Title: Home For The Holidays
Author: Gileswench

(notes and disclaimer with part one)

When they got back to Giles' flat, he went to the kitchen and started a pot of tea. Buffy followed and gathered up the cups and other necessities. As he poured the boiling water into the pot, Giles smiled at Buffy.

"Take that into the sitting room and I'll be back before it's ready to drink," he told her.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"Never you mind," he said in a teasing tone. "And don't go into the bedroom until we've had our tea."

"So...the bedroom, huh? Feeling pretty sure of ourselves, aren't we?"

"Actually, no," he confessed, "but I'm hoping to persuade you."

Buffy frowned at the tea tray. When she didn't say anything, Giles moved to stand behind her and put a hand gently on her shoulder. He was surprised when she flinched slightly before placing her hand over his.

"Buffy? Are you okay?" he asked. "Is there some reason you'd rather not?"

"No," she protested, "I - I want. I do. Really."

He waited patiently until it became clear she wasn't going to say anything else without prompting.

"But...?"

Buffy picked up the tray and carried it into the sitting room. She set it on the coffee table and poured the tea, making sure to prepare Giles' cup exactly the way he liked it. He settled himself next to her and waited some more.

At last, they both had their tea. Buffy took a sip, then put hers down. Giles took that as his cue to put his on the table as well.

"When I broke things off with Spike," she said at last, "he really didn't want to take no for an answer. He kept hanging around for months after. He - he kept threatening to tell everybody...what we'd done - what I'd done - if I didn't tell them myself. I wouldn't. And he kept trying to make me say I loved him. I think he thought that was why I'd done it. I told him over and over that I didn't, but..." Her voice trailed off. After a moment, she shrugged. "What's a guy supposed to think, I guess. It's not like I'd never changed my mind when I said no before."

She grew quiet again and picked up her tea. Giles noted that her hands were trembling. He took the tea from her before she could spill it.

"Buffy," he asked quietly, "did he...did Spike..."

"No," she said quickly. "He didn't. But he...he tried. I fought him off. Xander got there right after. Offered to stake Spike and everything. I told him no, but it was sweet of him to ask. Xander has his moments, but he's really pretty amazing sometimes."

"Yes, he certainly can be," Giles agreed. He put her teacup next to his and turned to Buffy, taking her face in both his hands. "Buffy, this doesn't change anything for me. I love you, and I want to make love with you. But if you're...uncomfortable, I can wait. I can wait as long as you need me to."

Buffy blinked against the sting of tears.

"Xand's not the only amazing one, is he?" she joked shakily.

"I was wondering when you'd notice," Giles grinned.

He leaned back. Buffy curled herself gratefully into his arms. He hesitated to pull her closer, but Buffy took his arms and wrapped them around herself.

"That's better," she said.

"Yes, it is." He held her gently but firmly for some moments. When he spoke again, his voice was low. "Would you like to make love tonight, or would you prefer to wait?"

"That's just it," she said in a frustrated tone. "I want to, but at the same time, I...don't. I'm all mixed up inside. It's been so long and the last time was, well, let's just say it wasn't the stuff dreams are made of. Nightmares, maybe, but not happy dreams. And then...when Spike..."

"Shhhh," Giles soothed her. "It's all right, Buffy. There's no rush."

"Except that I'm leaving tomorrow."

"I am coming to you in a very short time," he reminded her. "I'll very likely be in Sunnydale in time for your birthday."

"Which is always such a fun day."

"Well, at least then if our first time is a disaster, we could blame it on that." Buffy giggled against his chest. Giles smiled and dropped a kiss on the crown of her head. "Feeling better?" he asked.

"Yeah," Buffy said. "Giles?" she said after a moment.

"Yes?"

"Remember what I said when I first got here?"

"Let me see...I believe your exact words were: 'hey Giles'."

Buffy glared up at him.

"I didn't mean that part," she grumbled. "After. The part about not wanting to leave stuff unfinished; especially Gilesy stuff."

"Ah, that bit," he said. "Yes, I do remember."

"I think this sort of falls into that category, don't you?"

"Just keep in mind, we can stop anytime you wish to."

Buffy smiled wryly up at him.

"Don't guys get to a point where they...can't stop?"

"Well, if you try to call a halt when I'm actually in mid orgasm, I imagine that might pose a slight difficulty," he mused. "Anything short of that, though, I should be able to manage."

"Wouldn't you be all frustrated?"

"Yes," he agreed, "I would be frustrated. Still, frustration can be dealt with. It's better than the alternative of hurting you."

"I just don't want to hurt you, either."

"The only way you'll hurt me - well, I suppose you could always thrash me, but that wouldn't be anything new after all our training sessions," he grinned. A moment later, the smile was gone. "Buffy, don't do this unless you're sure you want to. Sex can wait. The important thing is that you know what you want. Don't do this for me. Wait until you're doing it for us."

"Is it selfish that I want it for me? I mean, yeah, I know you want it and I want to make you happy, but...me and sex...not a whole lot of happies there. I want...I think you'd...I mean...I know you'd be...nice. Y'know, like you'd take care of me and make sure it's good. But you wouldn't treat me like I don't know what I'm doing, either, would you?"

"Buffy, I know you're not a virgin. Neither am I, for the record.

"See, that's just it," she said. "You treat me like I'm old enough to do what I want. No orders, no sugar coating, no punches pulled. I like that."

"You are old enough to know what you want. You're old enough to do it, too."

"Unlike Lolita."

"Which, thankfully, removes the threat of my turning into Humbert Humbert."

Buffy snuggled closer still.

"Actually," she mused, "it's Angel and Spike who are in the Humbert Humbert club. You're a lot younger than either of them."

"If you think about it, only Angel actually fits the description," Giles said. "At least you'd come of age when Spike decided he was in love with you. Of course, he does have an interesting - not to mention unsettling - concept of that emotion. Still."

"Okay, okay, Angel was the only complete cradle robber," she agreed. "Happy now?"

"That depends," he said, "on whether you are."

"Tell you what," Buffy said as she dropped kisses along Giles' jawline, "you go get that stuff you were talking about earlier ready, and when you're done, I'll see what I can do to make us both happy."

Giles kissed her hard on the lips.

"We can stop at any time," he said. "I mean that. You're in charge tonight. You decide how far this goes and what happens."

"Do I always get to be in charge?"

"Well, eventually I might prefer a more egalitarian approach. And I reserve the right to refuse to participate in any act that makes me uncomfortable."

"What makes you uncomfortable?"

"Not a great deal, but anything involving jumbo sized nappies, youth organization uniforms, or animal sacrifice is not really a turn on for me."

"Okay, so no goats, no nappies - whatever they are - and no Girl Scout outfits. Gotcha. What're nappies?"

"I shouldn't worry about it now, Buffy." He rose and smiled at her. "I won't be long." He started to turn, but stopped suddenly. "And it occurs to me we both smell like a pub. Would you like to take a shower while I'm setting up? I could join you, if you like."

"I - I think I'd rather shower solo, if you don't mind."

Giles nodded and touched her cheek briefly.

"Then we shower separately," he said. "There are extra towels in the cupboard."

Buffy watched Giles walk down the hall to his bedroom. After a moment, she headed for the bathroom.