Buffy glanced around the campsite. There were Slayers everywhere she looked, the first of several groups Giles would be bringing to the site for training. They were in various stages of setting up camp.

As she watched, her thoughts turned to Giles. She'd been flirting with him for a while. She'd hoped that this trip was his way of responding, but her hopes had been dashed when he took her shopping for her own tent. Now, she was stuck with the task of setting up her own tent, while he was on the other side of camp setting up his own. 'Why couldn't I just ask him to share?' she asked herself.

"Need some help?"

She spun around to see Giles looking down at her, a smile on his face. "Don't scare me like that!" His smile grew, and she thought he might laugh. "Giles, I mean it. You really startled me."

"That wasn't my intent, Buffy." He gestured to the heap of metal and nylon at her feet. "Would you like help with your tent?"

"Please." she pleaded. "I really don't know what I'm doing."

"I thought you'd been camping before."

"Yeah, when I was ten, and my dad set up the tents."

Giles gave her shoulder a small squeeze. "First, we need to separate the poles and stakes from the tent itself."

"Stakes?"

"The small plastic stakes." He picked up a yellow stake. "They keep the tent anchored."

"These little things hold the tent down? That's hard to believe. How can something this tiny do that?"

"They're stronger than they look." Giles flashed her an amused look, and she had the feeling he wasn't just talking about the stakes.

Buffy tried not to look at him as she separated the items. "What next?" she asked.

Giles guided her in spreading out the tent and inserting the poles. "Now, see the loops on the corners of the tent, near the ground."

"Wait. Don't tell me. That's where the stakes go. Right?"

"Yes. They need to go in at an angle."

Buffy knelt down with on of the stakes and put it through the loop. "Like this?"

Giles knelt down beside her. "No. The angle is wrong. It won't hold that way." He placed his hand on hers and adjusted the placement of the stake. "This is a better position. Now all you need to do is drive the stake into the ground." She looked up when he didn't remove his hand. She watched an indescribable look pass across his face before he abruptly stood and moved to another corner of the tent.

When it was all done, Buffy gave him a small hug. "Thank you. I thought I wouldn't have a place to sleep."

"I'm sure you could have shared a tent with someone."

"Who?" she asked. "You and Xander are the only ones not sharing a tent. Not that I'm implying that you and Xander. . ."

"Buffy, it's alright. I know what you meant. You don't like the idea of sharing a tent with either Xander or myself." He gave her a small smile.

"I-I never said that. I wouldn't - It's just that. . ." She felt a blush creeping into her cheeks and turned away. "Never mind, shutting up now." Before he could comment, she changed the subject. "Do you need help with anything?" she asked in a too-bright, hopeful voice.

"Buffy, you don't have to help." He smiled again before quickly looking away.

"You helped me. Now I want to help you. I won't take no for an answer, mister."

"Well, I could use a hand setting up the fire pit and preparing for dinner. I'm sure everyone will be hungry soon."

* * * * * *

Buffy stared into the campfire as she listened to Xander telling stories of life in Sunnydale. The young girls were hanging on his every word.

"Dracula? Really?" one girl asked. "I didn't think he was real."

"Oh, he's quite real." Giles said, his voice coming from behind Buffy.

He sat down in one of the folding camp chairs close behind her with an irritated sigh.

"Problems?" she asked.

He held up a bottle. "Caught some of the girls drinking. Fortunately, they hadn't had much when I found them and took it away."

"So, did you tell them scary stories to keep them away from alcohol?" Buffy asked.

"Something like that," he whispered. "I don't think they'll want to drink again anytime soon."

As they talked, she heard him move his chair closer to hers. She could feel him behind her, feel his breath on her neck. Then he leaned forward, put his hands on her shoulders and whispered her name. Giles began to massage her shoulders and neck, kneading the muscles. Soon, she began to relax and leaned back a bit more in her chair. She felt Giles' breathing change just before he spoke. "You're too tense, Buffy. You need to relax." When she felt his lips graze her shoulder, she was glad she had sat away from the others.

She could smell the alcohol and wondered if he'd had any of it himself.

"Giles, you okay?" she asked.

"I am now." His lips brushed her ear as he spoke, and her heart skipped a beat.

They sat in silence for a bit, watching the fire and listening to Xander's stories.

"Giles?" she said, fighting to keep her voice steady.

"Yes," he said before placing a kiss on her neck.

"You shouldn't be doing that. It wouldn't be good if one of the girls saw us."

"You're right, Buffy. I wasn't thinking." She felt his lips on her skin as he spoke and shivered. "I'm going to my tent," he whispered. "Join me later." Then he stood and walked away.

* * * * * *

Buffy wandered around camp, checking on the girls. It wasn't really necessary, but it gave her a chance to think about what had happened earlier. Giles hadn't been acting like himself.

'He did seem more relaxed than he had in a long time. Maybe that's all it was,' she told herself. 'But what about the alcohol? I've never seen him act that way in front of others, and he certainly never treated me that way before. He must have been drinking. That's the only reason that makes sense.'

She stopped when she heard the distant rumble of thunder. "Great. Just what I need. A thunderstorm," she mumbled.

Looking around, she realized she was far from her tent, and the first drops of rain were starting to fall. 'I'll never make it to my tent before the storm gets here.' She looked around again and saw that she was standing by Giles' tent.

"Are you going to stand out there and get wet, or are you going to come inside?" Giles asked from inside the tent.

Buffy unzipped the tent, ducked inside and zipped the door closed. Slowly, she looked around the inside of the tent, which was lit by an electric lantern in one corner. It was twice as big as hers and had two rooms, one for storage and one for sleeping. 'Or doing other things,' she thought as she finally looked at Giles.

He was lying on an air mattress with a blanket draped across his legs and stomach. She noticed he wasn't wearing a shirt and found herself wondering if he was wearing anything at all.

'Don't think about that,' she ordered herself. 'He's drunk. I would be taking advantage. He can't really want me. I've been flirting with him for weeks, and he's never shown any interest. Until now.'

"Buffy?" Giles asked, concern showing in his voice.

"Sorry. My mind was wandering."

"You can let it wander over here." He let the blanket slip just enough so she could see that he was naked.

Buffy kicked off her shoes. 'Maybe I should just enjoy this. I may never get another chance. Maybe he won't remember, or he'll think it was a dream,' she thought. 'I don't know if this isn't such a good idea.'

Giles surprised her by sitting up and dragging her down to join him. "You were taking too long."

"Impatient much?" she teased.

In answer, he pulled her close and kissed her hard.

"I'll take that as a yes," she said when his lips left hers to trail kisses across her cheek to her ear.

"Take off your shirt," he whispered into her ear.

Buffy sat back to straddle him and pulled her tank top over her head. As she tossed the shirt to the side, she felt Giles thrust his hips up to meet hers. Even through the blanket, she could feel how hard he was. "Giles. . . I. . ." Her voice failed her as she felt the blanket being slowly pulled away and lifted herself slightly to make the task easier. With the blanket gone, she glanced down.

"Like what you see?" Giles asked.

"Yes," she answered, "but I like what I feel more." She rocked forward and back. "I definitely like what I feel."

He pulled her down for another kiss, rolling over as he did. He soon moved away from her mouth to trail kisses down her chin and neck. "You have the most delicious skin I've ever tasted," he said between kisses. "Does the rest of you taste as wonderful?"

Buffy shivered at his words and the promise they held. "There's only one way to find out." She couldn't believe she was encouraging him. 'I should have left, raining or not. I hate to take advantage. . .' Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt his hands on her lower back lift her slightly. She looked down to see he had the waistband of her sweat pants in his teeth. In one smooth motion he pulled them down her legs, then repeated the action to remove her panties as well.

Giles slowly crawled up her body, dropping light kisses along the way. As he kissed and nipped at her throat, his hand slid down her body and between her legs. Buffy gasped as his fingers dipped inside her and let out a whimper when he pulled them out. "Let's see how you taste," he said and brought his hand to Buffy's lips.

Anxiously, she slipped her tongue out for a taste. When she didn't pull away, he slipped each finger into her mouth, one at a time, for her to lick clean. "What do you think?" he asked.

"Not what I expected, but not bad," she told him. "You didn't get a taste, though."

"Don't worry. I will." He slid back down her body until she felt his breath between her thighs. She moaned when his tongue darted out to taste her. "Just as I thought, delectable." His lips brushed her as he spoke.

"Please, Giles." He gave her a few long, slow licks. "Quit teasing," she pleaded.

His tongue stroked her once more, lightly at first, then with increasing pressure. She moaned when she felt his fingers push inside once more.

"Giles," she gasped. "I want you inside me when I come."

He moved to lie next to her and reached for something she couldn't see.

"If you're getting a condom, don't bother," she told him. "I'm on the pill."

"I was hoping you'd say that."

As he kissed her again, she grabbed his hips and rolled him so he was between her legs. He broke the kiss with a gasp when her hands moved to cup his backside.

"You're more eager than I thought," he said.

"Yeah, so what are you waiting for? Do you need help or something?" she asked. She slid a hand along his hip and across his thigh. "I'm willing to help." She circled her hand around his erection.

"I may need some guidance," Giles said mischievously. Buffy gave a slight squeeze and was delighted to hear him yelp. "Was that necessary?" he asked.

She nodded her head. "Is my Slayer strength too much for you? 'Cause if you can't handle a little squeeze. . ."

She was cut off by a brief, rough kiss. "I can handle anything."

"Good. Then you won't mind me being in control." She flipped them over and immediately sank down onto him. She set a slow pace, riding him slowly as if they had all the time in the world.

His hands roamed across her body and came to rest on her hips. He tried to increase her pace. "Who's teasing now?"

"It's only fair. You teased earlier." She kept to the same slow tempo.

"If you don't stop teasing, I won't be responsible for my actions."

"What actions would that be?"

He ran his hands over her stomach and sides. Buffy was tense at first, not knowing what he would do. When she began to relax and enjoy his caresses, he suddenly tickled her. She squealed and tried to wiggle away from his hands. She only succeeded in falling over and taking him with her. They landed on their sides, laughing.

"I didn't think you were supposed to laugh during sex," Buffy said.

"Then you've been doing it wrong. It should be fun, and sometimes that calls for laughter." Giles untangled himself and rolled Buffy onto her back. "I think we were interrupted."

Buffy held her hands up in front of her to keep him away. "You're not going to tickle me again, are you?"

"Not if you behave." He grabbed her hands in his and pinned them above her head. "Now. I think I was here. . ." He sank himself into her in one thrust. ". . . when we stopped." Buffy moaned loudly. "I hope that's not just for my benefit." He began to thrust in and out, almost coming out completely each time.

"No. It feels good."

"Good? I must be doing something wrong." He adjusted his angle and quickened his pace. "Better?"

"Oh God!" her hips came up to meet his.

"I'll take that as a yes."

Before long, they were both panting with the need for release. "I can feel you, Buffy. You're getting close."

She nodded her head.

"Come for me, Buffy."

That pushed her over the edge. She came with a whimper just before she felt his climax.

He released her hands and rolled them onto their sides.

"That was intense," Buffy whispered.

"And very enjoyable," he added. He kissed her, slowly this time.

The lay there for a long time not saying anything. They listened to the rain and occasionally kissed.

"I need sleep now," she said as she pulled the blanket over them.

"Good night."

* * * * * *

Buffy feigned sleep until the rain had stopped, and she was fairly certain that Giles was asleep. Quietly, she dressed and left the tent. 'It's for the best,' she told herself. 'I don't want him regretting what happened. This way he might think it was all a dream.' She made her way to her tent and tried to get some sleep before morning.

* * * * * *

Buffy and Willow were the first ones awake in the morning. They started the fire so they could make tea and breakfast.

"I thought Giles would be up by now," Willow said.

"I don't think he'll be up for a while, Will. He's probably got one hell of a hangover. He had a lot to drink yesterday."

"What are you talking about, Buff? Giles didn't drink anything yesterday. He wouldn't with all these girls around. He has to set a good example."

"But last night he. . . he smelled like he'd been drinking. . . a lot."

"That's probably because of what happened with the girls last night. He confiscated some alcohol, and some of it splashed onto his shirt before he could put the cap back on the bottle."

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked.

"Yep. I saw the whole thing."

Buffy stood suddenly. "Oh God! This is not good. He's gonna hate me."

"I thought it was good that he wasn't drinking," Willow protested.

"No time to explain. I have to go see him before he wakes up."

Buffy ran through the camp and stopped just short of Giles tent. She paused a moment to catch her breath before unzipping the tent and ducking inside.

Her breath caught in her throat. Giles was awake and sitting on the mattress. His eyes were red and his face tear-streaked. He had to have been crying. 'I've never seen Giles cry before,' she thought. 'What have I done?'

"Why did you leave?" he asked.

"Giles, I'm sorry. I. . ."

He cut her off. "I don't want an apology. I want to know why you left."

She sank to her knees at the foot of the mattress. "I didn't want you to regret what happened. I thought that if I left while you were asleep, you might think it was all a dream."

"I wasn't asleep."

"Then why didn't you stop me?" she asked in a whisper, trying to disguise the lump in her throat. Her own tears were falling from her eyes.

"If you didn't want to be here, I wasn't going to make you stay." He took a deep breath. "Why did you come back?"

"Last night, I thought you were drunk, but, this morning, I talked to Willow. She told me you didn't have anything to drink and that you got splashed with alcohol when you took it from the girls. When I realized what I'd done, I thought I could sneak in here while you were still asleep."

"So I would think you'd been here all night?" Buffy nodded. "What was your plan? Were you going to undress and climb under the blanket? Don't you think that would have woken me?"

"I didn't think that far ahead. I just knew I didn't want you to wake up without me being here. I never wanted to hurt you."

"If you thought I was drunk, why did you accept my invitation last night?" he asked.

"I thought it would be the only way you'd want me."

"So, you thought you'd take advantage of me?"

"No. It wasn't like that. I didn't know what to do. I walked around camp for a while. When it started to rain, I was standing by your tent. I thought about leaving, but then I heard you. I couldn't pretend I didn't hear what you said."

Buffy wiped tears from her eyes and stood. "Maybe I should go. I'm sorry I ruined everything." She turned and muttered under her breath, "Like I always do."

"Buffy, wait." He grabbed her hand. "Do you regret being here last night? Do you wish it hadn't happened?"

"No," she said quietly. "But I thought you would."

"I'm sorry, Buffy. I'm hurt that you didn't trust me, but I don't regret anything."

"If I'd known, I would have stayed," she said, turning around to face him again.

"Then don't leave now," Giles said. "I want you to stay." He tugged on her hand until she sat down beside him.

"You're not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?" Buffy asked.

"If I didn't want you here, I would have let you leave again."

Buffy wiped tears from her eyes. "So what now?"

"I don't know about you, but I didn't get much sleep last night."

"You want to sleep?"

He nodded. "With you in my arms."

With a grin, Buffy slipped under the blanket and felt his arms close around her.

-The End-