The Very Heart of Me 4/8
Title: The Very Heart of Me
Fandom: BtVS
Characters/Pairing: Ethan/Giles, Xander
Rating: PG-13 overall
Concrit: Please, in comments
Disclaimer: They aren't mine, not yet, but the will be once I've taken over the world. Bwah-ha-ha.
Warnings/Squicks: None
Summary: Ethan vowed to make it up to Rupert later. He'd argued that they should invite Xander over for dinner to talk about training although he really wanted Xander to become comfortable in their home. He'd need to get to know Xander much more intimately if he was going to seduce him and, well, they'd eventually need to find someplace private.
Story index is here.
Ethan's eyes bugged out at how quickly Xander had vacuumed his plate clean. I don't believe that boy chewed even one bite of that lasagna, he thought in awe. As Xander looked around for more, Giles sighed, put his fork down, and carried the plate back into the kitchen to load it up with more food.
Ethan vowed to make it up to Rupert later. He'd argued that they should invite Xander over for dinner to talk about training although he really wanted Xander to become comfortable in their home. He'd need to get to know Xander much more intimately if he was going to seduce him and, well, they'd eventually need to find someplace private.
Ethan felt slightly disappointed. While the boy was pretty, quite pretty in fact, Ethan preferred a more mature partner, unlike Ripper whose tastes were more eclectic. Still, he was determined to leave some mark on the boy before Ripper claimed him.
“So, you're going to be teaching me to fight,” Xander reiterated.
As he put his salad fork down, Ethan refrained from rolling his eyes. What the boy always this slow? Perhaps Rupert's assessment had been more correct than he'd realized. “Yes, Xander. That is, if you do want to be an integral part of the team.”
“Umm, if that means I want to help out, then yes, but Willow says you can't fight, that G-Man totally kicked your ass on Halloween after you'd turned us all into our costumes.”
“What?” Rupert exclaimed as he walked back into the room. “I explicitly told Willow to leave before I,” he gave Ethan an embarrassed look as his words trailed off.
“Ripper is more formidable than you give him credit for,” Ethan replied with a slight dig at Rupert who didn't appreciate that the kids saw him as an old fuddy-duddy. “Trust me, I may not be the world's most effective fighter but, just as I was able to start training Willow in magic, I can get you started in fighting.”
“Cool,” Xander said losing interest in the topic now that he had more food in front of him.
“I did have one more thing to ask,” Ethan added. Rupert glared but didn't say anything; they'd already had this out. While Rupert didn't believe Xander would be at all helpful looking over the magic shop, he knew he wouldn't be able to convince Ethan otherwise. “I'm thinking of purchasing the magic shop and I'd like you there while I look it over.”
“Me?” Xander replied not looking up from his plate. “Isn't that more Willow's gig?”
I trained Willow and know everything she knows, Ethan thought. “You're perspective will be more useful to me.” Seeing Xander wasn't all that interested, he added, “I could take you out for pizza afterwards.”
Xander's head flew up to reveal a huge smile. “OK.”
* * *
As they stepped out of the car, Xander pointed to the closed sign in the window. “Wrong day?”
“No, the owner recently passed away but the real estate agent should be waiting inside,” Ethan replied as he knocked on the glass window pane.
They heard the door being unlocked before it was opened. An older woman, in a business suit stood in the doorway. “Mr. Rayne?” she asked. At his nod she added, “I”m Stacey West. Please come in.”
Xander followed them in but quickly become bored at their detailed discussion of the shop, it's inventory, and prices. “Hey,” he said as he noticed a bowl of glass spheres. “I wonder how hard these would be to juggle.”
“Oh no you don't,” Ethan said, grabbing the balls out of his hands. “Why don't you just sit yourself over there and wait?” he asked, pointing out a comfortable looking couch in the midst of three walls covered with bookshelves.
“Hey, I thought I was supposed to be helping.”
Putting the glass spheres back, Ethan replied, “If this is your idea of helping then not doing anything is exactly what I want you to be doing. Now sit.” Perhaps Rupert was right, he thought. Brining the boy along doesn't' seem to have been that good an idea.
Three hours later, after Ethan had carefully reviewed over the inventory, going so far as to personally pull out herbs to determine how fresh they were, he and Mrs. West climbed up out of the basement to find Xander asleep on the couch, snoring up a storm. She gave the boy an affectionate look, as if he were the cutest thing she'd seen in an age. “Your friend looks like he needed the sleep.”
“Nephew,” Ethan lied easily. “My sister is dealing with a family emergency, her husband's side of the family, and I said I'd keep an eye on him.”
Good sign that he feels comfortable enough to sleep here, Ethan thought. Rupert is mistaken, I'm sure of it. They boy can sense demonic activity and danger. If he feels safe enough to doze off here, unguarded, then it should be a secure location. After I've warded it, of course. No need to be cocky about security.
Fandom: BtVS
Characters/Pairing: Ethan/Giles, Xander
Rating: PG-13 overall
Concrit: Please, in comments
Disclaimer: They aren't mine, not yet, but the will be once I've taken over the world. Bwah-ha-ha.
Warnings/Squicks: None
Summary: Ethan vowed to make it up to Rupert later. He'd argued that they should invite Xander over for dinner to talk about training although he really wanted Xander to become comfortable in their home. He'd need to get to know Xander much more intimately if he was going to seduce him and, well, they'd eventually need to find someplace private.
Story index is here.
Ethan's eyes bugged out at how quickly Xander had vacuumed his plate clean. I don't believe that boy chewed even one bite of that lasagna, he thought in awe. As Xander looked around for more, Giles sighed, put his fork down, and carried the plate back into the kitchen to load it up with more food.
Ethan vowed to make it up to Rupert later. He'd argued that they should invite Xander over for dinner to talk about training although he really wanted Xander to become comfortable in their home. He'd need to get to know Xander much more intimately if he was going to seduce him and, well, they'd eventually need to find someplace private.
Ethan felt slightly disappointed. While the boy was pretty, quite pretty in fact, Ethan preferred a more mature partner, unlike Ripper whose tastes were more eclectic. Still, he was determined to leave some mark on the boy before Ripper claimed him.
“So, you're going to be teaching me to fight,” Xander reiterated.
As he put his salad fork down, Ethan refrained from rolling his eyes. What the boy always this slow? Perhaps Rupert's assessment had been more correct than he'd realized. “Yes, Xander. That is, if you do want to be an integral part of the team.”
“Umm, if that means I want to help out, then yes, but Willow says you can't fight, that G-Man totally kicked your ass on Halloween after you'd turned us all into our costumes.”
“What?” Rupert exclaimed as he walked back into the room. “I explicitly told Willow to leave before I,” he gave Ethan an embarrassed look as his words trailed off.
“Ripper is more formidable than you give him credit for,” Ethan replied with a slight dig at Rupert who didn't appreciate that the kids saw him as an old fuddy-duddy. “Trust me, I may not be the world's most effective fighter but, just as I was able to start training Willow in magic, I can get you started in fighting.”
“Cool,” Xander said losing interest in the topic now that he had more food in front of him.
“I did have one more thing to ask,” Ethan added. Rupert glared but didn't say anything; they'd already had this out. While Rupert didn't believe Xander would be at all helpful looking over the magic shop, he knew he wouldn't be able to convince Ethan otherwise. “I'm thinking of purchasing the magic shop and I'd like you there while I look it over.”
“Me?” Xander replied not looking up from his plate. “Isn't that more Willow's gig?”
I trained Willow and know everything she knows, Ethan thought. “You're perspective will be more useful to me.” Seeing Xander wasn't all that interested, he added, “I could take you out for pizza afterwards.”
Xander's head flew up to reveal a huge smile. “OK.”
* * *
As they stepped out of the car, Xander pointed to the closed sign in the window. “Wrong day?”
“No, the owner recently passed away but the real estate agent should be waiting inside,” Ethan replied as he knocked on the glass window pane.
They heard the door being unlocked before it was opened. An older woman, in a business suit stood in the doorway. “Mr. Rayne?” she asked. At his nod she added, “I”m Stacey West. Please come in.”
Xander followed them in but quickly become bored at their detailed discussion of the shop, it's inventory, and prices. “Hey,” he said as he noticed a bowl of glass spheres. “I wonder how hard these would be to juggle.”
“Oh no you don't,” Ethan said, grabbing the balls out of his hands. “Why don't you just sit yourself over there and wait?” he asked, pointing out a comfortable looking couch in the midst of three walls covered with bookshelves.
“Hey, I thought I was supposed to be helping.”
Putting the glass spheres back, Ethan replied, “If this is your idea of helping then not doing anything is exactly what I want you to be doing. Now sit.” Perhaps Rupert was right, he thought. Brining the boy along doesn't' seem to have been that good an idea.
Three hours later, after Ethan had carefully reviewed over the inventory, going so far as to personally pull out herbs to determine how fresh they were, he and Mrs. West climbed up out of the basement to find Xander asleep on the couch, snoring up a storm. She gave the boy an affectionate look, as if he were the cutest thing she'd seen in an age. “Your friend looks like he needed the sleep.”
“Nephew,” Ethan lied easily. “My sister is dealing with a family emergency, her husband's side of the family, and I said I'd keep an eye on him.”
Good sign that he feels comfortable enough to sleep here, Ethan thought. Rupert is mistaken, I'm sure of it. They boy can sense demonic activity and danger. If he feels safe enough to doze off here, unguarded, then it should be a secure location. After I've warded it, of course. No need to be cocky about security.