"From Miles Away" - Part 1 NC17
and continues....
Summary:An unexpected Council assignment sends Buffy and Giles out of the country.
Chapter 1
“. . . and then the little pimple-faced bastard said to me that I looked a little too old to be walking around in pink pants that were too short. In front of everyone, Giles! Can you believe that?!”
Giles merely hmm’ed, and proceed to swipe the quarterstaff at Buffy’s waist. She easily avoided his attack.
“Yeah, rude much right?” Buffy responded. “They’re called Capri pants, and I’ll have you know that pink is *the* colour for this summer. I was totally in style.”
Giles hmm’ed again, and this time Buffy dropped her guard and gave him an exasperated sigh. “Giles? Are you even listening to me?”
He lowered his quarterstaff with a mixed expression of annoyance and amusement on his face. “Buffy, in case you haven’t noticed, you *are* here to train, not to talk about the latest fashion trends.”
“But Giles,” Buffy whined, “training is boring! You never want to talk while doing it. To be frank, it’s not like this is actually a challenge. I know all your moves and could probably fight them-ommpf.”
She gave him a stunned look from her new position on the floor. “-in my sleep,” she trailed off slightly embarrassed.
“That’s why, Miss Summers,” Giles answered with a laugh, “concentration is not what I would call one of your strengths.” He gave her a big grin, then offered her a hand, and pulled her up.
She grumbled a bit while getting back on her feet, especially when she saw his smug face.
The next thing he knew, she had retaliated, and now he was the one on his back, with a grinning Slayer standing over him.
“And that, Mr. Giles, is what gloating gets you!”
He used his position to swipe her feet from under her, but had clearly not thought his attack through. Buffy landed smack on top of him. Both started laughing, but to Giles’ delight she didn’t seem too eager to remove herself.
She merely straddled him and gave him an adoring grin while looking down at his face. “See Giles, now this is fun. Unproductive? Definitely! Waste of time? No way! Watcher-Slayer bonding is important, you know.”
Giles heartily agreed, but refrained from saying so. Encouraging Buffy’s playful behaviour could lead him to places he was not quite ready to deal with. He had seen the lingering looks she had been giving him no matter how hard she had tried to hide them. He was beginning to believe Buffy didn’t think of him as merely her Watcher. Furthermore, he was damn sure Buffy had some idea of his feelings for her. Lately, the line between playful banter and flirting blurred more and more between them, and he wasn’t sure how to deal with it.
He had realized several weeks ago that Buffy had started gently flirting with him. At first he hadn't really noticed it was any different than her normal teasing, and had responded in kind, happy they were forming a bond again. In fact, it had drawn them closer and he valued that. But, something made him realize she was not only teasing, she was flirtatiously interested in more than just his Watcher skills. And it was too late to stop his responses to her now.
His heart beat a little faster as Buffy placed her hands on his chest, and lightly stroked his sides. His hands moved to her thighs, and the air between them suddenly crackled with tension.
He’d responded to her hands without thinking, and it was too late to move them. The fact that she seemed to welcome it made a warm feeling spread through his body, but still he tried to resist her pull.
He knew their current environment wasn’t the most natural place to explore a budding romance, for so many reasons. He was afraid that there were too many factors that could hinder a possible romantic relationship. But as time passed, he found it harder and harder to stop from acting on his feelings. Particularly when Buffy was intensely affectionate. This was rapidly becoming one of those times.
The moment between them was shattered as the phone rang. Giles reluctantly lifted Buffy from his body and got to his feet. He gave her a small apologetic smile as he walked out of the training room and picked up the phone.
“Rupert Giles speaking.”
Buffy followed him and immediately saw his back tense as he listened to whoever was on the other line. She swiftly moved to his side to place a reassuring hand on his back, and he turned his head and gave her a stressed smile.
Several minutes passed as she listened to Giles attempting to protest whatever he was told, but when he slammed down the phone with a sigh, she knew his efforts had been futile. With a deep breath she braced herself for the news.
Nothing prepared her for his next words. “Pack your bags Buffy. We are going to Hong Kong.”
Chapter 2
“God, I am so jealous!” Willow said from her position on Buffy’s bed, where she was watching Buffy pack her suitcase.
Buffy gave her a smile and jammed her toiletry bag in to her already overstuffed luggage. “Yeah, it will be pretty great won’t it? I mean, I know this is kind of a work trip or whatever, but I’m really excited.”
The fact that her travelling companion would be her very sexy Watcher, who caused butterflies in her stomach, was something she kept to herself. She wasn’t sure how Willow would react to that tidbit of information, and since these feelings were pretty new Buffy decided against telling her best friend. Who knew? Maybe after this trip the tidbit might have evolved into a cause for renting billboard space.
She hid her happy grin of excitement. Maybe Giles finally would make a move on her. She knew he had feelings for her, and she was pretty sure he knew that she had feelings for him, as well. What was taking him so long?
With a sigh she threw herself on the bed next to Willow. Maybe she had to be the one to make a move?
Discarding her frustrating thoughts she looked over at Will. “Thanks for staying in tonight with me, by the way. I knew you had plans with Tara.”
“Oh please! Tara and I can be together tomorrow, and I wanted to spend best-buds time with you before you left. If it means getting up at four thirty in the morning to send you off - so be it.”
Buffy gave a theatrical moan and buried her head in her quilt. “Please, don’t remind me. You would think these flights would be scheduled at a decent hour.”
Willow laughed and then plopped her head down on Buffy’s pillow. “At least Giles is doing the driving to the airport, so maybe you can snooze while he drives?”
“Yeah, I guess.” was Buffy’s answer.
“So who is the Council sending over here to deal with the Hellmouth while Giles and you are gallivanting about in Hong Kong?” Willow asked as she inspected a fingernail.
“I don’t know. When I asked Giles all that came out was a lot of grumbling and an occasional ‘pillock’ here and there so I gave up. All I know is that there are four of them armed to the teeth with weapons. Giles refused to let anyone sent by Travers put their hands on his precious weapons collection.”
Both shared a grin as they thought about Giles’ obsession with his weapons.
“Has Giles told you yet how long you guys will be gone?’
Buffy shook her head. “Nope, he doesn’t know. For Dawn’s sake I hope it won’t take too long. It’s tough on her. Our dad still treats her like she’s eleven. Still I can’t help but hope for some time away - I haven’t been abroad before, and I’d like some time to take in the sights. I guess it all depends on how long it will take to check out this so-called new *wonder* potential and her Watcher. But Giles figured a week at the most.”
Willow smiled as she heard the distaste in Buffy’s voice. Someone was apparently a little miffed that the Council was viewing this potential as top priority.
“What was her name again?” Willow asked innocently. Getting a rise out of Buffy was just too easy sometimes. Giles was the only other person she knew who could make Buffy rise to the bait this fast.
“Ming or Ling or something like that. I don’t remember and I don’t care.” Buffy spat out.
“Hmm, I thought it was Li Wei - it means ‘beautiful rose’ you know.” Willow added nonchalantly.
Buffy immediately glared at her, but her frown disappeared when she saw Willow’s playful look.
“Willow! You’re enjoying this way too much!”
Willow evaded a stuffed flying pig aimed at her head. “Absolutely. What? You can dish it, but you can’t take it? Come on Buffy, just admit it. This new wonder kid really irks you.”
Buffy blushed and then gave an embarrassed chuckle. “Okay, she does. I was never considered a wonder kid. I guess I’m a little jealous.”
“Well, there’s no reason for that. You are the Chosen One, you know, and a pretty amazing one if I say so myself.”
That earned her a big hug from Buffy. “Thanks Will, you’re the bestest bud a girl can have.”
As they settled back down on the bed, Willow continued her questions. “So what has Giles told you about this girl?”
“Not much really, he said he didn’t know that much about her. Only that she was 17, and her Watcher is some Italian guy in his early thirties who’s in charge of the Council’s East Asian branch. Apparently Giles knows him, and he was not referred to as a ‘pillock’ so I guess that’s good.”
They shared another smile. Buffy looked at her watch and her eyebrows rose when she saw how late it was. “Come on let’s try to get some sleep before Mr. Prim and Proper shows up at an ungodly hour.”
Chapter 3
Giles drew a weary hand through his hair as he walked up the stairs to Revello Drive. He gave a big yawn as he rang the door bell. He heard Buffy stomp down the stairs, and then the door opened, showing a bleary eyed Slayer watching him with a disgruntled look.
“Grrr, Giles” she grumbled. “I can’t believe you actually showed. A small part of me hoped you would take pity on your poor Slayer and reschedule the flight.”
“No such luck, I’m afraid,” he said with a tired smile. “Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah, all packed, but I warn you I won’t be the best travelling companion. I didn’t get much sleep last night. Just the thought of how long our trip is going to take is putting me in a pretty crappy mood.”
He only gave a slight chuckle and surprised her by pulling her into his arms for a comforting embrace. She immediately snuggled up to his chest and circled his waist with her arms in a tight hug.
“I’m sure you will be a delight,” he said into her hair. “Don’t worry, we can catch up on our sleep on the plane. The trip is rather long, I’m afraid.”
Buffy didn’t have the energy to respond, merely snuggled closer. Several minutes passed, and neither seemed to want to let the other go. However, both knew they had to leave soon. Buffy whimpered a little when he patted her back to let her know they should get going.
“I wish we could stay right here” Buffy mumbled into his chest before letting him go.
Whether she was indicating Sunnydale or within each others’ arms Giles wasn’t sure, so he gave her a noncommittal answer. “Me too, but we should leave.”
He stepped away from her and glanced up the stairs. “Willow’s not sending you off?”
“Nope, she fought the alarm clock with a passion, so I decide to leave her alone. I left a goodbye note for her.”
“Alright then, where’s your bag?”
Buffy gave him an incredulous look. “*Bag*? Have you never travelled with women before? A weekend trip requires a bag. Anything longer than that needs a suitcase!”
She pointed into the living room, where a very large suitcase stuffed to its limits stood. Giles rolled his eyes and went to pick it up.
“I can carry it myself you know, hello, Slayer.”
Giles hauled the suitcase past her. “Indulge me. I was raised a gentleman.”
Buffy followed him with a smile, and closed the door behind her as he complained about the weight of her suitcase the entire way to the car.
Gentleman indeed, Buffy thought.
*****
Soon after settling into his car she fell asleep. Giles woke her when they arrived at the Los Angeles airport, and quickly guided her to their flight for Vancouver, where they would catch a connecting flight to Hong Kong. Had she been more awake she probably would have enjoyed the gentle pressure of Giles’ hand on her shoulder as he steered her away from baggage trolleys and grumpy fellow travellers. Still feeling tired and disoriented she promptly fell asleep against Giles’ shoulder seconds after the plane had taken off. Whether he slept or not she had no idea. She proceeded to sleep through the entire flight.
Giles woke her as they began to descend. She was a little annoyed that she’d slept through the pleasure of being cradled against Giles’s chest. He seemed to have put his arm around her sometime during the flight. He explained that they would have a three-hour lay-over, but that the Council had arranged access to the executive lounge. They would be able to freshen up, get some food and rest while waiting for the announcement that their plane was boarding.
Buffy excused herself to use the bathroom when they got to the lounge, while Giles made himself comfortable in a secluded lounge chair with a newspaper.
Chapter 4
Buffy wouldn’t have been Buffy if her ‘I’ll be back in a few’ hadn’t turned into twenty minutes, but Giles wouldn’t have had it any other way. He was more than happy to catch up on current affairs, a luxury he seldom had time for in Sunnydale.
He lowered his newspaper when he heard footsteps coming his way. Buffy arrived carrying a couple of plates filled with a range of assortments, and a shiny smile on her face that made his heart clench.
“Here you go Giles.” She put the plates piled high with crackers, cheese and fruit down on the small table in front of him. “I figured you were as hungry as I am, so I brought enough for both of us!”
Before she had a chance to sit down, he got up and took her by complete surprise as he leaned towards her and placed a short but sweet kiss on her lips.
“Thank you” he murmured, grabbed an apple, and without glancing at her, he sat back down and picked up his newspaper with a small smile playing on his lips.
For the life of him, he couldn’t make out any words on the page that he was pretending to read. His heart was beating furiously with anticipation, and he tried his hardest to keep his erratic breathing under to control. He silently hoped he was holding the paper the right side up. Even though his nerves were strained to breaking, he was certain he’d done the right thing. He would have never taken a liberty with Buffy if he wasn’t sure it would be well received. But now he waited for Buffy to respond. Come on Buffy, your move!
Several moments passed before he heard her sit down next to him on the couch. He refused his impulse to look at her, forcing his body to look relaxed to appear completely at ease, even though he had just taken the first step to completely changing their relationship.
When he heard her call his name he concentrated as hard as he could on the words that were dancing in front of his eyes, and answered with what he hoped sounded like a distracted, “mmm?”
“Giles!” she repeated, exasperated, and grabbed the newspaper away from him.
He gave her an adoring smile. “May I help you?”
She looked at him incredulously. “You kissed me.”
As he answered he let a finger trail slowly down her cheek, “Yes, I did.”
“And….?” she asked as if he was meant to give her all the answers.
“And what?”
“Giles!”
The tone of her voice made him chuckle. “I am sorry, did you not want me to?”
The direct question took her completely by surprise. She decided to give him an honest answer. “Yes, actually, I did, but then you nochantly . . .“
“Nonchalantly,” he shot with a grin that earned him a glare, as she continued.
“. . . act like nothing happened.”
Seeing her frustration he decided to stop his teasing. “I am sorry Buffy; I won’t act like it didn’t happen, because it did. It was bloody marvellous, and I would like to kiss you again.” Thankfully she seemed to forget her frustration. She beamed at him and placed a hand on his cheek.
“I’d like that” she whispered before she pressed her lips to his.
The brief kiss he had initiated a few minutes earlier had been wonderful, but nothing had prepared him for how it felt to have Buffy kiss him back. Her lips were soft and fitted his perfectly.
He felt her hand glide along his cheek to bury itself in his hair. She tugged him closer and increased the pressure of their pressed together mouths. He twisted slightly in his seat so he could place an arm around her and pulled her body closer to his, then let his tongue trace the seam of her mouth. She immediately opened up for him, and soon their tongues were twisting and tangling together.
The taste of her sent him into a sensual overload. He wanted to whisk her away to a bed, kiss her crazy with desire and bury himself deeply inside her, letting the pleasure rise until they sensed nothing but all consuming passion.
He felt like he was drowning in the heat coming from her, but when she moaned into his mouth he snapped back to reality and regretfully released her lips. He looked down at her, noticing her lips looked softer and fuller than they had just a little while ago. As if she had absorbed some of the passion that had run through him.
“Oh my God,” she said breathlessly with a smile, “we are in so much trouble.” He took a couple of deep breaths to clear his head and nodded, immensely pleased at the desire in her eyes.
“Can’t wait to get into more trouble with you,” she whispered mischievously. He laughed and placed his forehead on hers, briefly brushing her lips with his.
“Neither can I.”
“But we should probably take this slow huh?” Buffy asked, knowing full well what he was thinking.
“As much as I hate to admit it, I think you’re right.” He said ruefully.
She playfully whacked his chest. Then she let her hand dive under his suit jacket while she snuggled her face into his neck. Her breath on his skin made him shiver, and he held back a gasp and tightened his hold on her when her hand brushed against his nipples. For a long time they remained within each others’ arms without a word. The step they had taken was monumental, but both felt it was the right one.
When their heartbeats returned to normal Buffy broke the silence. “How are we going to pull this off Giles?”
He knew what she was really asking. How would their friends react? How would it affect their professional relationship? What would happen if the Council found out?
“Are you having second thoughts?” he asked, the worry poorly hidden in his tone.
She lifted her head so she could look him in the eyes and calmly answered, “No, not at all. But I’m guessing you can get into a lot more trouble than I can. Giles, you can get fired, again. Or deported.”
Touched by her concern, he once again brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. “It’s worth the risk.” He leaned down to kiss her again.
“Bloody worth it!” he growled when he let her lips go. She gave him a relieved smile and snuggled closer.
They sat like that for the remainder of their wait, occasionally caressing and kissing. Neither let the kisses deepen. They realised how much they affected each other and kept their interactions purposefully light. Wordlessly both knew an airport lounge was not the right time or place for anything more. When the airline announced that their plane was ready to board, both gathered their carry-ons and walked hand in hand to the gate.
Chapter 5
Since the plane wasn’t full they got a three-seater entirely to themselves. Giles offered the window seat to Buffy, but she hotly refused.
She explained, “Giles, I may be forced to accept being crammed into a small tin can high up in the air to get where we’re going, but I will not be forced to watch the ground come rushing towards me if we crash.” Giles rolled his eyes playfully, but he was more than happy to accept.
The first half of their trip went by in a hurry. They talked while eating their meal and snuggled together to watch the in-flight movie. The fact that it was a romance seemed only fitting.
When the movie was over and the cabin lights were turned off, Giles felt Buffy shift restlessly in her seat. “Are you alright?” he asked as he pulled her closer.
“Yeah, it’s just that I’m wide awake, and I don’t want to bother the other passengers by turning on the overhead light so I can read.”
Giles got an impish look in his eyes. “I think I can keep you distracted. . . ” he whispered against her ear, before he took possession of her mouth.
Hidden by the dark, their kisses turned into a major make out session. This time they didn’t stop with mouths, but let their hands roam each others’ bodies. They pressed closer as waves of lust came over them, and kissed deeper, harder.
Buffy moaned into his mouth. She’d dreamed of this for so long. Dreamed of kissing his lips. Dreamed of being held in his arms. Dreamed of making love to him. God, she wanted him. Needed him. His hands travelled down her spine, and she could feel one of his moans vibrate through his chest as he pressed her close.
When both became slightly daring with their touches, Buffy grabbed the complementary flight blanket and covered them. Just in case a stewardess passed their way. As soon as they were covered, Buffy immediately went for Giles’ shirt, tugging it out of his pants so she could explore his chest. He, in turn, moved one hand under her shirt to stroke the bare skin of her lower back, while the other caressed her upper thigh.
When her hand dropped down past the edge of his shirt, she accidentally brushed against his erection, and he tore his mouth away from hers to draw in a big gulp of air.
“Christ!” was all that came out through his clenched teeth.
His exclamation made her jump in her seat and his hand was pulled from beneath her top. He let it settle on her waist while he leaned his forehead against hers and took deep breaths.
“Maybe we should stop,” she whispered in an uncertain voice. “It’s not really fair to tease you like this.” Looking down she continued, “I’ve realised guys don’t really like that.”
Giles immediately took gentle hold of her chin, raising her head so he could look into her eyes. He knew Buffy acted as if she had all the sexual experience in the world, but he couldn’t believe the men she’d been with had been so single minded.
“Buffy” he said gently. “Teasing is good. It’s sweet. It’s a way to take things slow while still being satisfying. I don’t know who told you that teasing isn’t fair, but I can tell you that he was wrong.”
At Buffy’s telltale blush, he knew his suspicions were right. If Riley had been in front of him he wouldn’t have thought twice about trashing him. After giving her a comforting kiss, he continued.
“You can tease me as much as you want and I promise you, I will never get angry or impatient. I’m not saying that your touch doesn’t drive me crazy, because it does.” That earned him a smile. “But it’s a good crazy. I know you aren’t trying to be cruel on purpose.”
She gave him a relieved smile. “No, I wouldn’t do that to you.”
After some internal debate he continued. “You know Buffy, you aren’t the only one with insecurities. To have you touch me like this - to have your hands travel restlessly over me - does wonders to my ego. It makes me feel wanted; like you can’t keep your hands off me.” He finished with an impish smile that earned him a giggle.
“You *are* quite difficult to keep my hands off of.” She growled playfully.
They shared a short kiss, before Giles pulled back again. “This kind of teasing is good. We have the perfect opportunity to find out more about each other. I intend to spend a great deal of time finding the places that drive you crazy. I hope you will find mine. Besides, it builds up a passion between us that will make our release so much sweeter.”
Her eyes darkened at his words. She pressed close to him and gave him a mind-blowing kiss that left him gasping for air.
When their breathing was under control she laughed, “Who are we kidding? We’re riddled with passion. No build-up needed here.”
He grinned at her, pulled her body closer to his and softly stroked her hair. For a long time he continued his caresses and let the monotone rumble from the plane’s engines ease them both into sleep.
Chapter 6
When the plane touched the ground late in the evening, Buffy and Giles felt utterly exhausted. Although they had slept, it had been restless, and their lengthy trip was getting to them. Wearily they got their luggage, made it through the passport control without any delays, and stumbled into a cab.
Buffy was too tired to appreciate the interesting surroundings and luxurious hotel the Council had booked for them. She barely looked out the window of the cab during their ride through the city and she let Giles check them in as she dozed in the lobby. They had two adjoining rooms on the fifteenth floor. They merely dropped their luggage off, without taking a second look, and headed downstairs again to grab a quick bite to eat in the hotel restaurant.
While waiting for their food to arrive Giles gave Buffy an extra keycard to his room. Suddenly she realised why Giles’ door was always unlocked back home in Sunnydale. He needed to make sure she could get to him anytime she needed to. Her eyes threatened to tear up at the gesture.
She looked into his eyes and knew he had realised what she had figured out. They both shared a smile. In order to prevent an emotional conversation - unwise considering how tired they were - she decided to break the moment by making a cheeky remark.
“You know Giles, this isn’t the subtlest of come-ons.”
“Oh, you saw right through that, did you?” he laughed, immediately understanding what she had done. “I am apparently out of practice.”
She let her foot run up his calf as she said mischievously. “I’m a more than willing practice subject, you know.”
He opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted when the waiter brought their food, and decided to let her comment lie. For now. The look he gave her made that very clear, and she grinned in response.
*****
After dinner they took the elevator back upstairs. Buffy gave him a brief kiss outside their rooms and told him she would stop by to say goodnight after she took a shower.
When she let herself into his room thirty minutes later, she found Giles passed out on his bed in his boxers; apparently too tired to have put on his pyjamas or get under the covers. Deciding there was no other place she’d rather be, she turned off the lights, crawled into bed with him and cuddled close to his body. In matter of seconds she was breathing as deeply as he was.
*****
He woke in the middle of the night, feeling cold on one side, and it took a few seconds to realise where he was and why. When he got up and looked back at Buffy lying on his bed, his heart lurched at how right it was. He let himself daydream for a second about having Buffy in his bed every night and waking up to her every morning, but snapped himself out of it when he felt his body respond. Now was not the time for such fantasies.
He turned down the comforter on one side and picked Buffy up in his arms. He placed her under the covers before he let himself in from the other side, so he wouldn’t jar her. Still, he couldn’t help but snuggle close, and fell asleep with a soft smile when Buffy shifted her head to rest on his chest and put her arm around his waist. Yes, he could definitely get used to this.
Chapter 7
Giles was pulled from a deep sleep by the ringing of the phone, and gave his watch a quick glance before answering. It was eight thirty, and he wondered who was calling at this hour. Buffy still seemed to be asleep, so he rolled away from her and answered the phone in a hushed voice.
“Rupert Giles.”
It was Frederico Galianto, Li Wei’s Watcher, a man that Giles had met on a couple of occasions. He was one of the few Watchers that Giles truly liked. He apologized for calling so early, but offered them an early lunch. Both Watchers knew their Slayers were a bit hesitant about meeting and wanted to make it as pleasurable as possible.
While discussing time and place with Frederico, Giles suddenly felt Buffy drape an arm across his waist and place butterfly kisses on his back between his shoulder blades. His body tingled and his penis immediately hardened.
He felt his focus drift from the rambling of the other Watcher; who had begun to excitedly talk about how wonderful Hong Kong was and how much the city had to offer.
Suddenly there was a knock on his door, and Buffy immediately got up to answer it. He could hear her talking to someone, but the chatter in his other ear made it impossible to hear her exact words. Frederico apparently also heard her talking and asked Giles if someone else was there in a curious voice.
Giles mumbled something about the maid, and it seemed to settle the other Watcher’s curiosity. He felt bad for lying to someone who was not only a colleague but also a friend, but right now he was not ready to share his relationship with anyone.
He looked over his shoulder when he heard Buffy come back, and saw her bringing a room service cart with breakfast for both of them. He had forgotten he had ordered it last night, while waiting for Buffy to finish her shower, right before falling asleep.
She gave him a sunny smile and took a glass of juice back into bed. She took a few sips and reached over his shoulder to place the glass on his night-table, pressing her breasts against his bare back. His mouth went dry, and quickly reached out for the juice and took some large gulps.
When Buffy returned to her earlier ministrations and began kissing his back, he decided to cut the conversation short, and interrupted Frederico mid-sentence. His voice got strangled when Buffy moved to his neck, and he could feel her smile against his skin as he spoke.
“Frederico. Ah, can we resume this conversation at lunch? I have some rather pressing matters I need to attend to.”
The other watcher agreed and confirmed he and Li Wei would meet them at the hotel. Giles managed some last second pleasantries before he hung up the phone and flipped around to pounce on Buffy. His Slayer shrieked in delight.
“Bloody hell woman, are you trying to give me a heart attack?” he playfully admonished before taking her mouth with vigour. She tasted of oranges and smelled like vanilla, and it made his head spin with desire. Nether noticed that the phone wasn’t properly placed in the cradle.
*****
Frederico heard their last exchange, and it made his eyebrows almost shoot off his forehead. The last thing he’d heard, Rupert Giles was still single, but there was no doubt in his mind about the man’s last exclamation.
Resisting the urge to listen further and maybe find out who this woman was, he hung up the phone and went to find Li Wei. He would find out soon enough.
Chapter 8
Buffy felt a twinge of excitement when Giles’ breath caressed and warmed her neck. He used his body to push her further into the mattress. She moaned in yearning as the heat from his body ignited flames through her body. Once again he directed her mouth to his, and covered her lips, indicating a longing he didn’t even bother to hide. She eagerly parted her lips and let his tongue in.
The need to feel his skin against hers severely threatened all rational thought, and Buffy shivered as a tinge of desperation for him ran though her. Promising herself she wouldn’t let it go too far, she pulled away from his mouth and watched him through hooded eyes as she pulled off her tank top.
For a second Giles was worried that things were getting out of hand too fast, but after their conversation yesterday on the plane, he was fairly sure Buffy knew exactly what she was doing. Both had expressed that they wanted to take this slowly, although apparently not *that* slow. He trusted Buffy’s control, and he would use his should she loose hers. For now he just enjoyed the feel of her skin and the taste of her mouth.
They took their time as they explored each other. Although both were incredibly aroused they wanted to savour this moment, letting their hands and mouths trail slowly over each other’s upper bodies.
At some point Buffy started stroking his back down to the edge of his boxers, and Giles placed a hand on her hip as he rolled her on her back and covered her groin with his. When Buffy pressed herself into his pulsating manhood, Giles raised himself on his arms and lifted his body from her.
“We need to stop,” he gasped. Both knew they had reached a crucial point and regretfully stopped before they went any further. They shared occasional slow tender kisses as they willed their bodies to calm, and were surprised when they realised how much time had passed since they had woken up.
Since they were going to an early lunch, they decided to skip breakfast. When Giles told Buffy they were meeting the others in an hour, she shot up from the bed, put on her top in a hurry and headed for the door. She explained over her shoulder that she was heading over to her room to shower and dress.
Just as she reached his door, he called out in a voice that made her stop dead in her tracks.
“WAIT!”
She slowly turned around and watched him crawl to the edge of his bed on his knees. He ordered, “Come back here.”
She followed is ‘order’ and came to a halt in front of him. “Yes sir, may I help you with anything?”
He suddenly grabbed her, pulled her into his bed, and covered her body with his as he growled against her mouth. “I wasn’t finished with you. I want another ten minutes.”
Before she had a chance to reply her mouth was fully captured by his. Some minutes later his kisses moved down her neck to place a love bite. Surprised, Buffy accidentally kneed him in his groin as she writhed beneath him.
His painful yell bounced off the walls of the hotel room. Instinctively she moved her hand to his penis to soothe his pain, and they both froze.
Despite his pain, he managed to give a tense laugh. “That’s not helping.”
They both started laughing. She removed her hand and gave him an apologetic kiss.
When she was sure he was all right, and had no permanent damage, she got up from the bed. With a last longing look at his face, she hurried over to her own room to take a very cold shower. Giles decided he needed one as well.
*****
A few minutes before they were meant to meet the others downstairs, Giles knocked on her door. He took her hand as they walked towards the elevator. Inside they shared a last lingering kiss, knowing without discussing it that they needed to keep an appearance of a professional relationship in front of the others, to prevent the Council from finding out the true nature of their feelings.
Chapter 9
Although Buffy knew she was being irrational, she couldn’t help envying Li Wei. And Li Wei had been sure Buffy was going to be arrogant and act like her worst teacher, with an “I know best, I am the Chosen One” attitude.
Both women shook hands with a little apprehension in their eyes and were pleasantly surprised to find each other . . . well . . . kind of cool. From that point on the first meeting between Li Wei and Buffy had gone well. Despite cultural differences they had a lot in common, and in no time Giles and Frederico were being completely ignored at lunch for the sake of a Slayer bonding session.
After their meal Frederico suggested they all walk to their training studio, instead of taking a cab, so the newcomers would see more of the city. Soon enough, Buffy found herself walking by Victoria Harbour next to Giles at a leisurely pace a few feet behind the others.
She had to hold back a laugh as she saw how taken the other Watcher and Slayer seemed to be with each other. She gave Giles a nudge and said in a quiet humorous voice. “Looks like you aren’t the only Watcher who’s smitten with his Slayer.”
To her devastation, Giles snorted. “I am not *smitten* with my Slayer.”
When he saw the hurt look on her face, he took a hold of her upper arm to make her stop and look at him.
“Buffy, I am not smitten with you. This is not some kind of schoolboy’s crush.” He stepped closer to her. “To be completely honest, I am very close to falling head over heals in love with you.”
For a short moment he was worried he had revealed too much, but his fear evaporated when Buffy gave him a huge happy smile. She took a hold of his suit lapels and pulled him close.
“You can’t say something like that and expect me not to kiss you.”
He glanced quickly at Frederico and Li Wei, who were completely oblivious to the fact that their guests had stopped, and pulled her into a hug. He placed a kiss on her cheek.
“Soon enough.” he whispered.
With a long look, full of unspoken promises, Giles nudged her to turn around so they could catch up with the others. Both had been so engrossed with each other they had completely missed the wide-eyed stare of Frederico, who had turned around just as they hugged to make sure they were still following.
******
The sparring session between Buffy and Li Wei was most interesting. Both Giles and Buffy could tell that, although Li Wei had immense potential, she was inexperienced and clumsy. Buffy held back on much of her strength as well, something she was sure that Giles would notice. They trained for hours, testing multiple weapons and fighting styles, until finally Frederico called a halt.
Giles suspected Frederico hadn’t appreciated Buffy trying to teach Li Wei the importance of sassing the vampires. With a frantic interruption he had cut Buffy off mid-sentence, and distracted her with the suggestion they meet later for dinner. Giles could tell Buffy immediately saw through Frederico’s defences, but with a warning look from Giles she relented and happily agreed to dinner.
*****
The remainder of the day Giles and Buffy took in as many of the tourist sites of Hong Kong they could manage. Since Giles had been in Hong Kong before, he had vast knowledge, and he revelled in the fact that Buffy seemed to hang on every one of his words.
He wasn’t sure whether she was actually listening to what he was saying, or just watching his mouth move. Either way it didn’t matter, he just loved spending some alone time with her, and when he felt Buffy lose her focus, he brought her back by putting *her* mouth to use.
*****
They returned to their hotel late in the afternoon, and when they stepped out of the elevator on their floor, Giles found himself dragged into Buffy’s room.
“Buffy, I thought you said in the elevator you were planning on using the spa before we met Li Wei and Frederico for dinner?” Giles asked breathlessly in between her enthusiastic kisses. Buffy pushed him down on the bed, and launched herself at him.
“True, but you haven’t seen my room yet, and that simply wouldn’t do.”
He laughed against her lips when she brushed them against his. “But I am not seeing your room. I am completely unable to keep my eyes open when you kiss me - it is just too delightful.”
Buffy pulled back and straddled his waist. As if she was showing him one of the bedrooms at the Taj Mahal, she dramatically opened her arms and asked playfully. “Seen enough?”
Before he had a chance to respond she lowered her face to his and took his mouth with gusto. He barely managed to mumble “sod your room”, before rolling her over so he could return the pleasurable kiss. Within minutes his shirt was gone, and one of his hands was beneath her top, covering one of her breasts. When Buffy started tugging on his pants, Giles reluctantly pulled away.
“This is not the time or place, love.”
Buffy stroked his hair back from his forehead and answered in an intimate whisper that sent shivers down his back. “I know, but like I told you on the plane, you are very hard to keep my hands off of.”
He dropped his mouth to hers so he could have another quick taste of her. “So are you.” When he had had his fill, he brushed his nose with hers and gave it a quick peck before rising.
“Come on, you have a date with the spa, and I am planning on trying out the gym downstairs.” At her playful pout he pulled her into a hug and placed a small kiss on her neck. “And I am sure after dinner, we can resume some of these delightful activities. I mean, I still haven’t really *seen* your room. I may need to do some exploring later.”
Seeing his wicked grin, Buffy couldn’t help but respond with one of her own. “Anything to keep the Watcher in you satisfied.”
With a growl he crushed his mouth to hers, but before she was able to change his mind about doing the exploring later he managed to pull away. “I’ll see you later, love.”
*****
When Buffy returned to her room after getting a manicure and pedicure, she found a note from Giles taped to her door. He suggested, no, practically ordered, her to take a nap so she would be fully rested for ALL of their evening activities, and noted he would meet her in the hotel bar at seven thirty.
With a mischievous smile, she figured it was time for payback. Rupert Giles would regret the day he almost told her he loved her and then denied her a kiss! And she had the perfect dress to punish him with.
******
Giles was nursing a scotch as he patiently waited for Buffy to get ready. The vision he suddenly saw coming towards him almost made him choke on his drink. Her smoky red silk dress stopped just above her knee, with a short split on one side. It hugged every curve of her slim figure, but not indecently so. He had never seen anything more beautiful and sexy in his entire life.
He muttered, “Blast it,” as he rose form his seat. When she was near enough to touch, he pulled her close and let his hand stroke her cheek as he brushed her mouth with his.
“Giles, what are you doing?” She worriedly asked, glancing around the bar to make sure no one saw them.
He gave her another soft kiss and murmured. “You can not show up looking like that and expect me not to kiss you.”
She laughed and met his lips briefly with hers before she took a seat next to him. “Well, now I guess you know how it feels.” She said smugly.
For the next half hour they fully enjoyed each other’s company, and reluctantly left when it was time to meet Li Wei and Frederico. Ever since they had started this new phase of their relationship there seemed to be constant interruptions, and right now all they wanted was to be alone.
Continued here
Nominated for Best Romance & Best New Author at the Bodice Ripper Awards
Nominated for Best Drama at the Shades of Grey Awards
Summary:An unexpected Council assignment sends Buffy and Giles out of the country.
Chapter 1
“. . . and then the little pimple-faced bastard said to me that I looked a little too old to be walking around in pink pants that were too short. In front of everyone, Giles! Can you believe that?!”
Giles merely hmm’ed, and proceed to swipe the quarterstaff at Buffy’s waist. She easily avoided his attack.
“Yeah, rude much right?” Buffy responded. “They’re called Capri pants, and I’ll have you know that pink is *the* colour for this summer. I was totally in style.”
Giles hmm’ed again, and this time Buffy dropped her guard and gave him an exasperated sigh. “Giles? Are you even listening to me?”
He lowered his quarterstaff with a mixed expression of annoyance and amusement on his face. “Buffy, in case you haven’t noticed, you *are* here to train, not to talk about the latest fashion trends.”
“But Giles,” Buffy whined, “training is boring! You never want to talk while doing it. To be frank, it’s not like this is actually a challenge. I know all your moves and could probably fight them-ommpf.”
She gave him a stunned look from her new position on the floor. “-in my sleep,” she trailed off slightly embarrassed.
“That’s why, Miss Summers,” Giles answered with a laugh, “concentration is not what I would call one of your strengths.” He gave her a big grin, then offered her a hand, and pulled her up.
She grumbled a bit while getting back on her feet, especially when she saw his smug face.
The next thing he knew, she had retaliated, and now he was the one on his back, with a grinning Slayer standing over him.
“And that, Mr. Giles, is what gloating gets you!”
He used his position to swipe her feet from under her, but had clearly not thought his attack through. Buffy landed smack on top of him. Both started laughing, but to Giles’ delight she didn’t seem too eager to remove herself.
She merely straddled him and gave him an adoring grin while looking down at his face. “See Giles, now this is fun. Unproductive? Definitely! Waste of time? No way! Watcher-Slayer bonding is important, you know.”
Giles heartily agreed, but refrained from saying so. Encouraging Buffy’s playful behaviour could lead him to places he was not quite ready to deal with. He had seen the lingering looks she had been giving him no matter how hard she had tried to hide them. He was beginning to believe Buffy didn’t think of him as merely her Watcher. Furthermore, he was damn sure Buffy had some idea of his feelings for her. Lately, the line between playful banter and flirting blurred more and more between them, and he wasn’t sure how to deal with it.
He had realized several weeks ago that Buffy had started gently flirting with him. At first he hadn't really noticed it was any different than her normal teasing, and had responded in kind, happy they were forming a bond again. In fact, it had drawn them closer and he valued that. But, something made him realize she was not only teasing, she was flirtatiously interested in more than just his Watcher skills. And it was too late to stop his responses to her now.
His heart beat a little faster as Buffy placed her hands on his chest, and lightly stroked his sides. His hands moved to her thighs, and the air between them suddenly crackled with tension.
He’d responded to her hands without thinking, and it was too late to move them. The fact that she seemed to welcome it made a warm feeling spread through his body, but still he tried to resist her pull.
He knew their current environment wasn’t the most natural place to explore a budding romance, for so many reasons. He was afraid that there were too many factors that could hinder a possible romantic relationship. But as time passed, he found it harder and harder to stop from acting on his feelings. Particularly when Buffy was intensely affectionate. This was rapidly becoming one of those times.
The moment between them was shattered as the phone rang. Giles reluctantly lifted Buffy from his body and got to his feet. He gave her a small apologetic smile as he walked out of the training room and picked up the phone.
“Rupert Giles speaking.”
Buffy followed him and immediately saw his back tense as he listened to whoever was on the other line. She swiftly moved to his side to place a reassuring hand on his back, and he turned his head and gave her a stressed smile.
Several minutes passed as she listened to Giles attempting to protest whatever he was told, but when he slammed down the phone with a sigh, she knew his efforts had been futile. With a deep breath she braced herself for the news.
Nothing prepared her for his next words. “Pack your bags Buffy. We are going to Hong Kong.”
Chapter 2
“God, I am so jealous!” Willow said from her position on Buffy’s bed, where she was watching Buffy pack her suitcase.
Buffy gave her a smile and jammed her toiletry bag in to her already overstuffed luggage. “Yeah, it will be pretty great won’t it? I mean, I know this is kind of a work trip or whatever, but I’m really excited.”
The fact that her travelling companion would be her very sexy Watcher, who caused butterflies in her stomach, was something she kept to herself. She wasn’t sure how Willow would react to that tidbit of information, and since these feelings were pretty new Buffy decided against telling her best friend. Who knew? Maybe after this trip the tidbit might have evolved into a cause for renting billboard space.
She hid her happy grin of excitement. Maybe Giles finally would make a move on her. She knew he had feelings for her, and she was pretty sure he knew that she had feelings for him, as well. What was taking him so long?
With a sigh she threw herself on the bed next to Willow. Maybe she had to be the one to make a move?
Discarding her frustrating thoughts she looked over at Will. “Thanks for staying in tonight with me, by the way. I knew you had plans with Tara.”
“Oh please! Tara and I can be together tomorrow, and I wanted to spend best-buds time with you before you left. If it means getting up at four thirty in the morning to send you off - so be it.”
Buffy gave a theatrical moan and buried her head in her quilt. “Please, don’t remind me. You would think these flights would be scheduled at a decent hour.”
Willow laughed and then plopped her head down on Buffy’s pillow. “At least Giles is doing the driving to the airport, so maybe you can snooze while he drives?”
“Yeah, I guess.” was Buffy’s answer.
“So who is the Council sending over here to deal with the Hellmouth while Giles and you are gallivanting about in Hong Kong?” Willow asked as she inspected a fingernail.
“I don’t know. When I asked Giles all that came out was a lot of grumbling and an occasional ‘pillock’ here and there so I gave up. All I know is that there are four of them armed to the teeth with weapons. Giles refused to let anyone sent by Travers put their hands on his precious weapons collection.”
Both shared a grin as they thought about Giles’ obsession with his weapons.
“Has Giles told you yet how long you guys will be gone?’
Buffy shook her head. “Nope, he doesn’t know. For Dawn’s sake I hope it won’t take too long. It’s tough on her. Our dad still treats her like she’s eleven. Still I can’t help but hope for some time away - I haven’t been abroad before, and I’d like some time to take in the sights. I guess it all depends on how long it will take to check out this so-called new *wonder* potential and her Watcher. But Giles figured a week at the most.”
Willow smiled as she heard the distaste in Buffy’s voice. Someone was apparently a little miffed that the Council was viewing this potential as top priority.
“What was her name again?” Willow asked innocently. Getting a rise out of Buffy was just too easy sometimes. Giles was the only other person she knew who could make Buffy rise to the bait this fast.
“Ming or Ling or something like that. I don’t remember and I don’t care.” Buffy spat out.
“Hmm, I thought it was Li Wei - it means ‘beautiful rose’ you know.” Willow added nonchalantly.
Buffy immediately glared at her, but her frown disappeared when she saw Willow’s playful look.
“Willow! You’re enjoying this way too much!”
Willow evaded a stuffed flying pig aimed at her head. “Absolutely. What? You can dish it, but you can’t take it? Come on Buffy, just admit it. This new wonder kid really irks you.”
Buffy blushed and then gave an embarrassed chuckle. “Okay, she does. I was never considered a wonder kid. I guess I’m a little jealous.”
“Well, there’s no reason for that. You are the Chosen One, you know, and a pretty amazing one if I say so myself.”
That earned her a big hug from Buffy. “Thanks Will, you’re the bestest bud a girl can have.”
As they settled back down on the bed, Willow continued her questions. “So what has Giles told you about this girl?”
“Not much really, he said he didn’t know that much about her. Only that she was 17, and her Watcher is some Italian guy in his early thirties who’s in charge of the Council’s East Asian branch. Apparently Giles knows him, and he was not referred to as a ‘pillock’ so I guess that’s good.”
They shared another smile. Buffy looked at her watch and her eyebrows rose when she saw how late it was. “Come on let’s try to get some sleep before Mr. Prim and Proper shows up at an ungodly hour.”
Chapter 3
Giles drew a weary hand through his hair as he walked up the stairs to Revello Drive. He gave a big yawn as he rang the door bell. He heard Buffy stomp down the stairs, and then the door opened, showing a bleary eyed Slayer watching him with a disgruntled look.
“Grrr, Giles” she grumbled. “I can’t believe you actually showed. A small part of me hoped you would take pity on your poor Slayer and reschedule the flight.”
“No such luck, I’m afraid,” he said with a tired smile. “Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah, all packed, but I warn you I won’t be the best travelling companion. I didn’t get much sleep last night. Just the thought of how long our trip is going to take is putting me in a pretty crappy mood.”
He only gave a slight chuckle and surprised her by pulling her into his arms for a comforting embrace. She immediately snuggled up to his chest and circled his waist with her arms in a tight hug.
“I’m sure you will be a delight,” he said into her hair. “Don’t worry, we can catch up on our sleep on the plane. The trip is rather long, I’m afraid.”
Buffy didn’t have the energy to respond, merely snuggled closer. Several minutes passed, and neither seemed to want to let the other go. However, both knew they had to leave soon. Buffy whimpered a little when he patted her back to let her know they should get going.
“I wish we could stay right here” Buffy mumbled into his chest before letting him go.
Whether she was indicating Sunnydale or within each others’ arms Giles wasn’t sure, so he gave her a noncommittal answer. “Me too, but we should leave.”
He stepped away from her and glanced up the stairs. “Willow’s not sending you off?”
“Nope, she fought the alarm clock with a passion, so I decide to leave her alone. I left a goodbye note for her.”
“Alright then, where’s your bag?”
Buffy gave him an incredulous look. “*Bag*? Have you never travelled with women before? A weekend trip requires a bag. Anything longer than that needs a suitcase!”
She pointed into the living room, where a very large suitcase stuffed to its limits stood. Giles rolled his eyes and went to pick it up.
“I can carry it myself you know, hello, Slayer.”
Giles hauled the suitcase past her. “Indulge me. I was raised a gentleman.”
Buffy followed him with a smile, and closed the door behind her as he complained about the weight of her suitcase the entire way to the car.
Gentleman indeed, Buffy thought.
*****
Soon after settling into his car she fell asleep. Giles woke her when they arrived at the Los Angeles airport, and quickly guided her to their flight for Vancouver, where they would catch a connecting flight to Hong Kong. Had she been more awake she probably would have enjoyed the gentle pressure of Giles’ hand on her shoulder as he steered her away from baggage trolleys and grumpy fellow travellers. Still feeling tired and disoriented she promptly fell asleep against Giles’ shoulder seconds after the plane had taken off. Whether he slept or not she had no idea. She proceeded to sleep through the entire flight.
Giles woke her as they began to descend. She was a little annoyed that she’d slept through the pleasure of being cradled against Giles’s chest. He seemed to have put his arm around her sometime during the flight. He explained that they would have a three-hour lay-over, but that the Council had arranged access to the executive lounge. They would be able to freshen up, get some food and rest while waiting for the announcement that their plane was boarding.
Buffy excused herself to use the bathroom when they got to the lounge, while Giles made himself comfortable in a secluded lounge chair with a newspaper.
Chapter 4
Buffy wouldn’t have been Buffy if her ‘I’ll be back in a few’ hadn’t turned into twenty minutes, but Giles wouldn’t have had it any other way. He was more than happy to catch up on current affairs, a luxury he seldom had time for in Sunnydale.
He lowered his newspaper when he heard footsteps coming his way. Buffy arrived carrying a couple of plates filled with a range of assortments, and a shiny smile on her face that made his heart clench.
“Here you go Giles.” She put the plates piled high with crackers, cheese and fruit down on the small table in front of him. “I figured you were as hungry as I am, so I brought enough for both of us!”
Before she had a chance to sit down, he got up and took her by complete surprise as he leaned towards her and placed a short but sweet kiss on her lips.
“Thank you” he murmured, grabbed an apple, and without glancing at her, he sat back down and picked up his newspaper with a small smile playing on his lips.
For the life of him, he couldn’t make out any words on the page that he was pretending to read. His heart was beating furiously with anticipation, and he tried his hardest to keep his erratic breathing under to control. He silently hoped he was holding the paper the right side up. Even though his nerves were strained to breaking, he was certain he’d done the right thing. He would have never taken a liberty with Buffy if he wasn’t sure it would be well received. But now he waited for Buffy to respond. Come on Buffy, your move!
Several moments passed before he heard her sit down next to him on the couch. He refused his impulse to look at her, forcing his body to look relaxed to appear completely at ease, even though he had just taken the first step to completely changing their relationship.
When he heard her call his name he concentrated as hard as he could on the words that were dancing in front of his eyes, and answered with what he hoped sounded like a distracted, “mmm?”
“Giles!” she repeated, exasperated, and grabbed the newspaper away from him.
He gave her an adoring smile. “May I help you?”
She looked at him incredulously. “You kissed me.”
As he answered he let a finger trail slowly down her cheek, “Yes, I did.”
“And….?” she asked as if he was meant to give her all the answers.
“And what?”
“Giles!”
The tone of her voice made him chuckle. “I am sorry, did you not want me to?”
The direct question took her completely by surprise. She decided to give him an honest answer. “Yes, actually, I did, but then you nochantly . . .“
“Nonchalantly,” he shot with a grin that earned him a glare, as she continued.
“. . . act like nothing happened.”
Seeing her frustration he decided to stop his teasing. “I am sorry Buffy; I won’t act like it didn’t happen, because it did. It was bloody marvellous, and I would like to kiss you again.” Thankfully she seemed to forget her frustration. She beamed at him and placed a hand on his cheek.
“I’d like that” she whispered before she pressed her lips to his.
The brief kiss he had initiated a few minutes earlier had been wonderful, but nothing had prepared him for how it felt to have Buffy kiss him back. Her lips were soft and fitted his perfectly.
He felt her hand glide along his cheek to bury itself in his hair. She tugged him closer and increased the pressure of their pressed together mouths. He twisted slightly in his seat so he could place an arm around her and pulled her body closer to his, then let his tongue trace the seam of her mouth. She immediately opened up for him, and soon their tongues were twisting and tangling together.
The taste of her sent him into a sensual overload. He wanted to whisk her away to a bed, kiss her crazy with desire and bury himself deeply inside her, letting the pleasure rise until they sensed nothing but all consuming passion.
He felt like he was drowning in the heat coming from her, but when she moaned into his mouth he snapped back to reality and regretfully released her lips. He looked down at her, noticing her lips looked softer and fuller than they had just a little while ago. As if she had absorbed some of the passion that had run through him.
“Oh my God,” she said breathlessly with a smile, “we are in so much trouble.” He took a couple of deep breaths to clear his head and nodded, immensely pleased at the desire in her eyes.
“Can’t wait to get into more trouble with you,” she whispered mischievously. He laughed and placed his forehead on hers, briefly brushing her lips with his.
“Neither can I.”
“But we should probably take this slow huh?” Buffy asked, knowing full well what he was thinking.
“As much as I hate to admit it, I think you’re right.” He said ruefully.
She playfully whacked his chest. Then she let her hand dive under his suit jacket while she snuggled her face into his neck. Her breath on his skin made him shiver, and he held back a gasp and tightened his hold on her when her hand brushed against his nipples. For a long time they remained within each others’ arms without a word. The step they had taken was monumental, but both felt it was the right one.
When their heartbeats returned to normal Buffy broke the silence. “How are we going to pull this off Giles?”
He knew what she was really asking. How would their friends react? How would it affect their professional relationship? What would happen if the Council found out?
“Are you having second thoughts?” he asked, the worry poorly hidden in his tone.
She lifted her head so she could look him in the eyes and calmly answered, “No, not at all. But I’m guessing you can get into a lot more trouble than I can. Giles, you can get fired, again. Or deported.”
Touched by her concern, he once again brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. “It’s worth the risk.” He leaned down to kiss her again.
“Bloody worth it!” he growled when he let her lips go. She gave him a relieved smile and snuggled closer.
They sat like that for the remainder of their wait, occasionally caressing and kissing. Neither let the kisses deepen. They realised how much they affected each other and kept their interactions purposefully light. Wordlessly both knew an airport lounge was not the right time or place for anything more. When the airline announced that their plane was ready to board, both gathered their carry-ons and walked hand in hand to the gate.
Chapter 5
Since the plane wasn’t full they got a three-seater entirely to themselves. Giles offered the window seat to Buffy, but she hotly refused.
She explained, “Giles, I may be forced to accept being crammed into a small tin can high up in the air to get where we’re going, but I will not be forced to watch the ground come rushing towards me if we crash.” Giles rolled his eyes playfully, but he was more than happy to accept.
The first half of their trip went by in a hurry. They talked while eating their meal and snuggled together to watch the in-flight movie. The fact that it was a romance seemed only fitting.
When the movie was over and the cabin lights were turned off, Giles felt Buffy shift restlessly in her seat. “Are you alright?” he asked as he pulled her closer.
“Yeah, it’s just that I’m wide awake, and I don’t want to bother the other passengers by turning on the overhead light so I can read.”
Giles got an impish look in his eyes. “I think I can keep you distracted. . . ” he whispered against her ear, before he took possession of her mouth.
Hidden by the dark, their kisses turned into a major make out session. This time they didn’t stop with mouths, but let their hands roam each others’ bodies. They pressed closer as waves of lust came over them, and kissed deeper, harder.
Buffy moaned into his mouth. She’d dreamed of this for so long. Dreamed of kissing his lips. Dreamed of being held in his arms. Dreamed of making love to him. God, she wanted him. Needed him. His hands travelled down her spine, and she could feel one of his moans vibrate through his chest as he pressed her close.
When both became slightly daring with their touches, Buffy grabbed the complementary flight blanket and covered them. Just in case a stewardess passed their way. As soon as they were covered, Buffy immediately went for Giles’ shirt, tugging it out of his pants so she could explore his chest. He, in turn, moved one hand under her shirt to stroke the bare skin of her lower back, while the other caressed her upper thigh.
When her hand dropped down past the edge of his shirt, she accidentally brushed against his erection, and he tore his mouth away from hers to draw in a big gulp of air.
“Christ!” was all that came out through his clenched teeth.
His exclamation made her jump in her seat and his hand was pulled from beneath her top. He let it settle on her waist while he leaned his forehead against hers and took deep breaths.
“Maybe we should stop,” she whispered in an uncertain voice. “It’s not really fair to tease you like this.” Looking down she continued, “I’ve realised guys don’t really like that.”
Giles immediately took gentle hold of her chin, raising her head so he could look into her eyes. He knew Buffy acted as if she had all the sexual experience in the world, but he couldn’t believe the men she’d been with had been so single minded.
“Buffy” he said gently. “Teasing is good. It’s sweet. It’s a way to take things slow while still being satisfying. I don’t know who told you that teasing isn’t fair, but I can tell you that he was wrong.”
At Buffy’s telltale blush, he knew his suspicions were right. If Riley had been in front of him he wouldn’t have thought twice about trashing him. After giving her a comforting kiss, he continued.
“You can tease me as much as you want and I promise you, I will never get angry or impatient. I’m not saying that your touch doesn’t drive me crazy, because it does.” That earned him a smile. “But it’s a good crazy. I know you aren’t trying to be cruel on purpose.”
She gave him a relieved smile. “No, I wouldn’t do that to you.”
After some internal debate he continued. “You know Buffy, you aren’t the only one with insecurities. To have you touch me like this - to have your hands travel restlessly over me - does wonders to my ego. It makes me feel wanted; like you can’t keep your hands off me.” He finished with an impish smile that earned him a giggle.
“You *are* quite difficult to keep my hands off of.” She growled playfully.
They shared a short kiss, before Giles pulled back again. “This kind of teasing is good. We have the perfect opportunity to find out more about each other. I intend to spend a great deal of time finding the places that drive you crazy. I hope you will find mine. Besides, it builds up a passion between us that will make our release so much sweeter.”
Her eyes darkened at his words. She pressed close to him and gave him a mind-blowing kiss that left him gasping for air.
When their breathing was under control she laughed, “Who are we kidding? We’re riddled with passion. No build-up needed here.”
He grinned at her, pulled her body closer to his and softly stroked her hair. For a long time he continued his caresses and let the monotone rumble from the plane’s engines ease them both into sleep.
Chapter 6
When the plane touched the ground late in the evening, Buffy and Giles felt utterly exhausted. Although they had slept, it had been restless, and their lengthy trip was getting to them. Wearily they got their luggage, made it through the passport control without any delays, and stumbled into a cab.
Buffy was too tired to appreciate the interesting surroundings and luxurious hotel the Council had booked for them. She barely looked out the window of the cab during their ride through the city and she let Giles check them in as she dozed in the lobby. They had two adjoining rooms on the fifteenth floor. They merely dropped their luggage off, without taking a second look, and headed downstairs again to grab a quick bite to eat in the hotel restaurant.
While waiting for their food to arrive Giles gave Buffy an extra keycard to his room. Suddenly she realised why Giles’ door was always unlocked back home in Sunnydale. He needed to make sure she could get to him anytime she needed to. Her eyes threatened to tear up at the gesture.
She looked into his eyes and knew he had realised what she had figured out. They both shared a smile. In order to prevent an emotional conversation - unwise considering how tired they were - she decided to break the moment by making a cheeky remark.
“You know Giles, this isn’t the subtlest of come-ons.”
“Oh, you saw right through that, did you?” he laughed, immediately understanding what she had done. “I am apparently out of practice.”
She let her foot run up his calf as she said mischievously. “I’m a more than willing practice subject, you know.”
He opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted when the waiter brought their food, and decided to let her comment lie. For now. The look he gave her made that very clear, and she grinned in response.
*****
After dinner they took the elevator back upstairs. Buffy gave him a brief kiss outside their rooms and told him she would stop by to say goodnight after she took a shower.
When she let herself into his room thirty minutes later, she found Giles passed out on his bed in his boxers; apparently too tired to have put on his pyjamas or get under the covers. Deciding there was no other place she’d rather be, she turned off the lights, crawled into bed with him and cuddled close to his body. In matter of seconds she was breathing as deeply as he was.
*****
He woke in the middle of the night, feeling cold on one side, and it took a few seconds to realise where he was and why. When he got up and looked back at Buffy lying on his bed, his heart lurched at how right it was. He let himself daydream for a second about having Buffy in his bed every night and waking up to her every morning, but snapped himself out of it when he felt his body respond. Now was not the time for such fantasies.
He turned down the comforter on one side and picked Buffy up in his arms. He placed her under the covers before he let himself in from the other side, so he wouldn’t jar her. Still, he couldn’t help but snuggle close, and fell asleep with a soft smile when Buffy shifted her head to rest on his chest and put her arm around his waist. Yes, he could definitely get used to this.
Chapter 7
Giles was pulled from a deep sleep by the ringing of the phone, and gave his watch a quick glance before answering. It was eight thirty, and he wondered who was calling at this hour. Buffy still seemed to be asleep, so he rolled away from her and answered the phone in a hushed voice.
“Rupert Giles.”
It was Frederico Galianto, Li Wei’s Watcher, a man that Giles had met on a couple of occasions. He was one of the few Watchers that Giles truly liked. He apologized for calling so early, but offered them an early lunch. Both Watchers knew their Slayers were a bit hesitant about meeting and wanted to make it as pleasurable as possible.
While discussing time and place with Frederico, Giles suddenly felt Buffy drape an arm across his waist and place butterfly kisses on his back between his shoulder blades. His body tingled and his penis immediately hardened.
He felt his focus drift from the rambling of the other Watcher; who had begun to excitedly talk about how wonderful Hong Kong was and how much the city had to offer.
Suddenly there was a knock on his door, and Buffy immediately got up to answer it. He could hear her talking to someone, but the chatter in his other ear made it impossible to hear her exact words. Frederico apparently also heard her talking and asked Giles if someone else was there in a curious voice.
Giles mumbled something about the maid, and it seemed to settle the other Watcher’s curiosity. He felt bad for lying to someone who was not only a colleague but also a friend, but right now he was not ready to share his relationship with anyone.
He looked over his shoulder when he heard Buffy come back, and saw her bringing a room service cart with breakfast for both of them. He had forgotten he had ordered it last night, while waiting for Buffy to finish her shower, right before falling asleep.
She gave him a sunny smile and took a glass of juice back into bed. She took a few sips and reached over his shoulder to place the glass on his night-table, pressing her breasts against his bare back. His mouth went dry, and quickly reached out for the juice and took some large gulps.
When Buffy returned to her earlier ministrations and began kissing his back, he decided to cut the conversation short, and interrupted Frederico mid-sentence. His voice got strangled when Buffy moved to his neck, and he could feel her smile against his skin as he spoke.
“Frederico. Ah, can we resume this conversation at lunch? I have some rather pressing matters I need to attend to.”
The other watcher agreed and confirmed he and Li Wei would meet them at the hotel. Giles managed some last second pleasantries before he hung up the phone and flipped around to pounce on Buffy. His Slayer shrieked in delight.
“Bloody hell woman, are you trying to give me a heart attack?” he playfully admonished before taking her mouth with vigour. She tasted of oranges and smelled like vanilla, and it made his head spin with desire. Nether noticed that the phone wasn’t properly placed in the cradle.
*****
Frederico heard their last exchange, and it made his eyebrows almost shoot off his forehead. The last thing he’d heard, Rupert Giles was still single, but there was no doubt in his mind about the man’s last exclamation.
Resisting the urge to listen further and maybe find out who this woman was, he hung up the phone and went to find Li Wei. He would find out soon enough.
Chapter 8
Buffy felt a twinge of excitement when Giles’ breath caressed and warmed her neck. He used his body to push her further into the mattress. She moaned in yearning as the heat from his body ignited flames through her body. Once again he directed her mouth to his, and covered her lips, indicating a longing he didn’t even bother to hide. She eagerly parted her lips and let his tongue in.
The need to feel his skin against hers severely threatened all rational thought, and Buffy shivered as a tinge of desperation for him ran though her. Promising herself she wouldn’t let it go too far, she pulled away from his mouth and watched him through hooded eyes as she pulled off her tank top.
For a second Giles was worried that things were getting out of hand too fast, but after their conversation yesterday on the plane, he was fairly sure Buffy knew exactly what she was doing. Both had expressed that they wanted to take this slowly, although apparently not *that* slow. He trusted Buffy’s control, and he would use his should she loose hers. For now he just enjoyed the feel of her skin and the taste of her mouth.
They took their time as they explored each other. Although both were incredibly aroused they wanted to savour this moment, letting their hands and mouths trail slowly over each other’s upper bodies.
At some point Buffy started stroking his back down to the edge of his boxers, and Giles placed a hand on her hip as he rolled her on her back and covered her groin with his. When Buffy pressed herself into his pulsating manhood, Giles raised himself on his arms and lifted his body from her.
“We need to stop,” he gasped. Both knew they had reached a crucial point and regretfully stopped before they went any further. They shared occasional slow tender kisses as they willed their bodies to calm, and were surprised when they realised how much time had passed since they had woken up.
Since they were going to an early lunch, they decided to skip breakfast. When Giles told Buffy they were meeting the others in an hour, she shot up from the bed, put on her top in a hurry and headed for the door. She explained over her shoulder that she was heading over to her room to shower and dress.
Just as she reached his door, he called out in a voice that made her stop dead in her tracks.
“WAIT!”
She slowly turned around and watched him crawl to the edge of his bed on his knees. He ordered, “Come back here.”
She followed is ‘order’ and came to a halt in front of him. “Yes sir, may I help you with anything?”
He suddenly grabbed her, pulled her into his bed, and covered her body with his as he growled against her mouth. “I wasn’t finished with you. I want another ten minutes.”
Before she had a chance to reply her mouth was fully captured by his. Some minutes later his kisses moved down her neck to place a love bite. Surprised, Buffy accidentally kneed him in his groin as she writhed beneath him.
His painful yell bounced off the walls of the hotel room. Instinctively she moved her hand to his penis to soothe his pain, and they both froze.
Despite his pain, he managed to give a tense laugh. “That’s not helping.”
They both started laughing. She removed her hand and gave him an apologetic kiss.
When she was sure he was all right, and had no permanent damage, she got up from the bed. With a last longing look at his face, she hurried over to her own room to take a very cold shower. Giles decided he needed one as well.
*****
A few minutes before they were meant to meet the others downstairs, Giles knocked on her door. He took her hand as they walked towards the elevator. Inside they shared a last lingering kiss, knowing without discussing it that they needed to keep an appearance of a professional relationship in front of the others, to prevent the Council from finding out the true nature of their feelings.
Chapter 9
Although Buffy knew she was being irrational, she couldn’t help envying Li Wei. And Li Wei had been sure Buffy was going to be arrogant and act like her worst teacher, with an “I know best, I am the Chosen One” attitude.
Both women shook hands with a little apprehension in their eyes and were pleasantly surprised to find each other . . . well . . . kind of cool. From that point on the first meeting between Li Wei and Buffy had gone well. Despite cultural differences they had a lot in common, and in no time Giles and Frederico were being completely ignored at lunch for the sake of a Slayer bonding session.
After their meal Frederico suggested they all walk to their training studio, instead of taking a cab, so the newcomers would see more of the city. Soon enough, Buffy found herself walking by Victoria Harbour next to Giles at a leisurely pace a few feet behind the others.
She had to hold back a laugh as she saw how taken the other Watcher and Slayer seemed to be with each other. She gave Giles a nudge and said in a quiet humorous voice. “Looks like you aren’t the only Watcher who’s smitten with his Slayer.”
To her devastation, Giles snorted. “I am not *smitten* with my Slayer.”
When he saw the hurt look on her face, he took a hold of her upper arm to make her stop and look at him.
“Buffy, I am not smitten with you. This is not some kind of schoolboy’s crush.” He stepped closer to her. “To be completely honest, I am very close to falling head over heals in love with you.”
For a short moment he was worried he had revealed too much, but his fear evaporated when Buffy gave him a huge happy smile. She took a hold of his suit lapels and pulled him close.
“You can’t say something like that and expect me not to kiss you.”
He glanced quickly at Frederico and Li Wei, who were completely oblivious to the fact that their guests had stopped, and pulled her into a hug. He placed a kiss on her cheek.
“Soon enough.” he whispered.
With a long look, full of unspoken promises, Giles nudged her to turn around so they could catch up with the others. Both had been so engrossed with each other they had completely missed the wide-eyed stare of Frederico, who had turned around just as they hugged to make sure they were still following.
******
The sparring session between Buffy and Li Wei was most interesting. Both Giles and Buffy could tell that, although Li Wei had immense potential, she was inexperienced and clumsy. Buffy held back on much of her strength as well, something she was sure that Giles would notice. They trained for hours, testing multiple weapons and fighting styles, until finally Frederico called a halt.
Giles suspected Frederico hadn’t appreciated Buffy trying to teach Li Wei the importance of sassing the vampires. With a frantic interruption he had cut Buffy off mid-sentence, and distracted her with the suggestion they meet later for dinner. Giles could tell Buffy immediately saw through Frederico’s defences, but with a warning look from Giles she relented and happily agreed to dinner.
*****
The remainder of the day Giles and Buffy took in as many of the tourist sites of Hong Kong they could manage. Since Giles had been in Hong Kong before, he had vast knowledge, and he revelled in the fact that Buffy seemed to hang on every one of his words.
He wasn’t sure whether she was actually listening to what he was saying, or just watching his mouth move. Either way it didn’t matter, he just loved spending some alone time with her, and when he felt Buffy lose her focus, he brought her back by putting *her* mouth to use.
*****
They returned to their hotel late in the afternoon, and when they stepped out of the elevator on their floor, Giles found himself dragged into Buffy’s room.
“Buffy, I thought you said in the elevator you were planning on using the spa before we met Li Wei and Frederico for dinner?” Giles asked breathlessly in between her enthusiastic kisses. Buffy pushed him down on the bed, and launched herself at him.
“True, but you haven’t seen my room yet, and that simply wouldn’t do.”
He laughed against her lips when she brushed them against his. “But I am not seeing your room. I am completely unable to keep my eyes open when you kiss me - it is just too delightful.”
Buffy pulled back and straddled his waist. As if she was showing him one of the bedrooms at the Taj Mahal, she dramatically opened her arms and asked playfully. “Seen enough?”
Before he had a chance to respond she lowered her face to his and took his mouth with gusto. He barely managed to mumble “sod your room”, before rolling her over so he could return the pleasurable kiss. Within minutes his shirt was gone, and one of his hands was beneath her top, covering one of her breasts. When Buffy started tugging on his pants, Giles reluctantly pulled away.
“This is not the time or place, love.”
Buffy stroked his hair back from his forehead and answered in an intimate whisper that sent shivers down his back. “I know, but like I told you on the plane, you are very hard to keep my hands off of.”
He dropped his mouth to hers so he could have another quick taste of her. “So are you.” When he had had his fill, he brushed his nose with hers and gave it a quick peck before rising.
“Come on, you have a date with the spa, and I am planning on trying out the gym downstairs.” At her playful pout he pulled her into a hug and placed a small kiss on her neck. “And I am sure after dinner, we can resume some of these delightful activities. I mean, I still haven’t really *seen* your room. I may need to do some exploring later.”
Seeing his wicked grin, Buffy couldn’t help but respond with one of her own. “Anything to keep the Watcher in you satisfied.”
With a growl he crushed his mouth to hers, but before she was able to change his mind about doing the exploring later he managed to pull away. “I’ll see you later, love.”
*****
When Buffy returned to her room after getting a manicure and pedicure, she found a note from Giles taped to her door. He suggested, no, practically ordered, her to take a nap so she would be fully rested for ALL of their evening activities, and noted he would meet her in the hotel bar at seven thirty.
With a mischievous smile, she figured it was time for payback. Rupert Giles would regret the day he almost told her he loved her and then denied her a kiss! And she had the perfect dress to punish him with.
******
Giles was nursing a scotch as he patiently waited for Buffy to get ready. The vision he suddenly saw coming towards him almost made him choke on his drink. Her smoky red silk dress stopped just above her knee, with a short split on one side. It hugged every curve of her slim figure, but not indecently so. He had never seen anything more beautiful and sexy in his entire life.
He muttered, “Blast it,” as he rose form his seat. When she was near enough to touch, he pulled her close and let his hand stroke her cheek as he brushed her mouth with his.
“Giles, what are you doing?” She worriedly asked, glancing around the bar to make sure no one saw them.
He gave her another soft kiss and murmured. “You can not show up looking like that and expect me not to kiss you.”
She laughed and met his lips briefly with hers before she took a seat next to him. “Well, now I guess you know how it feels.” She said smugly.
For the next half hour they fully enjoyed each other’s company, and reluctantly left when it was time to meet Li Wei and Frederico. Ever since they had started this new phase of their relationship there seemed to be constant interruptions, and right now all they wanted was to be alone.
Continued here
Nominated for Best Romance & Best New Author at the Bodice Ripper Awards
Nominated for Best Drama at the Shades of Grey Awards