The Apocalypse Stone, Buffy/Giles, part 4
anonymous
September 3 2011, 05:35:59 UTC
Giles, represso man, talking. It was apocalypse all right. He drew her away from the pentagram and the candles, over to where he'd shoved his little couch against the wall. They sat on the floor, backs against the couch. Buffy looked at his bare feet. No sensible brown oxfords. No socks. Bare Giles toes. Her feet were bare now too, but she took off her shoes a lot around Giles. He never took anything off around her. He trained with her wearing his jacket more often than not. Though he must get naked sometimes. Every morning, in the shower. In another few minutes he'd be naked right here.
To get her mind off that image, Buffy said, "What did you want to talk about?
"What's about to happen between us."
Buffy shrugged. "Sex. We get naked, we do the thing they told me all about in health class."
Giles cleared his throat. "I meant the specifics."
"I read the ritual. It's the full monty."
"Yes. Virginity sacrificed in a complete coupling. How much experience have you had?" He hesitated on the word 'experience'.
Buffy flushed. "Well, I *am* a virgin."
"I meant--"
"Oh. Um. Makeout sessions. Some, you know, cuddling. With a couple of guys I was dating before. Not Angel. He's been sort of standoffish."
"Have you ever, ever taken it to completion?"
Buffy looked at her toes, at the patterns on the rug, anywhere but at him. "Not with somebody else."
She looked up, having said it and not been swallowed up by the earth. Giles's ears had turned red. It was good to know that he was embarrassed too.
"You know that I must."
"Yeah. I don't have to. It's cool."
"Both of us will be satisfied, if for no other reason than that I am a gentleman and I will not let you go without while I am selfish."
He was surprisingly vehement about it.
"Okay," she said, not understanding what was going on with him.
"There is another thing. The coupling-- you read the ritual. My semen must mix with your blood." Buffy nodded. "That means I cannot use protection. There is a chance-- you might--"
Buffy's mouth was now dry. "Can Slayers even get pregnant?"
"Yes."
"Oh."
Silence between them for a little time, while Buffy wondered what sad stories had played out with Slayers and their babies. Then Giles said, "Whatever happens, whatever you choose to do, I will stand by you."
Buffy just nodded. It was almost too much to think about. One thing at a time. Get through what was in front of her right now. Then a thought came to her.
"Do Watchers and Slayers ever, you know? The ones who aren't old."
Giles seemed to understand her question, vague as it was. "Some do, yes. You and I were walking down a different path. I-- Damn it!"
Buffy laid her hand on his arm. "What's wrong?"
"I don't want, that is, what's about to happen could hurt you greatly, and I'm, I'm-- The idea of hurting you in any way is intolerable."
He broke off. That was about as much emotion from Giles as she'd seen in a long time. She said, quietly, "It's okay."
His fist tightened on nothing. "No, it's not! I believed I could give you as normal a life as I could in every other way. Boyfriends, cheerleading, whatever it was you wanted to do outside of the Slaying. This puts paid to that delusion. Anything and everything might be taken from you, and I can do sod-all about it. Instead I've got to do the taking."
He slumped and rested his forehead on his arms. Buffy leaned against him, trying to make him feel a little better somehow. She hadn't known he thought about her like that. He'd been the nagging guy so much at first. Then he'd told her he would quit nagging, and he had, hadn't he? They bickered about training all the time, but it was more the happy bickering thing, where they teased each other according to rules that only they understood. And he hadn't complained about dates, on the few times she'd managed to have normal ones. She hadn't realized how important that was to him, though.
"I get it. That would make me angry too, if I were trying to protect somebody and couldn't."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to burden you with it. You don't-- You don't seem-- I'm curious why--"
To get her mind off that image, Buffy said, "What did you want to talk about?
"What's about to happen between us."
Buffy shrugged. "Sex. We get naked, we do the thing they told me all about in health class."
Giles cleared his throat. "I meant the specifics."
"I read the ritual. It's the full monty."
"Yes. Virginity sacrificed in a complete coupling. How much experience have you had?" He hesitated on the word 'experience'.
Buffy flushed. "Well, I *am* a virgin."
"I meant--"
"Oh. Um. Makeout sessions. Some, you know, cuddling. With a couple of guys I was dating before. Not Angel. He's been sort of standoffish."
"Have you ever, ever taken it to completion?"
Buffy looked at her toes, at the patterns on the rug, anywhere but at him. "Not with somebody else."
She looked up, having said it and not been swallowed up by the earth. Giles's ears had turned red. It was good to know that he was embarrassed too.
"You know that I must."
"Yeah. I don't have to. It's cool."
"Both of us will be satisfied, if for no other reason than that I am a gentleman and I will not let you go without while I am selfish."
He was surprisingly vehement about it.
"Okay," she said, not understanding what was going on with him.
"There is another thing. The coupling-- you read the ritual. My semen must mix with your blood." Buffy nodded. "That means I cannot use protection. There is a chance-- you might--"
Buffy's mouth was now dry. "Can Slayers even get pregnant?"
"Yes."
"Oh."
Silence between them for a little time, while Buffy wondered what sad stories had played out with Slayers and their babies. Then Giles said, "Whatever happens, whatever you choose to do, I will stand by you."
Buffy just nodded. It was almost too much to think about. One thing at a time. Get through what was in front of her right now. Then a thought came to her.
"Do Watchers and Slayers ever, you know? The ones who aren't old."
Giles seemed to understand her question, vague as it was. "Some do, yes. You and I were walking down a different path. I-- Damn it!"
Buffy laid her hand on his arm. "What's wrong?"
"I don't want, that is, what's about to happen could hurt you greatly, and I'm, I'm-- The idea of hurting you in any way is intolerable."
He broke off. That was about as much emotion from Giles as she'd seen in a long time. She said, quietly, "It's okay."
His fist tightened on nothing. "No, it's not! I believed I could give you as normal a life as I could in every other way. Boyfriends, cheerleading, whatever it was you wanted to do outside of the Slaying. This puts paid to that delusion. Anything and everything might be taken from you, and I can do sod-all about it. Instead I've got to do the taking."
He slumped and rested his forehead on his arms. Buffy leaned against him, trying to make him feel a little better somehow. She hadn't known he thought about her like that. He'd been the nagging guy so much at first. Then he'd told her he would quit nagging, and he had, hadn't he? They bickered about training all the time, but it was more the happy bickering thing, where they teased each other according to rules that only they understood. And he hadn't complained about dates, on the few times she'd managed to have normal ones. She hadn't realized how important that was to him, though.
"I get it. That would make me angry too, if I were trying to protect somebody and couldn't."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to burden you with it. You don't-- You don't seem-- I'm curious why--"
"Why I'm not throwing books at your head?"
He nodded.
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