Fic: Missed Signals
Title: Missed Signals
Author: rayne_y_daze
Rating: PG
Pairing: Giles/Xander
Summary: Xander is trying to tell Giles something.
A/N: Written for the Song Ficathon held by soft_princess. The master list is here.
Song: Invisible Ink, by Aimee Mann
Word Count: ~1000
The bell over the door chimed out its annoyingly chipper warning that someone had entered the store. Giles turned away from his most recent shipment just enough to see that it wasn't a customer.
"Hey, G-Man! What's with the boxes?"
Giles sighed. "Xander, I've asked you not to call me that." He rearranged his glasses on his face. "As for the boxes, they're the remainder of an order I placed at an establishment in New England." He returned his attention to his acquisitions.
Xander continued into the store and pulled a small statue from one of the boxes. "Yikes! What's this supposed to be? The goddess of boob sag?"
With a mildly crazed look in his eyes, Giles quickly, but very carefully, snatched the object from the young man's hands. "That, Xander, is a fertility statue. You'll be grateful, I should think, that you didn't break it. Or, you know, touch it for too long." Giles gently settled the statue into the box closest to him.
Stung, but not deterred, Xander moved closer. "So. You're unpacking, huh? You know, I'm pretty good at unpacking. Some have called me an unpack rat." When he got no reaction from Giles, he tried another approach. "Hey, G-Man. How about a break? We could go for burgers. Or, you know, something stuffier. Is there a tea place around here? My treat!"
Giles raised a hand as he frantically searched the boxes. "Xander, please!"
Xander stood biting his lip as Giles continued to rummage through his order. With a sharp nod, Xander turned and left the store.
* * * * *
With a quick swipe of his rag, Xander quietly congratulated himself on a job well done. "All done, Giles. You have a shiny new set of shelves. Better than the old ones, if I do say so myself."
Giles came around the counter. "That's wonderful, Xander. These really are very nice. Are you sure you won't let me pay you?"
Xander waved a hand. "Nope. All part of the Xander Harris buddy package. Free carpentry work and comic relief."
Giles clapped a hand on the young man's shoulder. "Thank you, Xander. You did a fine job." As he turned to return to his work, Giles noticed something not quite right. "What is it, Xander?"
"Nothing, really. I was just wondering if you had anything else that needs, you know, carpentering?"
Giles thought about that for a moment. "Not that I can think of right now. No, Xander, you can go on. Enjoy your afternoon."
"Yeah, you bet. You too."
* * * * *
The meeting had been uneventful, and everyone was grateful. For once, there didn't seem to be an apocalypse waiting in the wings, and everyone could take the evening off. Almost everyone seemed to have done just that. Giles, however, turned his energies to wrapping up the day's business for the Magic Box.
He let loose with a small yelp when a figure moved just at the edge of his peripheral vision. Gasping for breath, he realized, to his annoyance, that the figure had only been Xander. "What the bloody hell are you still doing here? I thought you'd have gone... Bronzing, as you say."
"Sorry, Giles." Xander shoved his hands in his pockets and dropped his head. "I didn't mean to ... I was just wondering if you wanted some help? You know, with the closing stuff. I could walk you home. Best to travel in pairs after dark in Sunny D, you know?"
Giles shook his head, wondering what Xander was on about. "I'm quite alright, Xander. I'm sure I can manage, thank you anyway."
"Right." Xander made his way to the door. "Off to enjoy the crazy wacky fun of the Bronze, then. See you tomorrow?"
Giles kept his eyes on the register tape he was trying to tally. "Yes, of course. Good night, Xander."
The shop door had already closed behind Xander, but Giles didn't notice.
* * * * *
Patrol was blessedly quiet. Within an hour, Giles suggested that they all call it a night. No one argued. As they all parted ways, Giles was startled to notice Xander keeping pace with him. "Is something the matter?"
The young man shrugged. "Not really. Yes. I mean... crap. Giles, have you noticed anything different about me at all lately?"
Giles thought on that. "Well, you have seemed extra helpful of late."
Xander slapped a hand over his eyes. "Giles!" With great effort, Xander regained control. "Giles, for a really smart guy, you're pretty dumb."
"I beg your-"
"How many times have I just happened to be there when no one else was?"
"Well, I'm not-"
"And did I seem to be acting a little strange any of those times?"
"Actually, now that you mention it-"
Xander stopped walking and placed a hand on Giles' shoulder to stop him as well. "Giles, haven't you thought anything about how I've been around you at all?"
Giles frowned. "Xander, I don't-"
Xander moved his hand from Giles' shoulder to the back of the other man's neck. With a quick tug, Xander had Giles in his reach and planted a bruising kiss on the older man. Pulling back enough to focus, Xander glared at Giles. "Am I coming through now?"
Giles stood staring for a moment, a little short of breath. "Xander, I... I don't..." He reached for glasses he'd forgotten he wasn't wearing.
Jaw clenched, Xander shrugged and backed away. "I get it. It's cool, G-Man. Just do me a favor and forget this happened. 'kay?"
"Xander, for the love of... will you stop?" Giles reached out and grabbed the younger man's arm, pulling him back. "I didn't know you felt... Xander, I didn't even know you liked men! This is a bit to process all at once."
Xander crossed his arms. "Okay, so process."
Giles gawped. "Why you insufferable little... Clearing his throat, he tried again. "How long have you felt this way?"
"About a year, I guess."
"Do you think, perhaps, I could have a minute to process what you've had a year to think about?"
Xander dropped his head. "Yeah, you're right. It's just-"
Giles moved a hand to the side of Xander's neck. "I'll tell you this much without having to think it through. I'm interested." Giles leaned forward and placed a gentle, not quite chaste kiss on the younger man's lips. "Quite interested. Can that please be enough for right now?"
* * * * *
The End
Author: rayne_y_daze
Rating: PG
Pairing: Giles/Xander
Summary: Xander is trying to tell Giles something.
A/N: Written for the Song Ficathon held by soft_princess. The master list is here.
Song: Invisible Ink, by Aimee Mann
Word Count: ~1000
The bell over the door chimed out its annoyingly chipper warning that someone had entered the store. Giles turned away from his most recent shipment just enough to see that it wasn't a customer.
"Hey, G-Man! What's with the boxes?"
Giles sighed. "Xander, I've asked you not to call me that." He rearranged his glasses on his face. "As for the boxes, they're the remainder of an order I placed at an establishment in New England." He returned his attention to his acquisitions.
Xander continued into the store and pulled a small statue from one of the boxes. "Yikes! What's this supposed to be? The goddess of boob sag?"
With a mildly crazed look in his eyes, Giles quickly, but very carefully, snatched the object from the young man's hands. "That, Xander, is a fertility statue. You'll be grateful, I should think, that you didn't break it. Or, you know, touch it for too long." Giles gently settled the statue into the box closest to him.
Stung, but not deterred, Xander moved closer. "So. You're unpacking, huh? You know, I'm pretty good at unpacking. Some have called me an unpack rat." When he got no reaction from Giles, he tried another approach. "Hey, G-Man. How about a break? We could go for burgers. Or, you know, something stuffier. Is there a tea place around here? My treat!"
Giles raised a hand as he frantically searched the boxes. "Xander, please!"
Xander stood biting his lip as Giles continued to rummage through his order. With a sharp nod, Xander turned and left the store.
* * * * *
With a quick swipe of his rag, Xander quietly congratulated himself on a job well done. "All done, Giles. You have a shiny new set of shelves. Better than the old ones, if I do say so myself."
Giles came around the counter. "That's wonderful, Xander. These really are very nice. Are you sure you won't let me pay you?"
Xander waved a hand. "Nope. All part of the Xander Harris buddy package. Free carpentry work and comic relief."
Giles clapped a hand on the young man's shoulder. "Thank you, Xander. You did a fine job." As he turned to return to his work, Giles noticed something not quite right. "What is it, Xander?"
"Nothing, really. I was just wondering if you had anything else that needs, you know, carpentering?"
Giles thought about that for a moment. "Not that I can think of right now. No, Xander, you can go on. Enjoy your afternoon."
"Yeah, you bet. You too."
* * * * *
The meeting had been uneventful, and everyone was grateful. For once, there didn't seem to be an apocalypse waiting in the wings, and everyone could take the evening off. Almost everyone seemed to have done just that. Giles, however, turned his energies to wrapping up the day's business for the Magic Box.
He let loose with a small yelp when a figure moved just at the edge of his peripheral vision. Gasping for breath, he realized, to his annoyance, that the figure had only been Xander. "What the bloody hell are you still doing here? I thought you'd have gone... Bronzing, as you say."
"Sorry, Giles." Xander shoved his hands in his pockets and dropped his head. "I didn't mean to ... I was just wondering if you wanted some help? You know, with the closing stuff. I could walk you home. Best to travel in pairs after dark in Sunny D, you know?"
Giles shook his head, wondering what Xander was on about. "I'm quite alright, Xander. I'm sure I can manage, thank you anyway."
"Right." Xander made his way to the door. "Off to enjoy the crazy wacky fun of the Bronze, then. See you tomorrow?"
Giles kept his eyes on the register tape he was trying to tally. "Yes, of course. Good night, Xander."
The shop door had already closed behind Xander, but Giles didn't notice.
* * * * *
Patrol was blessedly quiet. Within an hour, Giles suggested that they all call it a night. No one argued. As they all parted ways, Giles was startled to notice Xander keeping pace with him. "Is something the matter?"
The young man shrugged. "Not really. Yes. I mean... crap. Giles, have you noticed anything different about me at all lately?"
Giles thought on that. "Well, you have seemed extra helpful of late."
Xander slapped a hand over his eyes. "Giles!" With great effort, Xander regained control. "Giles, for a really smart guy, you're pretty dumb."
"I beg your-"
"How many times have I just happened to be there when no one else was?"
"Well, I'm not-"
"And did I seem to be acting a little strange any of those times?"
"Actually, now that you mention it-"
Xander stopped walking and placed a hand on Giles' shoulder to stop him as well. "Giles, haven't you thought anything about how I've been around you at all?"
Giles frowned. "Xander, I don't-"
Xander moved his hand from Giles' shoulder to the back of the other man's neck. With a quick tug, Xander had Giles in his reach and planted a bruising kiss on the older man. Pulling back enough to focus, Xander glared at Giles. "Am I coming through now?"
Giles stood staring for a moment, a little short of breath. "Xander, I... I don't..." He reached for glasses he'd forgotten he wasn't wearing.
Jaw clenched, Xander shrugged and backed away. "I get it. It's cool, G-Man. Just do me a favor and forget this happened. 'kay?"
"Xander, for the love of... will you stop?" Giles reached out and grabbed the younger man's arm, pulling him back. "I didn't know you felt... Xander, I didn't even know you liked men! This is a bit to process all at once."
Xander crossed his arms. "Okay, so process."
Giles gawped. "Why you insufferable little... Clearing his throat, he tried again. "How long have you felt this way?"
"About a year, I guess."
"Do you think, perhaps, I could have a minute to process what you've had a year to think about?"
Xander dropped his head. "Yeah, you're right. It's just-"
Giles moved a hand to the side of Xander's neck. "I'll tell you this much without having to think it through. I'm interested." Giles leaned forward and placed a gentle, not quite chaste kiss on the younger man's lips. "Quite interested. Can that please be enough for right now?"
* * * * *
The End