. 'Oh dear lord' he thought to himself; 'this could bloody well take forever'. He tapped her gently on the shoulder to get her attention, those bright blue eyes looking widely up at him once more.

"If I may suggest, why don't you just move over, take the window seat and I'll take your seat. You'll be much more comfortable and we can just slide your knitting over a touch."

"Oh, I couldn't take your…"

"Nonsense. Here…" and before he knew it, his chivalrous nature betrayed him into not only giving up his window seat, but helping this woman move down and get settled again.

The gesture not only gained him 'thank you' multiple times, but the older woman smiled and gazed at him again, bestowing on him another shot of those bright, blue eyes twinkling with happiness. Just the way Buffy's did when she was being mischievous or when something was making her happy. Buffy…

She was all he could think about today. Of course she was what he thought about most days while he had been on this trip for the new Council of Watchers. It struck him yet again, how wonderful things had been once he and Buffy had finally managed to find time after the destruction of Sunnydale to have a long, long overdue talk. He remembered thinking it might be the last time they would speak so intimately and intently with each other; she had been so distant from him, closing the door on him. They surprised each other during that conversation. The feelings they had both been suppressing bubbling up hotly so that as they began to argue, just as the fight reached its peak, the revelations had poured out of both of them unplanned. They came together for their first kiss the same way their feelings had burst forth – tentative, yet urgent; questioning, yet filled with passion. Thinking about that kiss still made his toes tingle, his stomach churn and his groin begin to twitch. But that had been almost two years ago…

"…all that bumping around really makes my stomach churn."

"Pardon?" he asked the woman, who had obviously begun talking to him despite him being lost in his revere.

"Turbulence… really upsets my delicate stomach." she expanded.

"Ah, yes, well I rather think it should be a smooth flight. The forecast seemed clear straight through to Heathrow."

"That's good news, thank you young man."

Giles chuckled at that. He knew it was a matter of perspective and to her he seemed quite young, but the last couple years he actually *felt* young again. Buffy brought that out in him.

"Rupert Giles" he said extending his hand towards her.

The old lady placed her small, wrinkled hand in his lightly; "Mildred Cummings… but everyone calls me Millie."

He bent his head slightly and brought her hand to his lips for a quick brush in a gentlemanly fashion. "Pleased to meet you Ms. Cummings."

She giggled, taking back her hand; "Millie, please, and it is my pleasure. I daresay son; it is quite refreshing to meet a young man that still has impeccable manners. I hope your wife appreciates what she's got."

"Oh, I'm not married – and I'm afraid not all that young either."

"Not married? A good looking man such as yourself? Hmmph. I would have bet on you being married – you have that look about you of young love."

"Well, I do have a very special lady in my life."

"Ah ha! I knew it! My eyes never fail me…"

As Millie went on about her abilities for spotting love and other such things, Giles' thoughts returned again to Buffy. He couldn't wait to see her. It had only been 5 days, yet to him that was way too long to go without smelling her scent, touching her smooth skin and holding her in his arms. He missed the way her hair tickled his nose as he cradled her against his chest, missed the feel of her, the taste of her. He felt himself getting hard just thinking about her, yet his thoughts couldn't help but wander to what it would be like to be back with her.

Their love-making was always remarkable, whether they came together slowly, tenderly, playfully or full of unbridled need. Even when not in bed, they were more likely found touching in some small way, fingers entwined or even Buffy's legs over his lap as he read a book and she flipped through some fashion magazine. It was almost like there was an energy between them, a connection that wasn't right unless they were with each other, touching each other, losing themselves within each other's eyes…

"… Have you done it yet?"

"E-excuse m-me?" he stammered, as the question pulled him out of his lustful thoughts.

"You know, popped the question, taken the plunge? Have you asked this special lady to marry you or not?" Millie teased.

"Um, not yet..." Giles replied, relieved to find the topic of conversation more innocent than his dirty mind. However, the twinkle in his jade green eyes did not go unnoticed by Millie.

"What are you waiting for? You obviously love her – it's written all over your face."

He chuckled; "Just waiting for the right time…"

"Poppycock! The right time is the minute you know you want to spend the rest of your life with someone. If you feel it, ask it. I can't imagine this young lady would say no. If I were her, I'd snap you up in an instant!"

Blushing, Giles thanked her for the compliment. "But what of yourself Millie, surely some man captured your wonderful spirit along the way, are you returning to a husband?"

A brief cloud washed over her bright eyes… "No my Marty passed away 8 years ago…"

"Oh, I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to…"

"No, no, it's quite alright." she said, patting his arm reassuringly. "I just miss him… but he gave me two wonderful children. I am just returning from Wales and a nice long visit with my son…"

Giles tried really hard to concentrate on Millie's chatter, but he kept finding himself drifting back to his thoughts and yearnings for his love. He couldn't wait to return to her, scoop her up in his arms and kiss her thoroughly. Once again he felt the familiar twitch inside his jeans and the increasing pressure of his budding erection. 'God Buffy, just what thinking of you does to me' he thought to himself. It was one thing while he was away, thoughts of her and missing her had caused him to find his own release from time to time and he briefly thought about excusing himself to the bathroom now, but he chastised himself for thinking like a schoolboy, unable to keep himself in check a few more hours or so.

'Down old man, you'll be with her soon enough. Save it for later.' Not that he wouldn't be able to "perform" again later. She always managed to surprise him with just how easily his body responded to her – heck, sometimes just to thoughts of her. He shifted uncomfortably, again admonishing himself to gain control. He turned his thoughts back to Millie's small talk, trying to concentrate on her words instead. 'Rupert ole chap – this is going to be one long flight'.

* * * * *

Buffy laid the final pieces of silverware next to the plates. Everything was all in place. She absently stroked the ornate pattern of the fork she had just laid down and allowed her mind to drift once more.

Giles was coming home tonight. She was so excited; she'd barely slept last night and was up early this morning planning every detail. She wanted his return to be special, to show him just how much he had been missed. Not that she hadn't missed him during past trips, but with each one it seemed to get increasingly harder.

The blonde Slayer once again regretted the bad timing of Dawn's orientation at University, causing her to not be able to accompany Giles on this particular Wales trip. They had begun making it a habit for Buffy to go along whenever possible. Since her work on the new Watchers Council regime, not to mention her relationship with it's new Director, it more often benefited everyone for her to attend these trips. Only events in Dawn's life or conflicts in their own projects kept them apart these days.

'These days..' Buffy thought fondly 'have been incredible'. Life with Giles as her romantic partner as well as Watcher was more wonderful than she had dared to dream. She ached for him, both physically and emotionally when they were apart. A small, playful grin dashed across her lips as she remembered other times when they had been parted and the passion and intensity that always ensued when they were together once more.

A buzzing sound from the kitchen shook Buffy from her thoughts. She popped up from her seat and headed back to the special meal she was preparing for her lover's return. She rarely cooked; her Watcher was so much more the better cook of the two. In the early days Giles had insisted she assist him, hoping she would just learn from watching, but they soon discovered that he had the more innate talent for the craft. Regardless, they both loved spending the preparation time together in the kitchen. Buffy chuckled out loud as she replayed some of the teasing ways her Watcher would point out the appropriateness of her abilities to chop up things.

Buffy put her finishing touches on the meal, placed the wine in the ice bucket by the set candle-lit table and glanced at the clock. 'Perfect, just enough time to clean up and slip into something more appropriate' she thought and headed towards the bathroom humming a light and happy tune.

* * * * *

Rupert Giles helped Millie gather her luggage and insisted on helping her into a cab. "It was a pleasure meeting you Millie."

"Thank you – do take care of yourself, oh and Rupert?"

"Hm?"

"There is no time like the present. Ask her!"

Giles laughed. "Thank you Millie, I… I shall take that under advisement."

The Watcher waved once more as the kindly woman's cab took off and turned himself in the direction of extended parking and his car. Feeling like that schoolboy again, he impatiently rushed to the car and threw his luggage in the back seat. Just 100 miles to Bath... and to Buffy.

* * * * *

Buffy dashed back and forth between the kitchen and the dinning table making sure everything was in place. As she was adding more ice to the wine bucket she heard the door open. She looked up, a huge smile playing across her face as her eyes met the jade green pools of her Watcher. There was the briefest of silent moments as their gazes connected and they drank each other in before it was over and they moved towards each other to embrace.

As she reached for him, her arms snaked around his neck, his head bent towards her and his strong arms pulled her to him as his lips covered hers. Buffy felt the smoothness of his lips on hers and relished in the feel of them, eagerly separating them when his tongue ran over them, asking for entrance. They moaned into each other's mouths as the kiss deepened, their passion ignited. When they broke the kiss Buffy laid her head on Giles' shoulder, her arms wrapping around his waist as he encircled her in his embrace for a tighter squeeze, burying his face in her hair and kissing the crown of her head.

"God, I missed you Giles."

* * * * *

Giles missed her lips immediately when they parted, but relished the feel of her tightly in his arms. He inhaled the scent of her shampoo as he kissed the top of her head – how he missed the smell of her hair! He parted only to answer her, bringing his hands to her face and tilting her so he could gaze into her eyes.

"Not nearly half as much as I missed you, luv."

In a less frenzied meeting, his lips covered hers again. He loved her soft mouth and the way she allowed her lips to yield under his as their tongues met again in exploration. Quickly their kisses deepened, becoming heated with their passion and Buffy wrapped her legs around Giles' waist. He moaned into her mouth as his groin area came in contact with hers and his already hardening cock enlarged the bulge in his jeans. His hands instinctively came up under her thighs to support her, his lips never leaving hers. He heard a small, muffled whimper as his hands made contact with her smooth skin underneath her skirt.

He loved it when she wore skirts – of all lengths and types. There was something so distinctly feminine about them and what they did for a woman's curves and legs. A lot could also be said for the fact that skirts allowed hands to easily travel those same appendages, something Giles relished the feel of. His hands always had a mind of their own when it came to Buffy's body and now was no different. Even while supporting her, one hand was caressing the back of her thigh, working its way up to cup her ass cheek. 'Dear lord!' he exclaimed internally as the information from his traveling hand registered in his brain that she was not wearing any panties, not even one of those thin, lacey thongs she seemed to favor.

When air became an issue, Giles tore his lips from hers with a gasp. "Vixen!"

"What?" Buffy asked pretending innocence.

"You know *exactly* what!" Giles playfully admonished back. He couldn't help himself as his lips traced kisses along her neck, her shoulder and back up her neck. His lips found her earlobe and began to lick and suck at it playfully. He knew what that did to her and should have figured on the response he'd get, but when Buffy began to grind her groin against his, he thought he might actually lose control right there and then.

"Dear lord – Buffy!"

"Turn-about's fair play" she murmured between playful kisses and licks to his neck and Adam's apple. It was then that his eyes settled on the set table, the wine chilling and the candles flickering softly against the dinnerware. He gently unwrapped himself from Buffy, eliciting a groan of disappointment from her, turning her around and drawing her back against his front. With his arms wrapped around her holding her to him, he kissed her crown again and with a passion-filled voice softly near her ear; "You cooked?"

She practically purred at the contact. "Mmm… I whipped up a little something. But if you aren't hungry…" she said suggestively.

"Oh, I'm hungry…" he allowed the sentence to trail off as his lips found her ear and neck again. His hands snaked up her front and he allowed his thumb and forefinger to lightly graze across a covered breast. Buffy sucked in a breath and grabbed his thighs, rubbing herself slightly against him. His hard-on became achingly insistent to be freed of their confinement and with the last bit of willpower he could muster; he broke the contact between them. Buffy groaned.

"I know darling," he sympathized as he moved towards the wine and began opening it and pouring some into their glasses. "but as much as I'd rather satisfy my hunger by ravishing your beautiful body, you went to all this trouble…"

She moved towards him to take her glass of wine. Giles was quite taken with her every movement. It was almost as if their time apart had made her more breathtakingly beautiful to his eyes. She clinked her glass against his and said "Welcome home Watcher-mine" before bringing it to her lips and sipping the aromatic wine.

"Thank you." Giles said, unable to tear his eyes from her. He took her glass and placed it along with his back on the table. In one fluid movement, he sat himself in the chair and had her sitting on his lap. He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and then allowed his tongue to lightly trace the outline, tasting the wine she had just sipped. "Excellent wine choice."

"Why thank you Mr. Giles." she playfully responded. She kissed his cheek and then snaked her lips to his ear to tug gently on his earlobe, teasingly pulling at his earring. Giles hissed from her ministrations.

"You're not making it easy to enjoy this wonderful meal you've prepared, luv."

"Mm.. I'm enjoying it…" she whispered seductively.

He used one hand to bring her face around so he could claim her mouth again, the other one snaking out to grab a roll from the basket on the table. Moaning into her mouth, he reluctantly pulled out from their passionate kiss and replaced his lips with the roll, enticing Buffy to bite off a piece. 'This is ridiculous', he thought to himself, 'both of us behaving worse than teenagers in love.'

Just than Buffy finished chewing and her lips found his again, her hands pulling his shirt from his jeans and snaking their way up to cord her fingers through his chest hair. When her nails raked over a hard nipple he gasped at the contact and felt himself losing what little control he had left.

"Buffy…" he warned. "Your dinner…"

But it was too late. She continued her ministrations, one hand playing with a nipple, the other working its way towards the top of his jeans. He claimed her mouth again with a need that matched hers and allowed his full passion to be communicated. When Buffy's hand grazed his groin it felt like electric currents had been sent through his body. He tore from the kiss to gaze into her eyes and saw his own desire copied in them.

"Giles…" she practically begged.

"Sod the food." came his lust-filled answer and he swept her up, plundering her mouth all the way to the bedroom.

They fell to the bed together, a tangle of arms and legs and mouths intertwined. The same urgent need they had for each other that made them unable to wait fueled them and somehow they divested each other of their clothing. Both of them were rolling each other, grasping with unbridled need and desire. As soon as Giles' cock rubbed against Buffy's very wet channel, they both hit a point of no return – they weren't going to be able to wait. Giles tried to still their movements, knowing he wouldn't last… but Buffy was too far gone, now a slave to her desire and barely conscious of what she was doing. She writhed beneath him, her nether lips against his shaft desperately racing her to climax.

"Buffy… no… I'm going…."

"Giles! Oh god… I can't stop…"

They both felt the surge overcome them. Giles felt Buffy tense and shudder underneath him as she came, apologizing for not being able to hold on. With absolutely no will left of his own and that feeling of her climaxing beneath him just from them rubbing against each other, caused his own release to spurt forth. He moaned her name and his own apology.

Suddenly they both went from panting apologies to bursting out laughing.

"It's like we're animals or something!" Buffy got out between giggles.

"Or school children going at it for the first time, unable to control…" Giles agreed and began giggling again.

At that, Buffy stopped laughing. She placed a tender hand on Giles' cheek. "It's not like that you know. This isn't anything hell mouthy like that time with Ril… well, like that. It's just… you feel so good and I missed you terribly."

The love in her eyes told the Watcher all he needed to know about why she felt it was important to make the distinction, even after all this time together. He pulled her hand to his mouth and placed butterfly kisses to it, never breaking eye contact. "I know luv, me too. I don't think I can put into words how much I missed you. It's beyond physical you know… I…"

"I know. I can always tell what you're feeling by the way you kiss me. Your love is always there, but so is your mood."

"My mood?" he was interested, but he also couldn't stop touching her; his kisses trailing up her arm.

"Yes, romantic or playful, tender or wanton. Your kiss speaks to me I guess…" her words were cut off when his mouth once again claimed her; she groaned into it.

"And what does it tell you now?"

"That you missed me. Need me. Want me."

Giles placed another kiss to her lips, this one full of the love he had for her, his passion kept in the background for the time being. He let his lips trail over her body, kissing her everywhere. It was as if his mouth was rediscovering her for the first time. When he placed his mouth over a taut nipple and sucked, Buffy bucked under him in response. His hand came up to pinch and play with her other nipple while he continued his ministrations on the one in his mouth, sucking and biting tenderly.

"Oh, Giles…"

Fueled by the way she responded to his touches, he switched breasts and allowed his hand to slowly feel its way down the side and curves of her body. He shifted slightly to allow his hand to work its way around to the front of her, his fingers playing with the moist hair covering her mound. God he loved the taste of her! Her sweet vanilla scent mixed with her pheromones titillated his senses, making him want to drink in every ounce of her.

His fingers found and played with her clit as his mouth managed to tear itself from her breast and work its way down her body. He placed long kisses and licks to her stomach and when he reached her center he inhaled deeply. The scent of her was everywhere and his body responded in kind so that he had to adjust his position.

Buffy felt his breath at her center and wiggled, hips bucking. His breath teased her and she panted, "Giles… if I don't feel you… inside me… soon, I'll…go mad."

Obeying her command, Giles brought his mouth to her opening and began licking her core in long, slow licks. He relished the taste of her. He loved the feeling of her underneath his ministrations, bucking and grasping wildly beneath him.

"Oh god…"

Pleased with her cries and moans of pleasure, the Watcher added a bit more pressure to his licks and sucked on her hardened clit. Buffy writhed beneath him, making nonsensical sounds of pleasure. Giles chuckled internally; he loved watching her when she was like this. Buffy was beautiful, but she was never more beautiful than when she was in the throes of her passion. Urged on by her behavior, Giles plunged his tongue into her and continued to make love to her with his mouth. He could feel her hips riding off the bed as pleasure waves coursed through her body and he placed his hands firmly on her hips to hold her to him. Her juices tasted like honey to him and he lapped her up greedily. As he felt her body clench in preparation for her orgasm, he plunged two fingers easily inside her wet channel, pumping her with his fingers as his mouth clamped around her clit.

Buffy screamed out as she went over the edge, unable to make any kind of coherent sound until her body gave its final shudders from the intensity of her orgasm. Giles looked up at her from his place between her thighs, a wide wicked grin across his wet mouth. "Are you quite alright, luv?"

* * * * *

"Come here you…" Buffy growled at her lover.

As he moved towards her she sat up and met him in the middle for another merging of their mouths. She could taste herself in his mouth and it only made her want him more. As their kissing deepened, Buffy worked herself around his body so that he was soon the one laying against the pillows, she on her knees kissing him and roaming his body with her hands. How she loved the feel of his body, not too hard and not too soft. Despite his age he was quite trim and muscular. Keeping up with a Slayer would no doubt help in that department she mused to herself.

Buffy loved to give Giles head, the taste and feel of his cock in her mouth was something she never got enough of. Heading in that direction, she first began her ministrations on his chest and nipples.

* * * * *

Giles groaned in disappointment when her lips left his, but was quickly rewarded when they mimicked his earlier ministrations and attached themselves to his left nipple. Buffy made sure to lavish attention to both and he felt the blood return to engorge his member once more. As she moved further down his stomach, Giles allowed one arm to snake behind his head and the other to stroke her arm tenderly. He loved the feel of her lips on his body. Sometimes he thought he could cum just from feeling her skin brush against his as she moved downward.

Suddenly an electric shock went through him as Buffy wrapped her hand around his shaft. His erection increased and she gave it a few tender strokes, relishing the way he responded to her touch. "Well, well Watcher-mine, what do we have here?" she teased. "Seems to me someone isn't quite as spent as one might have thought."

"It's what you do to me luv." He told her lustfully, thinking just how much her touch brought him alive and commanded attention from his groin. He was tracing the curve of the side of her breast lightly when he felt her hand replaced by her mouth. With an intake of breath, he instinctively placed his hand on her head without adding any pressure. She took the head into her mouth and sucked at it, sliding her tongue in the slit at the tip. His cock jumped and she looked at him with a glint in her eyes, knowing she was in control at this time. He sighed and allowed her to set the pace.

Buffy placed long, languid licks around Giles' cock, not taking him fully into her mouth. She sucked the head and licked the underside from scrotum to tip and back again. Giles couldn't help but feel like he was some sort of ice cream cone being devoured hungrily. If anything brought both of them more pleasure than actually making love, it was being able to bring the other to different heights of pleasure in different ways.

When Buffy took Giles fully into her mouth, he thought he'd died and gone to heaven. His fingers wrapped themselves in her hair as she moved up and down his shaft. He felt his cock become rock hard and knew that she could easily bring him to climax right there and then. He willed his body to relax a bit and enjoy the sensations her mouth granted him. He loved the sight of her head bobbing up and down on her shaft and he took a few moments to watch her.

Buffy greedily sucked his shaft and built up a rhythm as her mouth adjusted to taking him in and out fully; she relaxed her throat muscles and let him slip past that crucial point, deep-throating him. Giles knew the instant he had slipped past that point and groaned in pleasure. Buffy moaned and 'mmm'd' around his shaft, enjoying the taste of him and turning him on even more in the process.

"Dear lord – Buffy! What you do to me!" Giles began to feel the familiar sensation in his testicles as they tightened. Just as he was about to say something, Buffy gave one last suck to his cock and released it from her mouth. It was quite hard and she eyed it hungrily.

"Buffy come over…"

"Nope. As much as I want you inside me, there is one more thing I have to do."

Giles was so turned on; he couldn't even fathom what she would be referring to. Until he saw her head duck back to his groin and felt her suck first one testicle and then the other into her mouth. He gripped the sheets so hard his knuckles turned white.

"Uh, Buffy… I'm bloody… close…" Giles stammered.

Buffy stopped her ministrations and lay across her Watcher's body. As their mouths met, Giles moved them so he was on top of her. His rock hard shaft nestled between her thighs and Buffy pulled herself from Giles' mouth, looked into his eyes laden with the same desire as hers and throatily said "Take me Rupert".

It was all he could take. He plunged into her hot, moist, waiting center. He held himself still, allowing her to adjust to him and took pleasure just in the connection of being buried deep within her. When he was completely inside her, Buffy moved her hips impatiently for him to begin, but he straightened his torso and leaned over to the dresser.

"Oh Giles – forget it – we've gone without it before, please – I need you… now…"

He came back with something clutched in his fist. Still inside her, he looked at her tenderly. "God Buffy, there is nowhere I ever want to be without you. No place I'd rather be than here beside you… or inside you." He chuckled. "Buffy, I don't know why I waited this long to ask but… Marry me Buffy…" he trailed off with the pleading question hanging between them.

Buffy felt the tears spring to her eyes as she saw the perfect marquis diamond sparkling in Giles' palm. "Oh Rupert…yes, of course!"

He slid almost completely out of her and then matched the movement of sliding the ring on her finger with sheathing himself back inside her. Both motions became a signification of their pledge to each other and the journey of the union of their lives. Buffy moaned and looked at her fiancé.

"My turn for a question?"

"Anything luv… what?"

"Make me yours Giles. Please?"

"You don't have to ask luv…"

With that he began to move within her. Slowly at first, building up their rhythm with smooth strokes. His lips found hers again and they kissed deeply. Buffy wrapped her legs around his waist, giving Giles even more access to her. She began to meet him thrust for thrust and before long they had worked themselves into a passionate frenzy.

"Oh God, Giles…"

He felt her climax rising as she began to writhe beneath him once more. When her muscles contracted around his cock, Giles felt his own release rising unstoppably.

"Oh Buffy… cum with me luv, come with me…"

They both moved together and as one they came, crashing down on each other spent.

Still panting heavily, Giles breathed, "I love you Buffy."

"I… love… you too Rupert," came Buffy's sated response.

When Giles regretfully slipped from her, she felt lost without the contact. But within seconds, he too craved the physical nearness and his arm snaked around her shoulders, drawing her to his chest, Buffy sighed contentedly.

"I'm sorry about spoiling your dinner, luv."

Giles felt Buffy laugh against his chest. Looking down at the top of her head he queried, "What's so funny?"

"You don't have to worry about dinner finance-mine, I only made grilled chicken salads – they will be just as good after a short nap."

They both giggled and tightened their hold on each other as sleep overcame them.

The End