A Subtle Assault on the Senses
FRT
Giles/Xander, preslash
300 words
Giles and Xander belong to Joss and Mutant Enemy, not to me. I make no money, I have no rights.
Summary: It's too soon after Anya's death for Giles to make a move, but there are other subtle things he can do.
Six weeks since Anya died. Too soon to tell Xander how he feels, but Giles can show it, subtly, with a gentle assault on the senses.
Touch:
Xander is grieving. A friend can express sympathy and support though a grip on the shoulder, a squeeze on the arm, even a neck rub after a hard training session. If this accustoms Xander to the feel of Giles’ hands, well, so much the better.
Taste:
The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. To Giles, it sounds like an attack strategy for parasitic demon spawn. Nonetheless, when he takes his turn cooking for the group, Giles makes Xander’s favorite foods, and smiles as the younger man tucks in.
Sight:
Giles lets Xander see things that he’s kept hidden before. He lets the happiness he feels when Xander walks into a room show in his eyes. He lets himself grin at Xander’s absurd brand of wit. He lets Xander catch him checking out other men. Someday, he’ll let Xander catch him checking out Xander.
Smell:
Giles once drank tea on weekend mornings, enjoying the solitude while everyone else slept in. But he’s discovered the smell of hot cocoa, made from scratch, can lure Xander out of bed before the others. Now the two of them have a quiet breakfast together twice a week. Giles eschews the mini-marshmallows but has sworn never to reveal the location of Xander’s hidden stash.
Hearing:
Giles considers pet names. Xander perpetually invents new nicknames for everyone. As much as Giles dislikes G-man, it could be worse - he’s sure Fangless and Deadboy would agree. Giles utterly fails to devise a nickname for Xander that wouldn’t send Buffy into a fit of screaming giggles. Pet names will wait until he can call Xander “my love.”
Giles/Xander, preslash
300 words
Giles and Xander belong to Joss and Mutant Enemy, not to me. I make no money, I have no rights.
Summary: It's too soon after Anya's death for Giles to make a move, but there are other subtle things he can do.
Six weeks since Anya died. Too soon to tell Xander how he feels, but Giles can show it, subtly, with a gentle assault on the senses.
Touch:
Xander is grieving. A friend can express sympathy and support though a grip on the shoulder, a squeeze on the arm, even a neck rub after a hard training session. If this accustoms Xander to the feel of Giles’ hands, well, so much the better.
Taste:
The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. To Giles, it sounds like an attack strategy for parasitic demon spawn. Nonetheless, when he takes his turn cooking for the group, Giles makes Xander’s favorite foods, and smiles as the younger man tucks in.
Sight:
Giles lets Xander see things that he’s kept hidden before. He lets the happiness he feels when Xander walks into a room show in his eyes. He lets himself grin at Xander’s absurd brand of wit. He lets Xander catch him checking out other men. Someday, he’ll let Xander catch him checking out Xander.
Smell:
Giles once drank tea on weekend mornings, enjoying the solitude while everyone else slept in. But he’s discovered the smell of hot cocoa, made from scratch, can lure Xander out of bed before the others. Now the two of them have a quiet breakfast together twice a week. Giles eschews the mini-marshmallows but has sworn never to reveal the location of Xander’s hidden stash.
Hearing:
Giles considers pet names. Xander perpetually invents new nicknames for everyone. As much as Giles dislikes G-man, it could be worse - he’s sure Fangless and Deadboy would agree. Giles utterly fails to devise a nickname for Xander that wouldn’t send Buffy into a fit of screaming giggles. Pet names will wait until he can call Xander “my love.”