Chapter Text
Title: Hidden Truths
Author: Froxyn
Rating: FRAO
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Timeline: Post Series, AU.
Synopsis: Buffy goes to England to see Giles after the near apocalypse that was diverted by Angel, Spike, and the others in Los Angeles. Will they admit their true feelings for one another?
Author's Notes: Very special thanks to wyvernwolf for spending a few weeks looking over each chapter and offering her suggestions on how to make it better.
Giles took a sip of his lukewarm tea, grimacing before he roughly placed the mug back onto the coaster on his desk. He sighed heavily, removing his glasses before dragging his hand across his face. The last two weeks had been rather horrible, though he hadn't known the full extent of the losses until two days ago.
Angel had called to break the news of Wesley's death. In fact, the only three of the team in Los Angeles to survive had been Angel, Illyria, and Spike. According to Angel, it had been an extremely close call…but somehow the three of them had been able to avert an apocalypse.
Giles found it strange to feel a deep sense of gratitude to the three, but he did. He wondered about Illyria, almost felt a sense of sympathy for her. She had developed a dependence on Wesley. Once the battle was over, she found it easier to just leave. Giles suspected that the Old One had actually fallen in love with Wesley. Neither Angel nor Spike knew where she had gone.
Now, Angel and Spike were in Alaska hunting down a tribe of demons that were feeding on the Eskimos. At least, that's what Angel had told Giles. Giles found it difficult to believe that the two vampires were willingly staying together. He briefly wondered if there was more to their relationship than he had originally been told but he pushed that thought to the back of his mind.
It wasn't his business. And, if he were honest with himself, he really didn't want to know.
Wesley…
Wesley's death had come as a shock to Giles. Wesley had changed drastically over the years, and not all for the better. Giles blamed Angel for that fact. But, Giles had been proud of Wesley. He had left the Council and hadn't looked back, not even when Quentin Travers had begged him to join forces with Buffy and himself once more.
Giles was secretly glad that Wesley had turned Travers down. Being a Watcher hadn't come naturally to Wesley…he wasn't bred into the role as Giles had been. But, he had more than made up for his past, Wesley had died trying to save the world…and Giles could only respect him for his efforts.
"Is that really a computer I see on your desk?"
Giles looked up quickly, his thoughts interrupted by a very familiar voice. A slow smile appeared on his face as he pushed his chair back and stood, walking around his desk.
"Willow has found it immensely amusing as well. I must admit, it does make keeping track of the Slayers much easier. However…if you repeat that to her, I will deny it with every fibre of my being."
Buffy chuckled and stepped further into his office, almost hesitantly. And then she looked into Giles' eyes and nearly ran into his arms. As she pressed her cheek against his chest, he wrapped his arms around her and sighed softly.
"Hello, Buffy."
"I know I didn't schedule an appointment…"
He chuckled and rubbed her back soothingly. "You are the only Slayer who doesn't require an appointment."
She stepped back and looked up at him. "Is that because I'm your favourite?"
"Yes." He answered without hesitation, before smiling and continuing. "And because of the fact that you wouldn't bother to make an appointment anyway. And if by some miracle you did make an appointment, you'd either be late or – "
"Funny, Giles." Her smile faded as she noticed the weariness in his eyes. "How are you?"
"In all honesty, I've been better." He cleared his throat and sat down on the edge of his desk. "But, then…I've been a hell of a lot worse. All in all, I'd say I'm fair. And you? When did you arrive in London?"
"I'm good…and I got in about an hour ago. I would've been here sooner, but I had to take care of some things before I could leave."
Giles nodded slowly. "And Dawn?"
Buffy rolled her eyes. "In love…with Rome, with school, with…Marco. She sends her love and said to tell you that she misses you."
Giles swallowed and lowered his eyes for a brief moment. "It's been far too long since I've seen either of you."
"We talk every week." Buffy offered before exhaling slowly. "But, it's not the same. And Dawn isn't the only one who misses you, you know."
Giles looked back up and smiled. "I miss you too. Um…both of you."
A somewhat comfortable silence fell over them for a few minutes before Buffy spoke again.
"Listen, I know it's kinda early, but…since you're the big boss and all…how about we go for a drink and catch up?"
Giles nodded and pushed himself off the desk. "I think that sounds like the best idea I've heard all day."
Buffy smiled brightly and shifted the bag draped over her shoulder.
* * *
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously as Giles placed a glass in front of her. "What's this?"
He sat down across the table from her and took a sip from his glass. "Stout. And try it before you mock it."
Buffy raised an eyebrow as Giles pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket and shook one out. "You're allowed to smoke in bars in England?"
He smiled and reached into his pocket for a lighter. "This is a pub, not a bar. And if there are ashtrays on the tables, then you're free to smoke."
He tapped the glass tray with his lighter to prove his point. She rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink, fully prepared to hate it. She murmured a sound of appreciation as he lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.
She eyed him carefully and took another drink. "Why did you start smoking again?"
He grinned and tapped his ashes into the ashtray. "I never stopped, Buffy. I just don't smoke frequently." He gestured around the room with his free hand. "This…is one of my guilty pleasures. Of which, I have few, mind you."
When she saw Giles glance towards the bar, she followed his gaze and shook her head. "You come here often?"
"Hm?" He returned his eyes to hers and shrugged his shoulder. "Once a fortnight, maybe."
Buffy cast a quick glance back at the woman standing at the bar who was currently staring unabashedly at Giles. "Ever leave alone?"
Giles snorted and took another drag. "I leave alone more often than I leave with someone else."
Buffy waggled her eyebrows playfully. "But, you do leave with women sometimes?"
Giles stared at her for a second and then pointed at her glass with his cigarette. "Finish your drink, Buffy."
She grinned and lifted her glass to her lips, quickly swallowing half of the contents. Giles chuckled and motioned to the bartender for two more.
* * *
"You 'member the time Wes decided to re'range your books?" Buffy asked drunkenly.
Giles grinned broadly, nodding as he finished off his fourth drink. "He did that but once. Never again." He looked up as the bartender placed two more glasses on the table. "Ta."
Buffy leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. "You sound more English when you're drunk."
Giles raised his glass in a silent toast and took another drink. Buffy shook her head in amusement, running her finger through the condensation on her glass.
"He was good, wasn't he? I mean…under the complete dorkiness…he was a good guy."
Giles' smile faded somewhat. "Yes. Yes, he was. A little misguided, perhaps. Pushed into doing something he really didn't want to do. But, yeah…he was good."
"I think Faith fucked 'im." Buffy blurted.
Giles' eyes widened and he choked on a mouthful of the ale that the bartender had brought this time. "Buffy!"
Buffy giggled and shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry. I do though. I really think she did. She said something one time 'bout Slayers gettin' down n' dirty with their Watchers." She tilted her head slightly and looked at him. "Wasn't her first Watcher a woman?"
"Mm-hm." Giles mumbled.
"Int'restin'. You reckon she had somethin' goin' on with her too?"
Giles cleared his throat and drained his glass. "I think…we should find something else to talk about."
"Do most Watchers have a more physical thing with their Slayers?" She asked, smiling drunkenly as she ran her finger up and down the side of the glass.
His eyes darted to her finger as he shrugged a shoulder. "I'm sure I've no idea. Some do, I suppose."
"We didn't."
Giles lit another cigarette, taking a drag as he shook his head. "No. No, we didn't."
Buffy leaned forward, grabbing Giles' lighter and spinning it on the table. "You were Faith's Watcher for a while."
"No. I was her Guardian for a brief time, not her…" He narrowed his eyes and tapped his ashes into the ashtray. "Are you really asking if I slept with Faith?"
Buffy pushed the lighter across the table and sat back up. "I dunno. Did ya?"
Giles stared at her, shaking his head as the smoke from the cigarette wound around his head. "No, I most certainly did not."
"She woulda fucked ya, ya know. Told me so herself." She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. "Ya never thought 'bout it?"
Giles snorted and inhaled a lungful of smoke. "No. I prefer the women I share my bed with to be a little less homicidal."
Buffy glanced back at the bar, only to find another woman staring at Giles with a look of lust in her eyes. "You know her?"
"Hm? Who?" He turned his head and gave the woman a small smile before turning back to Buffy. "Knew her once."
Buffy grinned and propped her head up with her palm, resting her elbow on the scarred table top. "Is she one of the women you've left with before?"
He picked up his glass, scowling when he found it empty. He dropped it back onto the table and sighed heavily. "She is."
"Do ya wanna leave with her again?"
He shook his head, seriously considering ordering another drink. "I'm here with you, Buffy."
"And if ya weren't here with me?"
He caught the bartender's eye and motioned for two more stouts to be brought over. "I have a rule. If I leave here with someone, it's for one night. And one night only. I make that point very clear. I don't exchange phone numbers, I don't tell them where I work, I don't take them to my home, and I don't go to their homes."
Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Where do ya take 'em then?"
Giles chuckled, nodding a silent thank you to the bartender as he placed two glasses on the table. "Have you seen how many hotels there are around here?"
Buffy took a long sip of her beer. "Mm-hm."
"I get a room, we have sex…she either stays or goes afterwards. It doesn't matter which. It's not a relationship I'm looking for when I leave with someone."
"What is it then?"
Giles sighed and lifted his glass. "I can't believe I'm discussing this with you."
"Me either. Muss be the beer." She grinned as she took another drink. "So…what is it?"
"A night to forget what I do, who I am. It's a chance for me to be someone other than Rupert Giles, Head of the Council of Watchers, one-time Watcher to the most successful Slayer in all of history."
Buffy smiled warmly. "You'll always be my Watcher, Giles. Always…you're mine."
Giles crushed out his cigarette, dropping the butt into the ashtray as picked up his glass. He drained the contents quickly and took a deep breath.
"Perhaps…we should call it a night."
She nodded and finished off her own beer. "I hope you're not planning on walkin', 'cause…I'm not sure I can."
He laughed, pushing his chair back to stand up. "Too far to walk. That's why God invented taxis."
Buffy snorted as she stood, leaning against his side as he wrapped his arm around her.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Giles hailed a taxi, smiling at Buffy as he held the door open for her. She climbed into the back seat and grinned back as he slid in next to her. When he gave the driver the address for the Council, she furrowed her brow.
"Why are we going there?"
"I assume you have some luggage of some sort that you stashed there before coming to my office?"
She chuckled softly. "Yeah. Is at the front desk. So…we get it an' then drop me off at one of these hotels – ".
She halted her sentence at his glare. "What?"
"I'll not have you staying at some hotel while you're in London. I have three guest rooms that are perfectly suitable for accommodating…guests."
"Ya sure? I mean, I don' mind…"
"Buffy…" He reached over and took her hand, gently squeezing it before letting go. "You are more than welcome to stay…for as long as you want…you know this."
The driver glanced at the couple through the rearview mirror. He grinned in amusement as he navigated the still busy streets.
Buffy smiled at Giles and gave him a nod. "Okay. Thanks!"
Giles returned her smile and settled back against the seat.
* * *
Giles unlocked the door and pushed it open for Buffy. Picking up the two bags, he followed her inside and kicked the door shut. When she looked up at him, he gestured towards the hall with a tilt of his head.
"Your room is the first on the right. Bathroom is third on the left."
He chuckled as she took off down the hall, bypassing the room that she would be staying in. He placed her bags in the bedroom before making his way to the kitchen. He normally had tea when he came home and he didn't see why tonight should be any different.
He smiled as he pulled a canister of freshly ground coffee from the cabinet. Buffy would drink tea if she had to, but he knew that she always preferred coffee. He flipped the switch on the kettle and prepared the plunger, adding an extra scoop of coffee grounds. She liked hers a little on the strong side, from what he remembered.
As the water boiled, he grabbed two mugs from the mug rack and leaned against the counter. It was nice having Buffy in his home. He'd missed her…more than she would ever know.
He made a silent vow to spend more time with her. It wouldn't hurt for him to make a few trips to Rome and he could afford to spend a little more money on international phone calls. He enjoyed being able to sit down with her and talk like they'd done today. Just talk…not about demons or apocalypses or Hellmouths, but just normal conversation between two friends.
He chuckled softly. He wasn't sure if he'd classify Buffy asking if he'd ever had sex with Faith as normal conversation…but for them, it very well might be.
The kettle clicked off and he grabbed it, carefully pouring the water into the plunger. He heard the distinct sound of water running through the pipes as he slid the fingers of his right hand through the handles of both mugs. He smiled and picked up the plunger.
It really was nice to have Buffy around.
* * *
Just as Giles placed the plunger and mugs on the coffee table and sat down on the couch, Buffy walked into the living room. She grinned and plopped down next to him.
"You made coffee for me?"
"Mm-hm. You still drink it black, yes?"
She nodded and leaned forward, pushing the plunger down a little. The movement caused the shoulder of her blouse to slip to the side and Giles' eyes were immediately drawn to the jagged scar that was revealed. He reached out and pulled her back towards him, nearly making her spill the coffee.
"Giles!"
He lightly traced the scar with his fingertip. The cut would have been rather deep for it to have scarred this badly.
"What happened?" He asked softly.
"Oh…that's what happens when you crawl under a barbed wire fence when you're running from a demon."
He traced the raised flesh again. "Wouldn't it have been better to jump over instead of crawling under?"
She laughed gently. "A twelve-foot high barbed-wire fence, Giles."
"Oh." He studied the scar carefully, his finger lightly grazing it. "I…didn't know about this."
She sighed as he pushed her blouse further to the side, examining the full length of the scar. "You can't always be there to kiss my bumps and bruises away, Giles."
He wasn't sure what possessed him to do so, but he leaned forward and gently brushed his lips across the marred flesh. His warm breath ghosted across her skin as his lips touched each centimetre of the scar. She shuddered lightly and turned her head towards him as he lifted his lips from her skin.
"I actually meant that figuratively." She whispered huskily.
He stared into her eyes as she turned her body to face him. His gaze quickly darted to her lips before returning to her eyes, noticing that they had darkened slightly. He leaned forward slowly, giving her plenty of time to stop him, but making no effort to disguise what he was planning to do.
Instead of moving away, Buffy met him halfway. Their lips met in the sweetest of kisses. He saw a flicker of hunger in her eyes and repeated the action, allowing his lips to linger this time. After the third kiss, he pulled back and whispered her name.
She responded by covering his mouth with hers in a kiss that quickly escalated into something more carnal than passionate. He groaned and slid his hand into her hair as he plundered her mouth with his tongue.
The coffee was forgotten as Buffy climbed on top of him, straddling him as she started pulling at the buttons of his shirt. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard a voice screaming at him to stop. But, as she pushed his shirt open and broke the kiss, staring into his eyes before lowering her mouth to his chest, he tuned the voice out and allowed himself to feel.
* * *
As he sucked a distended nipple into his mouth, it occurred to him that he couldn't remember how they had gotten into his bedroom. He supposed that he had carried her, her legs wrapped around him as she kissed him desperately. He couldn't be sure, but that's what he chose to believe.
He couldn't even be sure of how their clothes came to be strewn across his bedroom floor. Did they undress one another or just merely rip the garments from their bodies before falling onto the bed together?
When he heard her moan his name, he decided it didn't matter. His hands roamed over her bare skin as he suckled at her breast. As he slipped his leg between hers and felt her wet heat against his thigh, he groaned against her skin. She gasped sharply at the contact, immediately grinding her hips against him.
He felt her fingers in his hair, her nails scratching at his scalp as he nibbled at her nipple before moving to the other one and giving it the same treatment. When her hand found his erection, her fingers wrapping around the hot flesh, he lifted his head and growled, his hips thrusting of their own accord.
He looked down at her, her skin pink from arousal, and moved until he was kneeling between her spread thighs. Her hand tightened around his cock, stroking him firmly as she stared into his lust-darkened eyes.
"You really need to fuck me now, Giles…" She panted as his hands steadily crept up her torso.
His hands stopped their motion and he stared at her, her words shocking him somewhat. He swallowed and covered the hand stroking him with his.
"Then you should stop that."
She grinned at him as he removed her hand and leaned over her. Turning her head to the right, she bared her neck to him. He sighed softly as he lowered his mouth to her neck, his erection grasped firmly in his hand as he guided it to her entrance.
He pushed the head in, not going any further as he sucked and licked at her tender flesh. He gripped her hip tightly, keeping her from arching towards him in an attempt to force him further inside. Her nails clawed at his back and when she whimpered his name, he chuckled and pushed himself up.
"You…should work on your patience."
She glared at him through glazed eyes. "You should work on fucking me instead of teasing me."
He started to say how beautiful she looked, but bit his tongue instead. That wasn't what she wanted to hear. With a slow nod, he moved his hands under her knees and raised her hips slightly. He took a deep breath and slammed his hips forward, burying himself within her in one swift thrust.
She cried out as he drew his hips back and he briefly wondered if he had hurt her. That thought was put to ease as her voice rang out in the room.
"Yes! God…yes!"
And so, he thrust into her again just as hard and she lifted her hips as much as she could to meet him. He closed his eyes for a moment, relishing the sensation of her heat surrounding him as he moved at a steady pace with long strokes.
When he felt her nails scrape across his chest and heard her urgent plea for 'more', he shortened his strokes and increased his pace. He let go of her legs, groaning as she wrapped them around his hips.
His left hand found its way to her right breast, gently squeezing the firm flesh. "Is this what you want, Buffy?"
"Yes…Giles, yes…" She licked her lips and met his eyes. "Kiss me…fuck my mouth…"
He growled at her words and leaned over her, whispering thickly as he lowered her mouth to hers. "Such language from such a lovely young woman…"
Any reply she was going to give was cut short as he plunged his tongue into her mouth, complying with her demand. He stroked her tongue with his, thrusting rhythmically into her mouth as he brought her closer to orgasm.
When he felt her inner walls begin to spasm around him, he broke the kiss and looked into her eyes. "Come for me…I'm so close, Buffy…come for me…"
She grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down, latching her mouth onto the side of his neck. He lost his rhythm for a moment as she sucked hard at his skin.
"Christ, Buffy…" He moaned as his fingers rolled her sensitive nipple. "Please, Buffy…come. Let me feel you…let go…"
Her fingers clenched against his neck as her orgasm crashed over her. She removed her mouth from his neck, screaming his name as he continued pounding into her. Her voice rang in his ears, driving him closer to his own climax as he felt her inner muscles convulse once more.
"God…again! Yes, Giles! Don't…don't stop…"
He grunted and pushed himself up over her, his hands on either side of her shoulders as he supported his weight. "Buffy…"
She screamed again and this time he was able to watch her as she came. Her body glistening with sweat as she thrashed beneath him…he was sure he had never seen anything as beautiful.
With that thought in mind, he groaned and called her name as his muscles tensed and he came deep within her. His head swam, he wasn't sure if it was from the alcohol he had consumed or the rush of adrenaline that coursed through him.
He swayed and then collapsed onto the mattress next to her, breathing heavily as she gasped for air. She turned her head to look at him, her body too exhausted to move.
"You…okay?"
"Mm-hm…dizzy." He reached over and pulled her closer to him. "But, I'm okay. You?"
She licked her dry lips and took a deep breath. "Yeah…God, that was intense…"
"Mm…" He mumbled, the combination of alcohol and his release quickly overtaking him.
A small smile played at her lips as she watched his eyes close. Stopping herself from brushing a lock of hair back from his forehead, she swallowed and whispered softly.
"I…should go to my room…"
He didn't open his eyes, but tightened his hold on her as he answered in a hoarse voice. "No. Stay."
She furrowed her brow, confused at his response but nodded as his arm loosened on her. "Okay."
It wasn't long before exhaustion began to take its toll on her as well. She watched him as he fell into a deep sleep before closing her own eyes.
Tomorrow would be awkward…but maybe she could make it a little less awkward for him.