Book One: Chapter Five (Part 2 - 8,418 words)

[larakailyn]

WARNING: SEXUAL SITUATIONS

Since it was the middle of a weekday, the theater wasn’t very busy. Giles paid for the tickets, and they headed for the concession counter first to get a large box of ice cream bonbons to share between the three of them since Wesley couldn’t have popcorn and Fred and Giles didn’t want to make him feel bad by having any. When they went into the theater the movie was playing in, there was only a few other people in there. They looked at each other and then went to the last row, sitting down with Wesley in between her and Giles. With a grin, she opened the bonbon box and handed it to Wesley.

“You’re in the middle, so it’s only fair,” she said, reaching over to take one.

Wesley was touched by their concern. He didn’t want Fred to think she had to deny herself, just because of him. But one look into her dark brown eyes told him that the only thing she was interested in was the company, not the food. He took the box from her with a slight smirk, before taking a bonbon for himself. Angling the box toward Rupert, he jumped slightly when the lights dimmed quickly and the previews started.

Fred slumped down a bit when the lights went out in the theater and leaned her head against Wesley’s shoulder, careful that she didn’t get near his bandage. Popping the bonbon in her mouth, she reached a hand out to rest on his thigh. The movie previews were typical - the upcoming Lord of the Rings movie, the next romantic comedy of the year (which, while Fred liked those kinds of movies, looked to be rather silly all things considered) and some action-adventure movie from Jerry Bruckheimer. Glancing over at Wesley, she gave him a smile and caressed his thigh a bit, realizing that they could get into a quite a bit a trouble if they weren’t careful.

Wesley smiled down at the dark head on his shoulder. Pressing his lips to her hair, he settled into his seat. When her hand landed on his thigh, he found himself opening his legs wider, almost as if it were a reflex. He wondered if this was the reason why they had subconsciously chosen to sit in the back. With a shaky hand, he tilted the box toward Rupert and looked at him curiously when the older man shook his head. Instead, Giles leaned over and threaded his fingers in his now short hair. What Rupert said to him, caused his breath to catch in his chest.

“I’d much rather taste it this way,” he whispered, before kissing him.

Fred had to suppress a chuckle when she saw Giles kiss Wesley. Oh, yeah, they were definitely destined to get into trouble. Her hand inched its way up his thigh, tracing patterns on the inner seam of his jeans until she reached her destination. She cupped him through the denim, and did chuckle under her breath this time when she felt him squirm a bit. The movie had started up on the screen, but she realized she already didn’t even know what was going on because she was having too much fun focusing on what was going on right there in the back row.

Wesley whimpered into Giles’ mouth under the double assault. His shaft was rapidly filling, feeling Fred’s fingers almost demanding his reaction. His legs fell open, inviting her further, not even worried about the fact that they were in public. Rupert wasn’t giving him time to think, his tongue invading the younger man’s mouth, caressing every corner, memorizing his taste.

Giles knew this was the best chance they had to push. They had to get through to him, make him see that pity had nothing to do with why they were there with him. Wesley had no clue how desirable he truly was, breathless, so wanton, skin flushed, blue eyes begging for more. But what made him most desirable was his big heart.

Fred glanced up and saw Giles look over at her briefly before turning his attention back to his kiss with Wesley. She leaned over and kissed him behind the ear before taking the bonbon box from him and setting it on the chair beside her. Then she raised the arm of the seat between them and moved a little closer to unzip Wesley’s jeans. A breath caught in her chest as she did, her eyes darting around the theater to make sure that no one had heard or looked back and seen. Once she was sure, she reached into Wesley’s jeans - her smile widening at the fact that he wasn’t wearing boxers - and wrapped her hand around his shaft, rubbing him.

Wesley’s hand gripped Giles’ forearm as Fred’s warm palm closed around his cock. He bit down on his lip, trying not to make a sound, as the hand kept moving up and down his shaft. He didn’t even notice the calloused hand, cupping his cheek.

“Look at me, Wesley,” Giles whispered, needing his attention. He could see the younger man fighting to keep aware despite the pleasure running rampant through his body. When bleary, blue eyes focused on him, he smiled. “We want to be here, with you, for you. And no matter what happens, you’ll never be alone again,” he promised, before claiming his mouth once again.

“He’s right,” Fred whispered softly in his ear. Her heart was beating loudly in her chest, part of her amazed that she was actually doing this in a theater of all places - there was every chance that someone would turn around and know what they were doing or that the staff would be alerted and through them out or have them arrested. But she didn’t care. She knew as well as Giles did that Wesley needed this. Needed to know that they were willing to do anything for him, no matter what it was. “We love you, Wesley. Always.”

Taking a deep breath, she slowly withdrew Wesley from his jeans and leaned down, taking him into her mouth like she had earlier with Rupert. She knew her jaw would begin to ache soon, but that was okay. She just wanted Wesley to enjoy this.

Giles laughed softly when Wesley whimpered. He was a little surprised at Fred’s new found brazenness but also overjoyed. With the lives they lived, honestly, worrying about an arrest or getting thrown out of the theatre seemed trivial. Reaching one hand down, he stroked her brown hair while she worked.

“Shhh, quiet, Wes, or we’re going to get caught,” he whispered, cupping the back of Wesley’s neck, turning his head slightly to look at him. He could feel himself getting harder but tamped down on the feeling. This was for Wesley. He would fulfill his own desire later.

Fred shuddered a little when one of them - she wasn’t completely sure who because she was still learning their individual touches though she thought it might be Rupert - put his hand on her head. She was getting very turned all by all this, the familiar ache starting deep inside her. She would have loved to have sat on Wesley’s lap, to have taken him inside her, but she knew that would be pushing things. They could do that later.

Pausing for a moment, she rubbed her jawline where it was starting to throb a bit from working on him and then swirled her tongue around his tip. She could feel him tensing beneath her but didn’t pull away.

“Good boy,” Giles whispered, feeling the tension in Wesley’s back. It was clear that he wanted to thrust but was forcing himself not to. “She wants to show you, but she’s new. Be careful with her.”

He breathed in the younger man’s ear before drawing the lobe in between his teeth. He arched an eyebrow in amusement, watching the way that Fred was shifting in her seat. Ripper was chomping at the bit to play. Silently, while she worked, he slid one of the spaghetti straps to the side and moved long graceful fingers under the material. He grinned when he encountered no other barrier, and long digits rolled the nipple between his fingers.

Fred almost gasped when Rupert’s fingers cupped her breast, sending a jolt through her body. She paused in what she was doing for a moment, not wanting to bite down and hurt Wesley, and let out a soft - almost imperceptible - moan. Her eyes falling closed, she continued again, drawing her tongue up the underside of Wesley’s shaft as she moved him in and out of her mouth. She didn’t even care where they were anymore. All that mattered was the three of them.

Giles grinned feeling her reaction. Her nipple immediately hardened under his ministrations. He leaned forward, nipping at the skin of Wesley’s throat. “Look at her, Wes. Focus. Hot, wet mouth wrapped around you, tasting, almost demanding. This is turning her on too. Smell it, Wesley, that hint of musk. She’s wet, probably scorching, with that knot of need in her belly...just waiting to be filled by one of our cocks.” He nearly laughed when the grip on his forearm tightened, and Wesley whimpered. He pried the fingers from his arm and placed them on Fred’s bare thigh. “Feel it, Wes. Feel her. She’s dripping for you,” he whispered.

Almost against his will, Wesley’s hand slid up Fred’s thigh, his fingers brushing the crotch of thin, damp, panties.

Fred moaned again when she felt him trace over her while Rupert’s hand continued to knead her breast. She could Giles murmuring, every word true. Oh, God, she wanted them - wanted them both. Being in this public place, having to be quiet, was driving her crazy. She paused for a moment to take a breath and reached over to rest her hand over Rupert’s cock, which she could feel was getting hard inside his jeans. She looked up at both of them, their faces illuminated just by the light of the cinema screen, then tilted her head back down and exhaled air over Wesley’s tip before sliding him into her mouth again.

Long, nimble fingers slid under the elastic and into her wet heat. Rupert was right, God, she was so wet. He wished he could just draw her into his lap and slide into her. He was biting his bottom lip, trying to stay silent under the assault of this pleasure. He could feel her internal muscles gripping his fingers, and he plunged them in and out of her. His breathing was ragged; he could feel the tight coiling in his lower back. He gasped loudly when he felt Giles’ fingers slide into his jeans and curl around his scrotum. The other man leaned over and whispered something to Fred. But the thundering in his ears prevented him from hearing what was said.

“He’s close, luv. Use your tongue under the crown. The ridge is sensitive. And increase the suction,” he told her.

The rush of sensations was dizzying. Wesley’s fingers pushing inside her caused her to tremble and rock against him while her jaw throbbed from the strain she was putting on those muscles, and then Rupert’s breath on her ear sent another jolt through her. She managed to control herself, though, and did as he instructed, running her tongue along underneath the head of Wesley’s shaft.

“Wesley,” she murmured and sucked a bit harder though she was still careful as she wasn’t completely sure how much might be too much.

“It’s all right, Fred, he likes a firm touch,” Giles explained to her. He smiled up at Wes. His gorgeous blue eyes had glazed over - the man was truly lost in pleasure. He turned his attention back to his other lover. “Open your throat, slide him a little further back. Swallow around him.” Giles could tell how close the younger man was. “He’s close. If you don’t feel you can do this yet, pull back. Either way, we share,” he smiled.

It was something they had agreed on from nearly the first moment they met. Sharing Wesley. First it was his care, now it was his body and emotional upkeep. They were in it together. To convince this remarkable man that he was loved.

Fred wanted to see this through. She wanted to make Wesley see how much he was loved, how much both of them were willing to do for him. And that meant anything, even if it was a bit painful. Opening her mouth a bit wider, she took him in a deep as she could, pressing her tongue against him and swallowing. She could feel him jerking a bit underneath her and continued sucking until he gave them what they wanted.

Giles clamped his lips over Wesley’s just as he felt the surge pass through his scrotum. He hoped the shock wasn’t too much for Fred; she seemed determined to do this. He pressed a hand into Wesley’s hip, holding him in the chair so he wouldn’t drive himself deeper. He could feel Wesley’s instinct to break the kiss, throw his head back and cry out. So he gripped the other man’s neck, holding him tight, and pressed his tongue past the warm lips. When Wes sagged back into his chair bonelessly, Giles finally released him and turned his attention to the beautiful brunette on the other side of him.

Fred didn’t pull back when she felt Wesley pulse, the salty taste of him flooding her mouth as his fingers stilled within her. She swallowed a bit, feeling a slight burning sensation in the back of her throat, but remembered what Rupert had said - that they would sharing this - and held the rest in her mouth. Sliding her lips from around Wesley, she sat up and saw that he had resting back against the back of the chair. Rupert, however, was looking at her expectantly and with a smile, she leaned forward, reaching out to pull him toward her so they met directly in front of Wesley. When their lips came together, she opened her mouth slightly, allowing Rupert’s tongue to taste Wesley still on hers.

“You did very well, but don’t think we’ve forgotten about you,” he said when they parted again, moving his hand along her thigh to join Wesley’s. He stroked the hand under his, encouraging Wes to move. Once it did, his own fingers sought out her nubbin, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger. He could feel her wetness sliding out on to both of their hands, and smiled. “Your turn. Let go, Fred,” he demanded, chuckling when he realized the force of Wesley’s hand had increased.

Gasping, Fred fell back and buried her face against Wesley’s shoulder, the feel of the two hands - one in her, one caressing her - almost more than she could take. Electricity was shooting up her spine and through her limbs, making her feel like she was both being turned into jello and starched rigid at the same time. She wanted to scream out, and the strain of forcing herself to stay quiet just added to the trembles that were about to take her over completely.

“Wes...Rupert...oh, God,” she gasped, her voice muffled by Wesley’s shirt.

Giles concentrated on the juncture between her thighs. He kept moving his hand, keeping the rhythm, not giving Fred a moment to recover. He smiled, feeling her hips shift against his hand hard. “Let go of this, Fred. I want to feel your juices coating my fingers.” He leaned in closer, his smile slightly more mischievous. “We’re going to drink from your body tonight, luv. With tongues, and teeth, until we hear you scream our names until your throat is raw,” he promised her softly.

That did it. His words combined with the movement of their fingers relentlessly pushed her over the edge, and as she let out a soft sob, her body began to shake. Wesley’s fingers continued to push within her as she continued to thrust against both their hands, her spasms grabbing hold on them. Her entire mind spun with the overload of sensations, and she grabbed onto both Wesley and Rupert to try to steady herself.

Giles leaned over Wes slightly and gripped Fred’s shoulder gently until he felt her body go slack. Holding her eyes, he slowly withdrew his fingers from her panties and held them out to Wesley. His body was already tight with arousal, and the feeling of Wesley’s tongue curling around his fingers, tasting Fred’s musk, only made him harder. He smiled when he saw Wes’ wet fingers in front of his face. Closing his lips around the digits, he cleaned off all evidence of her release off of his hand. He had just released Wesley’s fingers from his lips when he caught Fred’s gaze. The heat burning in those dark eyes could burn him alive.

Fred watched them lick each other’s fingers in the flickering light of the movie screen, unable to breath. She had never realized how arousing such a sight could be, how amazing it was to share and be shared by two other people, especially two other men. It made her feel giddy, and God, how badly she wanted them - to just be with them, somewhere alone, doing what Rupert had promised, having both of them in her, watching them with each other again like the previous night.

Shifting herself up, she leaned over and kissed Wesley, tasting herself and wondering if he could taste himself too. She reached out to pull Giles closer so as soon as their lips parted, she was able to turn her head and kiss him too.

Giles was practically vibrating. His body was like a bow string pulled taut. He could still taste Wesley in her mouth, wondering if she could taste herself in his. Slowly, he pulled back, watching Wesley tuck himself back into his jeans with a hint of a smile. He pressed his hand over the prominent bulge in his own jeans, shifting it around so that he could sit comfortably (well as comfortably as one could with a raging erection). Looking up at the screen, he gave his young lovers a moment to themselves. He took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself enough to at least make it to the loo.

Fred pushed her strap back up her shoulder and smoothed her skirt down over her knees, glancing at both Wesley and Giles as she did so. She couldn’t believe they hadn’t been caught. She couldn’t believe they had just done that.

Of course, it had been wonderful.

She had no idea what was currently going on in the movie. There was Pierce Brosnan, but whatever James Bond was chasing after, she didn’t know, and really didn’t care. All she cared about were the two men sitting next to her. Wesley seemed stunned by what had just happened, by the fact that she and Rupert had done that in such a public place. And Giles himself... She could see he was shifting about a bit uncomfortably.

Leaning over, she whispered, “Should we go?”

Wesley looked over at Rupert and could see that he was in a considerable amount of pain. He nodded at Fred’s suggestion to leave. None of them seemed particularly interested in the movie anyways. Taking Rupert’s hand, he stood, taking a second to test his weight. He felt the delicious ache in his body from being able to experience that release. Wesley shook his head with a smile, unable to believe that both of them had just done that for him. He tugged on Rupert’s hand, bringing him to his feet. He sympathized with the wince that crossed his lovers face when the sudden change in position rubbed denim across hard flesh the wrong way.

Fred could see that Giles very definitely needed either a moment to himself or release, and given that they would be pressing their luck with anymore of what they had just been doing, getting him to the nearest bathroom seemed to be the best option at hand. She moved out of the row and then waited for Wesley and Giles to join her in the aisle and circled around to Giles’ other side so both she and Wesley could help shield his current condition from any lookey-lous.

As they hurried out, she saw one woman staring at her with a disapproving look on her face. Fred wondered if she had seen what they had done or if she was just judging her on the fact that she was at a movie theater with two men. She didn’t care, though. So what that she was with two men? It was her decision, and so far, she wasn’t regretting a second of it.

As soon as they reached the hallway outside the theater, they steered over to the nearby men’s bathroom. “You guys go,” she told them. “I’ll wait here.”

Wesley rubbed Giles’ back reassuringly, leaving him facing the wall. He looked at both his lovers and seemed to come to a decision within himself. He held up one finger to Fred, telling her he wouldn’t be long. He wanted to make sure the bathroom was empty. Finding it so, he smiled. They had taken a chance for him, now it was his turn to return the favor. Quickly, he ducked back out the door and grabbed both Rupert and Fred’s hand’s, pulling them inside. Ushering them both into the stall, he grabbed some paper towel and a refill packet for the soap dispenser. Stepping inside of the stall, he wasn’t entirely surprised to see Rupert still standing. Long, agile fingers quickly undid the snap of his jeans and lowered the zipper, bringing the older man’s jeans down over narrow hips. He sat Giles down on the single toilet in the stall, before taking a knee in front of Fred. Without hesitation, he reached under the skirt, and pulled her panties down long legs, before sliding them into his pocket. He looked pointedly from Fred to Rupert, wordlessly telling her what he wanted. This was for them.

Fred’s eyes opened in surprise. Here in the men’s bathroom? She had never done-but then again, she had never done what she had done in the theater either. Smiling, she held her hand out to Wesley, who helped her as she maneuvered in the small cubicle so she was straddling Rupert. Looking down in his eyes, she rested her other hand on his shoulder and sank down, taking him into her, still holding Wesley’s hand. Rupert was so hard, and she was still sensitive from everything they had been doing over the last twenty-four hours that she couldn’t help letting out a soft whimper even though she knew that here, like in the theater, they had to remain very quiet. It just added to it all, though.

Slowly, she began moving against Rupert, closing her eyes and raising her head up toward the ceiling. No one would ever believe that she - sweet, little Fred - was doing anything like this, but she loved this. She felt free. For the first time in years.

Wesley gave them a few minutes, smiling as Rupert’s head came forward and rested on Fred’s chest. If this was any other man in the world but Rupert Giles, he would gut the man for presuming to touch his Fred. But at the sight of his lovers together, he felt the familiar stirring in his jeans as his cock began to fill. Slowly, he undid the top of the soap and dipped his fingers into it. Yes, this would do. Moving in behind Fred, he lifted the skirt, exposing her rear to him. He dipped one finger, coating it generously, before moving it to her opening. He gently pushed past the ring of muscle, feeling Rupert’s cock moving in her through the thin wall of tissue. He moved his finger, stretching her, until he could slide in another.

When he slid his fingers into her, Fred practically stopped breathing, suddenly realizing what he was planning. She had been fantasizing about this happening, about being with both of them at once, but she hadn’t thought of it happening here of all places.

He opened her until he thought she was ready. Lowering his own jeans, he stepped in behind her, coating his own shaft. In no way did he want this to hurt her. Ducking his head, he nipped at her throat from behind just as he slid into her body, filling her completely.

Any protests about this not being the place were shoved out of Fred’s mind the moment Wesley pushed into her. A sharp pain shot through her for a moment, but she forced herself to relax with several deep breaths until he was completely inside her-until both of them were completely inside her. The pain subsided though there was slight edge to the pressure.

She moaned softly, “Oh, God.” Her fantasies definitely didn’t come close to the actual feeling.

Wesley concentrated on holding still until he felt her loosen up around him. He held Giles’ green eyes over Fred’s shoulder, both men concentrating on the rhythm that would be best for her. Gripping her hips, he felt Rupert’s strong hands over his, felt the hard flesh of the other man through the thin walls of his lover’s body. The pace started out slow...drawn out until all of them seemed lost to their passion. Then the force of their thrusts seemed to increase, rocking the thin body between them to its core.

She wanted to cry out from the sensations that threatened to overwhelm her, Rupert and Wesley filling her, thrusting into her, holding her close between them. She grabbed Giles’ shoulder and held tightly, knowing they wouldn’t hurt her. It was all so indescribable, her brain whirling and flitting from one feeling to another, her mouth falling open, her eyes rolling up.

“I-I-too...” Her head lolled forward to rest on the back on her hand on Rupert’s shoulder as her body began to tremble again as she fell headlong into release.

Normally, Giles knew he would need longer to go over that edge, but he was already so close to begin with. When she hit her release, she constricted around him, wringing him hard. He turned his head, claiming her mouth in an effort to stifle the need to cry out. Suddenly, his cock surged, and he emptied himself into the thin body atop of him.

Wesley knew he wouldn’t last long. Not after what they had pulled on him in the theatre. But he didn’t care. He felt Fred’s release as she clamped down on him, pulling his own out of him with such a searing intensity that he almost blacked out. He lowered his head down on her shoulder, biting down on the skin to prevent himself from crying out. He knew they had to be crushing Rupert, as they caught their breaths, but the older man didn’t seem to mind. When he was certain his legs would support him, he pulled out of Fred slowly, standing to his full height.

Once she finally came down from the high of her orgasm, her entire body felt like rubber, from her legs to her upper body to her hands. She was still shaking when she realized that Wesley had pulled out of her, and as she tried to stand up, Rupert sliding out of her, she almost lost her footing and pitched into him.

Wesley caught Fred, wrapping one arm around her tightly until she no longer felt like her legs were going to give way beneath her. The other came up to stroke her face, turning her head toward him. He lowered his head, kissing her softly, and deeply. When he was certain she could stand on her own, he released her with a smile. He looked over at Rupert to find him standing as well with an odd look on his face.

Stepping forward, he cupped Fred’s face and kissed her, trying to convey his thanks into every movement of his lips against hers. Giles then moved in front of Wesley.

“Thank you. It was unnecessary, but thank you all the same,” he managed in a whisper, before leaning forward and kissing the younger man. Giles wasn’t certain what to think. Yesterday, he had believed they included him out of some kind of need and possibly gratitude. But today, he felt the emotion surging between the three of them and didn’t know what to make of it. His own emotions were in turmoil. He knew he loved both of his young lovers. Wesley with his big blue eyes and even bigger heart. And Fred, sweet Fred, who had a strength of spirit unlike any he had ever known. At first, he and Fred were joined to support Wesley. But now, there seemed to be something tangible, something important between them.

“It was necessary,” she whispered, her heart fluttering now even thought her body no longer was. “You needed that release as much as we did. We weren’t going to leave you out, were we?”

A part of still couldn’t believe that she had done this, much less that she had fallen-yes, fallen in love with two men. People were raised to believe that a relationship was between two people, and two people only. But this...this was beyond anything she could have ever imagined, and it felt right. Had felt right from the moment Giles had stridden up to her in the hospital and taken her up to Wesley. Two men, so alike in many ways and yet so different in others. Complementary.

And besides, two lines could cross each other, but they couldn’t really connect to each other to create one continuous form. Three lines could.

“Fred,” Giles smiled patiently, pulling up his jeans, “in the last seven years, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve had the opportunity to make love to someone.” He held up two fingers in front of her. “There have been two women. One I didn’t even have a choice since we were under the influence of a curse. Yes, seeing the both of you like that, in the theatre, tasting him on your tongue, tasting you off of his fingers...it made me harder than I ever remember being. But I could have gone without. This was a gift, plain and simple.”

As he smiled at Wes pulling up his own jeans, Fred blushed at her misunderstanding at what he had meant. That was something she was going to have to get used to and come to understand. It was no longer her fending for herself with or without friends around. She was in a relationship with two other people who had different outlooks and experiences.

She glanced over at Wes as she reached for some tissue to clean herself up. “Making you happy is as important to me now as making Wesley happy. We wanted to do it - unnecessary or not. And...” She took a breath. “I’m glad you see it as a gift because both of you are to me.”

Giles smiled and stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Fred. He cradled her head to his chest, his heart feeling lighter than it had in months. He didn’t have to raise his head to know that Wesley was watching them, he could sense it. When his green eyes finally met Wesley’s blue over the top of Fred’s head, he was surprised by what he saw. There was still the weight of his guilt...but mostly, there was happiness, and love. Even more than there had been that morning.

Wesley stepped behind Fred and wrapped his arms around her, effectively sandwiching her in between himself and Rupert. For the first time in his life, he felt as if he had come home.

Fred closed her eyes as she rested her head against Rupert’s chest and listened to his heart beat. Behind her, she could feel Wesley’s heart as well as he pressed against her. For the first time in a while, she felt unconditional acceptance and love. Even back at the Hyperion, she had sometimes felt as though she was sometimes underfoot or a bit of a hanger-on or that she had to hide what she felt and could do. Here, though, she didn’t have to.

“Without making the moment more mushy than it already is,” she said, her voice muffled a bit by Giles’ chest, “you two are the best thing to happen to me in a long time.”

Giles looked down at his watch after taking a moment to enjoy their touch. “We have about twenty minutes until the movie ends. You two stay here, and I’ll make certain it’s clear,” he ordered, quickly sliding out of the stall.

While he went to check that the coast was clear, Fred took the opportunity to clean herself up with the tissue she had grabbed and flushed it. Then she looked over at Wesley and leaned over to kiss him again. “You’re stuck with both of us,” she said with a low chuckle, taking his hand.

He had to wait for one man to finish up, but once he was gone, Giles returned to the stall to reclaim his lovers. “All right, come on,” he whispered, leading both of them out of the bathroom into the hallway. Only then could he allow himself to take a moment to stretch out sore muscles.

Fred, meanwhile, looked up around, wondering what they were going to do next. They had left the bonbons in the theater - and they were probably melted by now, so she felt sorry for anyone who might sit in the seat. “Since the movie’s been...well, not what we expected, maybe we could go for ice cream and then head home?”

Wesley nodded, starting to realize that he was truly happy, and that he was meant to be there. What they had just done, he was still reeling from the ramifications. He still couldn’t believe these two wonderful people were with him, but he was beginning to come to terms with the fact that they chose to be there, and dare he even think it...they wanted to be there. He found himself laughing softly when Fred referred to the movie as ‘not what they expected.’ That was a euphemism if he ever heard one. He followed his lovers to the exit. Ice cream, that sounded great, and the cold would do his throat some good.

There was an ice cream parlor nearby the movie theater, so the three of them walked across the road and into the little shop, which was a bit busier than the theater had been. It looked like people had decided to take an early afternoon and get something cold since it was so warm out. They had to wait for a few minutes before someone could take their order, so they looked at the offerings while they waited.

“Something to share?” she asked. That could get them into trouble again, given the way the three of them seemed to act around each other. “Or do we want to get our own.”

Of course, that could get them into trouble too.

Wesley looked up at the board, feeling a taste for a banana split. He knew with his throat, nuts and strawberry sauce were out of the question. But the mixture of flavors was making his mouth water. Giles smirked and handed him the little note pad from his pocket. The excitement in his eyes it did Giles’ heart good.

Banana Split, no nuts, extra whip cream, chocolate sauce and caramel, Wes wrote, passing the paper over to Giles. He showed it to Fred with a smile.

She grinned over at Wesley when she read what he wanted. “That sounds really, really good.”

The kid behind the counter looked at her expectantly, so she gave him Wesley’s order while she looked back over the menu again. They could always share each other’s ice cream if they wanted instead of all getting the same thing. When the server came back with Wesley’s banana split, she had decided. She thought.

“I’d like mint chocolate chip shake please.” She looked over at the guys, who seemed amused by her rather plain order. “I...uh...well...I never was very good with knowing what I wanted to get. It always ends up as a shake or a sugar cone.”

“It’s all right, Fred. Get what you want. I think I’ll try a Banana Foster with the caramel ribbon french vanilla ice cream. Extra whipped cream, no nuts, extra chocolate sauce,” Giles ordered, passing the young man behind the counter a twenty. “You know, Wes, this would have been a lot easier if you hadn’t cornered the market on all the tastes on your order.” He grinned at Fred when he noted Wesley’s sheepish look at his teasing. “It’s okay though. It’s good to see you this happy. You should smile more. It really lights up your face.”

“I definitely agree with that,” Fred said as she reached out and took her shake from the counter. She took a sip of it and watched as the kid put together Giles’ order. Now she definitely felt boring. She really was never good at choosing from all the options. “Too bad they don’t have anything like that huge sundae Napoleon had in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Although we’d probably be here forever if we got one of those.”

Both men looked up at her with blank looks on their faces, neither recognizing the reference. Fred didn’t figure either of them would. It wasn’t exactly a movie she imagined them showing at Watcher Academy. Although she wondered what they would make of some of the most famous people in history running around a California mall. Of course, considering what they had been up against - some in malls, no less - the idea probably wasn’t all that interesting to them. Once Giles’ Banana Foster was ready, they found a table outside the parlor. Most everyone else was inside the store or taking their ice cream elsewhere, so it was fairly quiet in the patio area.

Giles was focused on Wesley, not touching his ice cream until the younger man started on his. He watched him take a few spoonfuls, slowly rolling them around on his tongue before trying to swallow.

The tastes were blissful. Wesley had never developed an appreciation for simple tastes until he had been condemned to eating bland, hospital-assigned mush. Now, everything had such a rich flavor, even in this banana split. And he was enjoying it. He smiled up at Giles and nodded when the other man asked if his throat was all right.

Watching Wesley enjoy his ice cream, Fred smiled and took a sip of her shake. The kid behind the counter had put some whipped cream on it even though she hadn’t asked. She raised her face a bit toward the sun, enjoying being outside - it wasn’t something they did often, considering the work they did was usually at night.

Sunshine. A happy Wesley. Time spent with the two men who had become the most important in her life next to her father. This had turned out to be probably the most wonderful day she had had since returning home from Pylea.

Giles began on his ice cream, enjoying the atmosphere, just sitting here with his lovers. He noted the look on Fred’s face, and grinned. “Happy, luv?” he asked her, noticing Wesley had stopped eating as if he wanted to hear the answer to this. “You look relaxed, almost at peace,” he noted, wondering what was going on in that massive brain of hers.

Smiling a bit bashfully, she nodded. “It’s just...for the first time since I can really remember, I don’t feel like...I have to watch out behind me or have to worry that something unexpected is going to happen and break all this. I had kind of forgotten what it feels like because I had gotten so used to just running or hiding or trying to make sure that I was never caught off guard. I know we still have things that we have to get done, and we will, but this...it’s just nice to have a real breather and do what we want with no interruptions.” She stopped and took a deep breath. “And if you understand any of what I just said, can you translate it back to me?”

A slow, warm smile spread across Giles’ face when he realized what she was saying. He had to agree. They were all good at their jobs. Jobs which afforded them very little relaxation time. Sometimes, you just had to grab the moments that you could get.

“It sounds like you trust us enough to let your guard down and enjoy this.” That thought alone touched the older man’s heart. “We don’t expect you to be ‘smart’ Fred, or ‘sweet’ Fred or any of the above. We just want you to be you. And we’ll accept whatever that means. I think, subconsciously, you know this.” He paused, digging into his ice cream once again. “We know our jobs, love, and we’ll get them done. But these moments are few and far between. We deserve this....time for just us.” He chuckled, noting Wesley already had half of his banana split gone. “Am I close?”

She nodded. “You got it. I’m so grateful that neither of you expect me to be anything other than me. It seems that everyone else always does.” She sighed and shook her head slightly, remembering her conversation with Charles at the fairgrounds, only now really understanding what it meant. He hadn’t wanted her - he had wanted a trophy to show off.

Wesley and Giles wanted her. That made the world of difference.

She looked over at Wesley, who was listening while he worked through his split. It really was good to see him like this. “I take it that the split meets with your approval.”

Wesley looked up sheepishly with a mouthful of whipped cream. He snapped his fingers, calling for the little pad of paper Giles had. With a laugh, Rupert passed it to him. Setting his spoon down for a moment, he scribbled something down. Passing the pad to Fred, he grinned mischievously, immediately turning back to his split.

Getting up from the table, Giles looked over Fred’s shoulder at the note.

The tastes are phenomenal...but still not exciting as the company.

“Exciting, huh?” she said, trying not to laugh at the imperial air he had affected in ‘asking’ Giles for the paper. He was obviously getting used to them being there and helping to take care of him. “I don’t think anyone has ever said I was exciting before. I mean, geeky sure. Too smart for my own good? Definitely. But not exciting. I mean, look at me. Couldn’t even decide on ice cream and went with a boring old shake.” She held her still mostly full cup up to make her point.

“Exciting,” Giles agreed with Wesley’s description of Fred as such. “You don’t see yourself, Fred. I knew, before I arrived, how he felt about you. Your brilliance keeps him on his toes. Both of you are two of the smartest people I’ve ever met. But it’s in different ways. So there’s no chance of you boring each other.” He smirked. “And watching you both, especially you. How that fire just smolders in your dark eyes when one of us touches you.” He met her dark gaze, his green eyes flaring at the memories that passed through his mind. “Contrary to what society thinks, a man isn’t always into the simple act for pleasure. To see your partner respond to your touch, like you do with us, their eyes glazing over, skin flushing, panting...so wanton. To me, it’s more arousing than just ‘making love.’ I can look out onto this street and pick out at least a dozen women that you would compare yourself to and no doubt find yourself to be wanting. Wesley saw you first, but I know now what he was going on about. Those same women, they don’t hold a candle to you. You’re beautiful, brilliant, strong, loving, and you have a strength of spirit and character that I find lacking in so many nowadays. Wesley and I, if we chose, wouldn’t be hurting for company, female or otherwise. But our lives are too dangerous to seriously consider any of these facades. Pretty, empty faces with nothing but a shell inside. You...you’re the genuine article. And having that, in such a beautiful package, is immensely exciting. Whether you choose a shake or a banana split...is irrelevant.” He looked toward Wesley and laughed when the man nodded hard. “And the peanut gallery agrees,” he added with a smug smirk.

Fred stared at Giles then over at Wesley, then back to Giles again, unable to make herself say anything. No one - no one - had ever said anything like that to her before. She had always been considered not normal, first because of her smarts and conspiracy theories and then because of her craziness. To hear not one but two men wanted her in spite of that - because of that - made her entire insides warm like nothing else. Dropping her cup onto the table, she suddenly found herself up out of her seat and hugging Rupert tightly.

“I love you,” she found herself telling him. She felt his surprise and pulled back a bit to look at him, feeling her cheeks going even pinker than they had been. “I do. I love both of you.” She looked over at Wesley with this, smiling at him. “I never intended for it to happen, but it did. I’ve fallen in love with the two most wonderful guys a girl could ever hope to have. Being with both of you has been...amazing.”

“And here you are, proving my point. I’m not blind. I know your experience with men is limited. It’s not a condemnation - quite the contrary, I think it makes you even more alluring. But you have enough room here,” he placed his hand over her heart, “for both of us. You have shown curiosity and openness in a situation that you had never been exposed to before...all because of this.” He pressed down on her heart. “Do you have any idea how amazing that makes you. Wesley is right, you are a treasure.” He draped one arm around her waist and reached the other across the table to clasp Wesley’s hand in his. Blue eyes met green, and Giles smiled seeing that there was no anger, no jealousy in Wesley regarding what Fred had said to him. If anything, there was a hunger there, that hadn’t been present even minutes ago. “And stop talking like this is temporary, I can’t speak for the both of you, but I’m too bloody old for anything casual,” he warned, letting them both know, that if they wanted him, he was in this for the long haul.

“I’m definitely not looking at this as temporary,” she admitted, glancing over at Wesley, pretty sure that he felt the same way. “When we asked you in, I wasn’t completely sure what was going to happen, but now...I wouldn’t ever ask you to leave. And from the look on Wesley’s face, I’d say that he wouldn’t either.” She took a deep breath, feeling her heart flutter as she looked at the faces of both men she loved. “I told Wesley in the bathroom earlier that he’s stuck with both of us. That goes for you as well.”

Wesley gave Giles’ hand a reassuring squeeze. There was so much he wanted to say to the both of them. And especially in moments like this, he found his enforced silence frustrating. He smiled at Fred. She was doing a good job speaking for both of them at the moment. He knew he would do anything for either of them, his two phenomenal lovers. Fred with her loving nature, and Rupert - contrary to his protests - did lead with his heart. He didn’t love easily, but when he did, he protected that love with the fierceness of a den of vampires. He sighed happily, again wondering how he had gotten so lucky.

Giles hung his head for a moment, touched that this woman, after knowing him for such a short time, would include him in her heart. And to tell him so, spoke volumes of her bravery. He felt the squeeze on his hand, and Wesley’s thumb absently stroking the skin on the back of it. Turning his head slightly, he felt the eyes of his lovers and, for some reason, felt self conscious.

“Your split is melting,” he said, nodding toward the dish that Wesley seemed no longer interested in.

“So’s yours,” Fred told him, pointing to the remains of the Banana Foster sitting in front of Giles’ abandoned chair. She picked up her shake and opened the top to look inside. “As is mine.” She looked at both of them and chuckled a bit before taking a swallow of some of the sludgy mint chocolate chip. “I guess ice cream isn’t the best thing to have when you suddenly find yourself in a heart to heart to heart, huh?”

“I don’t know about that,” Giles remarked lightly, getting up from the table to throw away the remnants of their treats. He didn’t notice Wesley take the little pad of paper and write something on the pad hurriedly. He ripped off the sheet and passed it to Fred.

Let’s take him home, the note said. He smiled at her knowingly before looking at Giles’ broad back.

Fred grinned widely at that and nodded. “That sounds like a very good idea,” she told him, standing up and reaching over to take Wesley’s hand. By the time he was standing, Giles had turned back toward them, so she held up Wesley’s note. “We’ve decided that it’s time to take you home because there are just some things to be done that aren’t proper for passers-by to be seeing.”

She hooked her arms through both men’s, and together, they crossed back to the theater parking lot to the car. A few people stopped and stared, but she didn’t notice. She only had eyes for the two men she was with.