Fic for Giles-Shorts: "Lust at First Sight" (Rated PG)
Written for Giles-Shorts, based on il_mio_capitano's wonderful prompt, "It was lust at first sight." The theme for the month of May at giles-shorts is the Seven Deadly Sins. Isn't that just wonderful? It's not too late to participate! Here's my contribution.
Title: Lust at First Sight
Characters: Giles, Original Character
Rating: PG/FRT
Length: 572 words
(Link on AO3)
It was lust at first sight-Giles knew as soon as he set his eyes on her, all the way across the room. Eyes that had seen too much, yet sought solace in beauty. With his heart already strumming, his mind raced to conjure up that perfect evening together: a night in with a glass of wine, a roaring fireplace, and the perfect music.
Tricky, that last one. Should he stick to something refined, a classical selection? Or something intimate, a melancholy Spanish love song? Or maybe something old fashioned yet full of glamour, a smoky Jazz number, to set her purring? Or perhaps classic rock, young and passionate and irrepressible, the way he felt now, throwing furtive glances at her and unconsciously edging closer?
He inhaled deeply, hope rising, then let out his breath in a sigh. He would not. He tempered his enthusiasm, halted his steps. He would calm himself down, for Heaven’s sake, and act his age, every one of his wise years. Never mind her seductive curves, the way he knew she would feel nestled into his body-
“Oh, you got fine taste, Rupert, you old dog.” Someone had sidled up to him, and Giles, straightening himself, turned to find Tom in his personal space, leering after his heart’s desire. He’d known Tom for years, but their relationship had never elevated from acquaintance to friendship. As to why, well, it was blatant, wasn’t it? He bristled at the presumed familiarity in Tom’s tone.
“Good afternoon, Tom.” Giles did not want to give him any encouragement. His tight voice said it all.
“Don’t bother with the formalities. She’s a beaut, isn’t she? Go on then. Know you’re a player.” Tom actually nudged him in the ribs while winking hard. The nerve some people had.
Giles ignored his words and moved out of elbowing range, all the time torn. Apparently a couple of seconds was all Tom could take of Giles’ indecision. Shaking his head at Giles and mumbling under his breath, he strided across the room with purpose and to Giles’ horror, returned with her.
Tom just about threw her into Giles’ arms. “Knew you couldn’t wait to get your hands on her,” he said, once again with that indecent smile on his face. “Here, not everyone recognizes a Martin D-28 Dreadnought on sight.”
Giles hugged the proffered guitar tight to his body, caressing her long, slender neck, fingers brushing over the tuning keys. The fit was perfect. He moved his fingers across the smooth fretboard, and with his other hand, strummed out a tentative melody. The clear notes rose straight to the ceiling, resonating in the largely empty music store.
Next to him, Tom kept up the sales pitch. “Sounds as you’d expect from a Martin. Solid Sitka spruce front in cream-note the even, straight woodgrain running lengthwise for durability. Mahogany neck with well-polished fingerboard and large chrome tuning dials for ease of use. Premium rosewood side and back, strong and dense, in a rare purple-brown. That combination, as you know, translates to low internal dampening, resulting in rich, saturated sound quality with high fidelity. Couple it with Martin’s unique, best-selling 92/8 Phosphor Bronze strings, and you’re guaranteed a lifetime of beautiful, acoustic playability. Not to mention...”
Giles tuned him out. The strings vibrated under his fingers, but it was his heart that sang. He was wrong. It wasn’t lust after all.
It was love at first sight.
Title: Lust at First Sight
Characters: Giles, Original Character
Rating: PG/FRT
Length: 572 words
(Link on AO3)
It was lust at first sight-Giles knew as soon as he set his eyes on her, all the way across the room. Eyes that had seen too much, yet sought solace in beauty. With his heart already strumming, his mind raced to conjure up that perfect evening together: a night in with a glass of wine, a roaring fireplace, and the perfect music.
Tricky, that last one. Should he stick to something refined, a classical selection? Or something intimate, a melancholy Spanish love song? Or maybe something old fashioned yet full of glamour, a smoky Jazz number, to set her purring? Or perhaps classic rock, young and passionate and irrepressible, the way he felt now, throwing furtive glances at her and unconsciously edging closer?
He inhaled deeply, hope rising, then let out his breath in a sigh. He would not. He tempered his enthusiasm, halted his steps. He would calm himself down, for Heaven’s sake, and act his age, every one of his wise years. Never mind her seductive curves, the way he knew she would feel nestled into his body-
“Oh, you got fine taste, Rupert, you old dog.” Someone had sidled up to him, and Giles, straightening himself, turned to find Tom in his personal space, leering after his heart’s desire. He’d known Tom for years, but their relationship had never elevated from acquaintance to friendship. As to why, well, it was blatant, wasn’t it? He bristled at the presumed familiarity in Tom’s tone.
“Good afternoon, Tom.” Giles did not want to give him any encouragement. His tight voice said it all.
“Don’t bother with the formalities. She’s a beaut, isn’t she? Go on then. Know you’re a player.” Tom actually nudged him in the ribs while winking hard. The nerve some people had.
Giles ignored his words and moved out of elbowing range, all the time torn. Apparently a couple of seconds was all Tom could take of Giles’ indecision. Shaking his head at Giles and mumbling under his breath, he strided across the room with purpose and to Giles’ horror, returned with her.
Tom just about threw her into Giles’ arms. “Knew you couldn’t wait to get your hands on her,” he said, once again with that indecent smile on his face. “Here, not everyone recognizes a Martin D-28 Dreadnought on sight.”
Giles hugged the proffered guitar tight to his body, caressing her long, slender neck, fingers brushing over the tuning keys. The fit was perfect. He moved his fingers across the smooth fretboard, and with his other hand, strummed out a tentative melody. The clear notes rose straight to the ceiling, resonating in the largely empty music store.
Next to him, Tom kept up the sales pitch. “Sounds as you’d expect from a Martin. Solid Sitka spruce front in cream-note the even, straight woodgrain running lengthwise for durability. Mahogany neck with well-polished fingerboard and large chrome tuning dials for ease of use. Premium rosewood side and back, strong and dense, in a rare purple-brown. That combination, as you know, translates to low internal dampening, resulting in rich, saturated sound quality with high fidelity. Couple it with Martin’s unique, best-selling 92/8 Phosphor Bronze strings, and you’re guaranteed a lifetime of beautiful, acoustic playability. Not to mention...”
Giles tuned him out. The strings vibrated under his fingers, but it was his heart that sang. He was wrong. It wasn’t lust after all.
It was love at first sight.