FIC: The Usual, BTVS, FRT
Title: The Usual
Author: Andrea/silentflux
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Character: Rupert Giles
Rating: FRT
A/N: This is for my claim for Giles at 60damnprompts which catalogs 60 days in the life of a character. Prompt - Day #2: Trance.
Previous part is HERE. For right now, it is gen, but there may be some slash and mentioning of het later... we'll see.
Summary: Another day in the life of Giles :) And Xander shows up...
~ * ~ * ~
Giles breathed in slowly, controlling each muscle perfectly as he sat in the middle of his office floor, relaxed in the lotus position as he tried to practice the meditation the coven had insisted he do daily to attune himself to the magics around him. He had never really held much stock in meditation no matter what he'd told his Slayer - it never had worked for him. Of course, normally he didn't have the patience or discipline to force his mind to quiet, and lately, he never had the time or privacy it required. This was evidenced as the heavy wooden door to his office swung open with a bang.
"G-man!" Sighing heavily at the loathed nickname, Giles looked up at Xander who looked like a tall vaguely person-shaped blob from across the room with no glasses. "I am back from my worldly wanderings and have come to grant you the gift of my oh-so-important presence! Plus - gifts!"
"Xander, how many times have I asked you not to call me by that infernal nickname?!"
"Umm...a lot? Over the past, what? Eight, nine years?"
"Exactly."
"And when have I ever listened to you about this particular thing?"
Giles sighed and pulled his glasses off to clean them. "When have you ever listened." The words were murmured under his breath, but he saw the younger man's back stiffen slightly and sighed. He hadn't meant to offend him already, but that was all he seemed to do lately with anyone. Shaking his head, he decided to change the subject. "Are you planning to stay here at the school while you're in the country?"
"I was thinking about it," Xander answered almost stiffly, turning around to face the former librarian, all thoughts of the gifts he'd been excited to give to his friend having left with that pointed remark. "I wasn't really sure how long I'd be here. Still got a lot of territory to cover." He shrugged.
"Yes, well. I do hope you'll consider staying at least for a while," Giles told him quietly, gaze searching his former student. He was infinitely aware of how unsettled his relationship with the rest of their group was, including Xander. No longer truly their teacher and more of a colleague, but the patterns of interaction stilted in this new capacity, on both sides. He wasn't sure how long this discomfort would last, but he would strive to fix it if the boy - man decided to stay.
Xander looked up, catching the Watcher's eyes in his own before offering an almost tentative smile. "I don't want to get in the way - I haven't been here in a while. And there's probably not much for me to do."
"Actually -"
"Giles! Giles! Kaz ruined another couch, two tables and four chairs!" Andrew exclaimed, bursting in, out of breath as he reported the latest incident. Slayers were notoriously hard on furniture, buildings, practically anything. Especially when they were spoiled and had a temper. Sighing heavily, Giles closed his eyes, wishing for the peace that meditation was actually supposed to bring, but couldn't find it.
"Andrew, calm down. Has one of the other Watchers taken care of the discipline this time or am I expected to do so?"
"I -"
"Did you run off without ensuring that everything was taken care of and that Kaz wasn't hurt?"
"Well -"
Rising from his seated position, Giles stretched slightly, looking over just in time to catch Xander's gaze. The younger man blinked and a light blush graced his cheeks, but he didn't have time to figure that out. "Alright. Andrew, if you would please go back, ensure that Kaz is not injured and that another Watcher has at least taken control of the situation. I will be along momentarily to sort everything else."
The blond nodded, throwing a look at Xander before leaving quickly to do as Giles bid.
"I see that you're in for some discipliny fun," the dark-haired youth stated, a look of startled embarrassment crossing his features before he rushed on. "Not that... I mean, not in the naughty way, because obviously, you would never do such a thing with a slayer. I mean, not that naughty things are always bad, but..." Giles' mouth quirked up in a smile as he watched the slight blush increase with Xander's mortification.
"Yes, as you say." His eyebrow rose in what Xander almost considered a flirtation before the expression was gone and the Watcher was back to business. "Well, as you can see, you are most definitely be needed. I don't know anyone who can get through to slayers quite as well as you, Xander." Giles told him firmly. "And we have need of that, especially with a few of the girls. "
"Okay," came the almost meek reply.
"Good. I'm glad you're home."
"Me too."
Giles inclined his head in answer before heading off to deal with a temperamental slayer and Andrew. Steeling himself for that encounter allowed him to ignore the slight flutter in his stomach as nothing important. It was business as usual.
Author: Andrea/silentflux
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Character: Rupert Giles
Rating: FRT
A/N: This is for my claim for Giles at 60damnprompts which catalogs 60 days in the life of a character. Prompt - Day #2: Trance.
Previous part is HERE. For right now, it is gen, but there may be some slash and mentioning of het later... we'll see.
Summary: Another day in the life of Giles :) And Xander shows up...
~ * ~ * ~
Giles breathed in slowly, controlling each muscle perfectly as he sat in the middle of his office floor, relaxed in the lotus position as he tried to practice the meditation the coven had insisted he do daily to attune himself to the magics around him. He had never really held much stock in meditation no matter what he'd told his Slayer - it never had worked for him. Of course, normally he didn't have the patience or discipline to force his mind to quiet, and lately, he never had the time or privacy it required. This was evidenced as the heavy wooden door to his office swung open with a bang.
"G-man!" Sighing heavily at the loathed nickname, Giles looked up at Xander who looked like a tall vaguely person-shaped blob from across the room with no glasses. "I am back from my worldly wanderings and have come to grant you the gift of my oh-so-important presence! Plus - gifts!"
"Xander, how many times have I asked you not to call me by that infernal nickname?!"
"Umm...a lot? Over the past, what? Eight, nine years?"
"Exactly."
"And when have I ever listened to you about this particular thing?"
Giles sighed and pulled his glasses off to clean them. "When have you ever listened." The words were murmured under his breath, but he saw the younger man's back stiffen slightly and sighed. He hadn't meant to offend him already, but that was all he seemed to do lately with anyone. Shaking his head, he decided to change the subject. "Are you planning to stay here at the school while you're in the country?"
"I was thinking about it," Xander answered almost stiffly, turning around to face the former librarian, all thoughts of the gifts he'd been excited to give to his friend having left with that pointed remark. "I wasn't really sure how long I'd be here. Still got a lot of territory to cover." He shrugged.
"Yes, well. I do hope you'll consider staying at least for a while," Giles told him quietly, gaze searching his former student. He was infinitely aware of how unsettled his relationship with the rest of their group was, including Xander. No longer truly their teacher and more of a colleague, but the patterns of interaction stilted in this new capacity, on both sides. He wasn't sure how long this discomfort would last, but he would strive to fix it if the boy - man decided to stay.
Xander looked up, catching the Watcher's eyes in his own before offering an almost tentative smile. "I don't want to get in the way - I haven't been here in a while. And there's probably not much for me to do."
"Actually -"
"Giles! Giles! Kaz ruined another couch, two tables and four chairs!" Andrew exclaimed, bursting in, out of breath as he reported the latest incident. Slayers were notoriously hard on furniture, buildings, practically anything. Especially when they were spoiled and had a temper. Sighing heavily, Giles closed his eyes, wishing for the peace that meditation was actually supposed to bring, but couldn't find it.
"Andrew, calm down. Has one of the other Watchers taken care of the discipline this time or am I expected to do so?"
"I -"
"Did you run off without ensuring that everything was taken care of and that Kaz wasn't hurt?"
"Well -"
Rising from his seated position, Giles stretched slightly, looking over just in time to catch Xander's gaze. The younger man blinked and a light blush graced his cheeks, but he didn't have time to figure that out. "Alright. Andrew, if you would please go back, ensure that Kaz is not injured and that another Watcher has at least taken control of the situation. I will be along momentarily to sort everything else."
The blond nodded, throwing a look at Xander before leaving quickly to do as Giles bid.
"I see that you're in for some discipliny fun," the dark-haired youth stated, a look of startled embarrassment crossing his features before he rushed on. "Not that... I mean, not in the naughty way, because obviously, you would never do such a thing with a slayer. I mean, not that naughty things are always bad, but..." Giles' mouth quirked up in a smile as he watched the slight blush increase with Xander's mortification.
"Yes, as you say." His eyebrow rose in what Xander almost considered a flirtation before the expression was gone and the Watcher was back to business. "Well, as you can see, you are most definitely be needed. I don't know anyone who can get through to slayers quite as well as you, Xander." Giles told him firmly. "And we have need of that, especially with a few of the girls. "
"Okay," came the almost meek reply.
"Good. I'm glad you're home."
"Me too."
Giles inclined his head in answer before heading off to deal with a temperamental slayer and Andrew. Steeling himself for that encounter allowed him to ignore the slight flutter in his stomach as nothing important. It was business as usual.