Hidden Truths (4/14)
Buffy's not exactly thrilled with the English weather.
This chapter is rated FRAO.
Later that night, Giles was reading when the front door opened. He looked up to see Buffy coming in. She caught his eye, smiling shyly as she stepped inside.
“Hey.”
“Buffy. Hello. What…um…would you care for a cup of tea?”
She nodded slowly as she shrugged out of her damp jacket. “That’d be great, Giles. Thanks.”
Without another word, he turned and made his way into the kitchen. She took a deep breath and followed him.
“So…does it always rain in England? Or only when I’m here?”
Giles chuckled softly as he pulled two mugs down from the cabinet. “It doesn’t always rain, but…it does often.”
“English people are weird.”
He stared at her in confusion as he pulled the carton of milk out of the refrigerator. “I’m sure that has some sort of relevance to this conversation…in some manner.”
She hopped onto the counter and smiled. “Well, yeah. Back in the day, the prisoners of England were sent to Australia…right?”
He turned the kettle on and gave a slight nod. “Back in the day, yes.”
“So…the prisoners…murderers, thieves, whatever…they get to live in sunny Australia while the good people stay in rainy, grey England. Why not just leave England for the prisoners and the hard-working, law-abiding English people move to Australia? If that had happened, I’d be nice and toasty in the Australian sun, probably sunbathing on a beach, instead of being all damp and chilly here.”
Giles chuckled and shook his head in amusement. “And then I’d be Australian and not English. Besides, I enjoy the weather here. It was something I missed greatly when I was in Sunnydale.”
“Yeah… ‘cause you’re weird. Remember what I said earlier? English people are weird.”
“And Americans are so very normal.” He shot back good-naturedly.
“No.” She replied quietly. “No…we’re not normal.”
Hearing the sadness in her voice, he moved to stand in front of her. “What’s wrong, Buffy? Was your day with Willow not enjoyable?”
“I’m leaving tomorrow afternoon.”
“Yes, I know.” He answered softly.
“We had sex.” She blurted out.
He closed his eyes and lowered his head. Now she wanted to talk? He was collecting his thoughts when he felt her hand on his chest. His eyes flew open when he felt her lips on his.
He took a step back and stared at her. Reaching out and grabbing the front of his shirt to keep him from moving even further away, she swallowed nervously.
“I’m leaving tomorrow afternoon.” She repeated softly.
“Buffy…”
“No one has ever made me feel so wanted…so…needed.”
“We can’t…I can’t…”
“No one has ever made me crave their touch.”
He felt his heart race in his chest. “Crave?”
“It makes me wonder if it was the alcohol.”
His hopes began to sink. “Oh.”
She slid off the counter and took a shaky breath. “I haven’t had anything to drink today, Giles.”
“I’m sorry?”
In lieu of a verbal answer, she pulled her shirt over her head and dropped it to the floor. Giles felt an immediate reaction to the sight of her silk covered breasts.
“Oh dear Lord…”
She bit her lip and glanced at the growing bulge in his jeans. She met his eyes as she quickly began working on his shirt buttons.
“I have one night left in England, Giles. And I want to spend it with you.”
He stifled his groan as she parted his shirt and ran her palms over his chest. “What is this, Buffy?”
She leaned forward and flicked her tongue against his nipple as she unbuckled his belt. “Friends can have sex…once in a while. It doesn’t have to mean anything, Giles. Just…two people feeling…”
“Buffy, I…” He wasn’t able to stifle his groan as she unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, reaching in and stroking his erection.
“Make me feel, Giles.” She whispered huskily.
His fingers trembled as he reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’ve always found it extremely difficult to say ‘no’ to you.”
“So don’t start now.”
He knew it was wrong. He knew that his heart would never forgive him. She wanted sex, he wanted love. It wasn’t her fault that she didn’t know. And now wasn’t the time to tell her. He watched her as she let go of his rampant hard-on and reached behind her back, unclasping the catch on her bra.
As she bared her breasts to his hungry eyes, he knew he couldn’t start saying ‘no’ to her now. He needed her as much as she wanted him at the moment. She wanted him…she wanted him to have sex with her. She didn’t love him, but she wanted him.
For now, that was enough. With a low growl, he picked her up and pushed his tongue into her mouth as she wrapped her legs around his waist. The offer of tea completely forgotten, he turned and carried her out of the kitchen.
If this were the last time he’d be allowed to be with her in this way, he had every intention of doing it right. And doing it right meant taking her to bed, not fucking her on the cold tiles of the kitchen floor.
* * *
He grunted softly as she pushed him onto the bed, quickly pulling the rest of his clothes off before removing the rest of hers. As he reached for her, she smiled and shook her head. His eyes widened as she knelt on the floor between his legs.
“I didn’t get to taste you last night…”
“Nor did…oh, dear Lord…” He groaned as she slid her mouth down the length of his erection.
She hummed appreciatively, smiling inwardly as his fingers threaded through her hair. Opening her eyes, she looked up at him as he gently guided her head. His head was thrown back, eyes closed, chest heaving as he fought for control. When she felt his fingers twitch against her scalp, she slowly pulled back and placed a warm kiss on the head of his cock.
“You taste nice.” She whispered huskily.
He lifted his head and looked down at her through lust-glazed eyes. “Come here.”
Placing her hands on his thighs, she pushed herself up, gasping as he suddenly grabbed her. A slow smile appeared on his lips as he rolled their bodies until she was on her back underneath him.
“My turn.” He whispered as he lowered his mouth to her stomach.
“Oh God…” She whimpered as he quickly made his way down her body.
Parting her lower lips with his thumbs, he looked up at her and smiled as he flicked his tongue against her clitoris. Her hips bucked, seeking more. He wanted to take it slow…tease her with his mouth for a while. When she groaned an urgent ‘please’, he gave her a nod and covered her clit with his mouth.
He sucked hard at the bundle of nerves as he pushed two fingers from his left hand into her. Her hands flew to the back of his head, her nails clawing at his scalp as he lapped at her clit and curled his fingers up slightly.
Her head thrashed as her hips arched, increasing the pressure of his mouth against her. “Jesus! Giles!”
Pulling her clitoris between his teeth, he looked up at her as he gently bit her. She screamed in ecstasy and he felt her inner walls clamp around his fingers.
Shuddering violently, breathing hard, she opened her eyes and swallowed as she met his eyes. “Fuck me…”
He gasped at her urgently spoken whisper, her darkened eyes staring into his as he slowly lifted his head and removed his fingers. A moment of clarity hit him as he moved back up her body, nestled between her thighs with the head of his erection nudging against her clit.
“What is this, Buffy?” He whispered thickly.
“I don’t know.” She answered honestly as she lifted her legs around his hips. “I do know that I want to feel…and God, how you make me feel.”
He closed his eyes and lowered his head, realizing that he had been hoping for an admission of love. Instead, he had received an expression of lust…and possibly need, going by the tone of her voice. He could…he should stop this now, it wasn’t too late.
“Please, Giles…” She whimpered, her nails lightly scratching across his back. “Please, fuck me…”
And just like that, his moment of clarity disappeared. She needed him…if only for this moment. And God knew, he needed her desperately…he needed to feel her warmth, her desire, her…life. Groaning softly, he gently pushed his way in.
She inhaled sharply and he lifted his head to look at her.
“Alright?”
She nodded quickly, gripping his back tightly. “God…don’t stop.”
Moving slowly within her, he looked down at her flushed face. Her eyes were closed, but he could see the pleasure he was giving her. He bit his tongue quickly, stopping the words from escaping his lips.
She didn’t want to hear that he loved her. She didn’t want to hear that he wanted her to stay with him. She didn’t want to hear that he would do everything he possibly could to make her happy for the rest of her life.
She wanted release. And she had come to him for said release.
Closing his eyes, he lowered his head to the crook of her neck and increased his pace. When she came, screaming his name, she took him with her. He kept his face buried in her neck as she held him tightly.
Only when he was certain that he had his emotions under control did he lift his head and roll to her side. This time when she started to get up to go to the guest room, he didn’t stop her. He couldn’t make her stay.
And it broke his heart to realize that fact…once again.
* * *
The next morning, after a fairly sleepless night for both of them, Buffy dropped her bags in the living room and made her way to the kitchen. She smiled and then fought back her tears as she watched him.
He was dressed in jeans and a button-up shirt, the top three buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up his forearms. She glanced down and smiled…he was barefoot. A cup of tea held in his right hand as he pushed the eggs around the pan with the spatula held in his left.
She thought he’d never looked more beautiful. Taking a deep breath, she walked further into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. He turned to her, taking a sip of his tea before placing his mug on the countertop, and smiled softly.
“Good morning.” He gestured at the pan with the spatula and cleared his throat. “I, uh…you should eat more.”
Though he was smiling at her, she could see the sadness in his eyes. He had buried it deep within, but she could still see a flicker.
“Are we okay?” She whispered, not trusting her voice to hold up for anything louder at the moment.
His smile faded and he picked up the pan, carefully scraping the scrambled eggs onto a plate. “We will be. Though, I’m rather sure that what happened last night, should not happen again.”
She swallowed, turning her head quickly to look out the window. “Yeah, probably not a good idea.”
He placed the plate on the counter in front of her and handed her a fork. “What…what time is your flight?”
She glanced at him before lowering her gaze and staring at the eggs. Pushing the eggs around the plate with the fork, she realized that she was anything but hungry.
“Eleven-thirty.”
He glanced at the clock, his jaw clenching and then releasing. “It’s nine now…I’ll finish getting dressed while you eat and then I’ll take you to the airport.”
“I can call a taxi, Giles. It’s no big deal.”
Giles shook his head, his brow furrowing. “No, I’ll - ”
She interrupted him with a quiet statement. “It’ll be easier for both of us if I just call a taxi.”
He inhaled sharply and stared at her. “Buffy…”
“Promise me the phone calls will still come? That you won’t just find everything too unseemly and just…disappear from my…our lives?”
Giles felt like he had just been punched in the stomach. “I wouldn’t do that, Buffy.”
She bit her lip nervously and met his eyes. “Because you’re my Watcher?”
“Because I’m your friend.” He corrected gently. “Please, let me take you to the airport.”
She considered it for a minute and then shook her head slowly. “It’d be too weird. It’s better…saying goodbye here is better. Less people, less awkwardness…it’s better.”
He regarded her carefully and then exhaled slowly. “You’ve already called for a taxi, haven’t you?”
“It’ll be here at nine-thirty.”
He nodded absently. “You, uh…should eat your eggs. Before they go cold.”
“Giles…”
“No, no. You should eat. I’ll, uh…” He looked down at his feet and sighed. “I’ll go put some shoes on. You will allow me to accompany you outside to the taxi when it arrives, won’t you?”
She heard no anger or frustration in the question. Resignation to the fact that she didn’t think it would be appropriate for him to take her to the airport, yes…but no anger.
“Yes.” She whispered as she watched him run his fingers through his hair.
“Alright. I’ll…” He shook his head and left the room without another word.
Buffy pushed her plate to the side and held her head in her hands. She fought the tears, she would not cry in his house…not in front of him. Once she was in the taxi, yeah…but not here.
* * *
She hesitated as she said goodbye, wanting to give him a hug. She always hugged him when they parted ways. But, would it be the right thing to do now? Now that they’d had sex…twice?
Sensing her hesitation after he placed her bags in the boot of the taxi, he sighed. “Buffy?”
“I want to hug you.” She whispered, not meeting his eyes.
He took a step forward and placed his right hand on her shoulder. “Then hug me.”
She sniffled as she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face against his chest. “I’ve always hated saying goodbye to you, Giles.”
He lightly stroked her hair as he returned the embrace, leaning down to place a soft kiss on the top of her head. “As have I.”
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she took a step back and looked up at him. “You’ll call?”
He nodded, aching to pull her back into his arms and beg her to stay with him. “Same time?”
“Yeah. Um…I’ll call you when I get back to Rome. I mean, if you want me to…I don’t have to…”
Despite the heaviness of this goodbye, a smile pricked at his lips as she rambled. He’d always found it fascinating…and adorable.
“Please do, Buffy.” He stared into her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. “Have a nice trip and…give my love to Dawn.”
She nodded slowly and slid into the back seat of the taxi. “I will. I’ll talk to you soon.”
He gave her a warm smile as she closed the door. With a slight wave, he stepped back from the driveway and watched as the taxi backed out onto the road. He caught her eyes once more and gave her another wave before shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he watched the taxi drive down the road.
He watched until it was out of sight and then still stood there for a few minutes longer. With a heavy, sad sigh, he turned and made his way back into the house.
* * *
The tears started as soon as he waved at her for the second time. As the driver navigated the car down the street, he glanced at her in the rearview mirror. He had seen this time and time again…people saying goodbye when they really didn’t want to. For some reason, this time struck him as different.
“Should I turn around?” He asked softly.
She shook her head, wiping her eyes as she looked out the window. “No…if he had wanted me to stay, he would’ve asked.”
The driver gave a nod, but said nothing more. He’d seen the look in the man’s eyes as the pair had embraced. He’d wanted to ask her to stay, but something kept him from it. It was really none of his business, but the situation made him a little sad.
He sighed softly and turned onto the road that would take them to Heathrow.
This chapter is rated FRAO.
Later that night, Giles was reading when the front door opened. He looked up to see Buffy coming in. She caught his eye, smiling shyly as she stepped inside.
“Hey.”
“Buffy. Hello. What…um…would you care for a cup of tea?”
She nodded slowly as she shrugged out of her damp jacket. “That’d be great, Giles. Thanks.”
Without another word, he turned and made his way into the kitchen. She took a deep breath and followed him.
“So…does it always rain in England? Or only when I’m here?”
Giles chuckled softly as he pulled two mugs down from the cabinet. “It doesn’t always rain, but…it does often.”
“English people are weird.”
He stared at her in confusion as he pulled the carton of milk out of the refrigerator. “I’m sure that has some sort of relevance to this conversation…in some manner.”
She hopped onto the counter and smiled. “Well, yeah. Back in the day, the prisoners of England were sent to Australia…right?”
He turned the kettle on and gave a slight nod. “Back in the day, yes.”
“So…the prisoners…murderers, thieves, whatever…they get to live in sunny Australia while the good people stay in rainy, grey England. Why not just leave England for the prisoners and the hard-working, law-abiding English people move to Australia? If that had happened, I’d be nice and toasty in the Australian sun, probably sunbathing on a beach, instead of being all damp and chilly here.”
Giles chuckled and shook his head in amusement. “And then I’d be Australian and not English. Besides, I enjoy the weather here. It was something I missed greatly when I was in Sunnydale.”
“Yeah… ‘cause you’re weird. Remember what I said earlier? English people are weird.”
“And Americans are so very normal.” He shot back good-naturedly.
“No.” She replied quietly. “No…we’re not normal.”
Hearing the sadness in her voice, he moved to stand in front of her. “What’s wrong, Buffy? Was your day with Willow not enjoyable?”
“I’m leaving tomorrow afternoon.”
“Yes, I know.” He answered softly.
“We had sex.” She blurted out.
He closed his eyes and lowered his head. Now she wanted to talk? He was collecting his thoughts when he felt her hand on his chest. His eyes flew open when he felt her lips on his.
He took a step back and stared at her. Reaching out and grabbing the front of his shirt to keep him from moving even further away, she swallowed nervously.
“I’m leaving tomorrow afternoon.” She repeated softly.
“Buffy…”
“No one has ever made me feel so wanted…so…needed.”
“We can’t…I can’t…”
“No one has ever made me crave their touch.”
He felt his heart race in his chest. “Crave?”
“It makes me wonder if it was the alcohol.”
His hopes began to sink. “Oh.”
She slid off the counter and took a shaky breath. “I haven’t had anything to drink today, Giles.”
“I’m sorry?”
In lieu of a verbal answer, she pulled her shirt over her head and dropped it to the floor. Giles felt an immediate reaction to the sight of her silk covered breasts.
“Oh dear Lord…”
She bit her lip and glanced at the growing bulge in his jeans. She met his eyes as she quickly began working on his shirt buttons.
“I have one night left in England, Giles. And I want to spend it with you.”
He stifled his groan as she parted his shirt and ran her palms over his chest. “What is this, Buffy?”
She leaned forward and flicked her tongue against his nipple as she unbuckled his belt. “Friends can have sex…once in a while. It doesn’t have to mean anything, Giles. Just…two people feeling…”
“Buffy, I…” He wasn’t able to stifle his groan as she unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, reaching in and stroking his erection.
“Make me feel, Giles.” She whispered huskily.
His fingers trembled as he reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’ve always found it extremely difficult to say ‘no’ to you.”
“So don’t start now.”
He knew it was wrong. He knew that his heart would never forgive him. She wanted sex, he wanted love. It wasn’t her fault that she didn’t know. And now wasn’t the time to tell her. He watched her as she let go of his rampant hard-on and reached behind her back, unclasping the catch on her bra.
As she bared her breasts to his hungry eyes, he knew he couldn’t start saying ‘no’ to her now. He needed her as much as she wanted him at the moment. She wanted him…she wanted him to have sex with her. She didn’t love him, but she wanted him.
For now, that was enough. With a low growl, he picked her up and pushed his tongue into her mouth as she wrapped her legs around his waist. The offer of tea completely forgotten, he turned and carried her out of the kitchen.
If this were the last time he’d be allowed to be with her in this way, he had every intention of doing it right. And doing it right meant taking her to bed, not fucking her on the cold tiles of the kitchen floor.
* * *
He grunted softly as she pushed him onto the bed, quickly pulling the rest of his clothes off before removing the rest of hers. As he reached for her, she smiled and shook her head. His eyes widened as she knelt on the floor between his legs.
“I didn’t get to taste you last night…”
“Nor did…oh, dear Lord…” He groaned as she slid her mouth down the length of his erection.
She hummed appreciatively, smiling inwardly as his fingers threaded through her hair. Opening her eyes, she looked up at him as he gently guided her head. His head was thrown back, eyes closed, chest heaving as he fought for control. When she felt his fingers twitch against her scalp, she slowly pulled back and placed a warm kiss on the head of his cock.
“You taste nice.” She whispered huskily.
He lifted his head and looked down at her through lust-glazed eyes. “Come here.”
Placing her hands on his thighs, she pushed herself up, gasping as he suddenly grabbed her. A slow smile appeared on his lips as he rolled their bodies until she was on her back underneath him.
“My turn.” He whispered as he lowered his mouth to her stomach.
“Oh God…” She whimpered as he quickly made his way down her body.
Parting her lower lips with his thumbs, he looked up at her and smiled as he flicked his tongue against her clitoris. Her hips bucked, seeking more. He wanted to take it slow…tease her with his mouth for a while. When she groaned an urgent ‘please’, he gave her a nod and covered her clit with his mouth.
He sucked hard at the bundle of nerves as he pushed two fingers from his left hand into her. Her hands flew to the back of his head, her nails clawing at his scalp as he lapped at her clit and curled his fingers up slightly.
Her head thrashed as her hips arched, increasing the pressure of his mouth against her. “Jesus! Giles!”
Pulling her clitoris between his teeth, he looked up at her as he gently bit her. She screamed in ecstasy and he felt her inner walls clamp around his fingers.
Shuddering violently, breathing hard, she opened her eyes and swallowed as she met his eyes. “Fuck me…”
He gasped at her urgently spoken whisper, her darkened eyes staring into his as he slowly lifted his head and removed his fingers. A moment of clarity hit him as he moved back up her body, nestled between her thighs with the head of his erection nudging against her clit.
“What is this, Buffy?” He whispered thickly.
“I don’t know.” She answered honestly as she lifted her legs around his hips. “I do know that I want to feel…and God, how you make me feel.”
He closed his eyes and lowered his head, realizing that he had been hoping for an admission of love. Instead, he had received an expression of lust…and possibly need, going by the tone of her voice. He could…he should stop this now, it wasn’t too late.
“Please, Giles…” She whimpered, her nails lightly scratching across his back. “Please, fuck me…”
And just like that, his moment of clarity disappeared. She needed him…if only for this moment. And God knew, he needed her desperately…he needed to feel her warmth, her desire, her…life. Groaning softly, he gently pushed his way in.
She inhaled sharply and he lifted his head to look at her.
“Alright?”
She nodded quickly, gripping his back tightly. “God…don’t stop.”
Moving slowly within her, he looked down at her flushed face. Her eyes were closed, but he could see the pleasure he was giving her. He bit his tongue quickly, stopping the words from escaping his lips.
She didn’t want to hear that he loved her. She didn’t want to hear that he wanted her to stay with him. She didn’t want to hear that he would do everything he possibly could to make her happy for the rest of her life.
She wanted release. And she had come to him for said release.
Closing his eyes, he lowered his head to the crook of her neck and increased his pace. When she came, screaming his name, she took him with her. He kept his face buried in her neck as she held him tightly.
Only when he was certain that he had his emotions under control did he lift his head and roll to her side. This time when she started to get up to go to the guest room, he didn’t stop her. He couldn’t make her stay.
And it broke his heart to realize that fact…once again.
* * *
The next morning, after a fairly sleepless night for both of them, Buffy dropped her bags in the living room and made her way to the kitchen. She smiled and then fought back her tears as she watched him.
He was dressed in jeans and a button-up shirt, the top three buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up his forearms. She glanced down and smiled…he was barefoot. A cup of tea held in his right hand as he pushed the eggs around the pan with the spatula held in his left.
She thought he’d never looked more beautiful. Taking a deep breath, she walked further into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. He turned to her, taking a sip of his tea before placing his mug on the countertop, and smiled softly.
“Good morning.” He gestured at the pan with the spatula and cleared his throat. “I, uh…you should eat more.”
Though he was smiling at her, she could see the sadness in his eyes. He had buried it deep within, but she could still see a flicker.
“Are we okay?” She whispered, not trusting her voice to hold up for anything louder at the moment.
His smile faded and he picked up the pan, carefully scraping the scrambled eggs onto a plate. “We will be. Though, I’m rather sure that what happened last night, should not happen again.”
She swallowed, turning her head quickly to look out the window. “Yeah, probably not a good idea.”
He placed the plate on the counter in front of her and handed her a fork. “What…what time is your flight?”
She glanced at him before lowering her gaze and staring at the eggs. Pushing the eggs around the plate with the fork, she realized that she was anything but hungry.
“Eleven-thirty.”
He glanced at the clock, his jaw clenching and then releasing. “It’s nine now…I’ll finish getting dressed while you eat and then I’ll take you to the airport.”
“I can call a taxi, Giles. It’s no big deal.”
Giles shook his head, his brow furrowing. “No, I’ll - ”
She interrupted him with a quiet statement. “It’ll be easier for both of us if I just call a taxi.”
He inhaled sharply and stared at her. “Buffy…”
“Promise me the phone calls will still come? That you won’t just find everything too unseemly and just…disappear from my…our lives?”
Giles felt like he had just been punched in the stomach. “I wouldn’t do that, Buffy.”
She bit her lip nervously and met his eyes. “Because you’re my Watcher?”
“Because I’m your friend.” He corrected gently. “Please, let me take you to the airport.”
She considered it for a minute and then shook her head slowly. “It’d be too weird. It’s better…saying goodbye here is better. Less people, less awkwardness…it’s better.”
He regarded her carefully and then exhaled slowly. “You’ve already called for a taxi, haven’t you?”
“It’ll be here at nine-thirty.”
He nodded absently. “You, uh…should eat your eggs. Before they go cold.”
“Giles…”
“No, no. You should eat. I’ll, uh…” He looked down at his feet and sighed. “I’ll go put some shoes on. You will allow me to accompany you outside to the taxi when it arrives, won’t you?”
She heard no anger or frustration in the question. Resignation to the fact that she didn’t think it would be appropriate for him to take her to the airport, yes…but no anger.
“Yes.” She whispered as she watched him run his fingers through his hair.
“Alright. I’ll…” He shook his head and left the room without another word.
Buffy pushed her plate to the side and held her head in her hands. She fought the tears, she would not cry in his house…not in front of him. Once she was in the taxi, yeah…but not here.
* * *
She hesitated as she said goodbye, wanting to give him a hug. She always hugged him when they parted ways. But, would it be the right thing to do now? Now that they’d had sex…twice?
Sensing her hesitation after he placed her bags in the boot of the taxi, he sighed. “Buffy?”
“I want to hug you.” She whispered, not meeting his eyes.
He took a step forward and placed his right hand on her shoulder. “Then hug me.”
She sniffled as she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face against his chest. “I’ve always hated saying goodbye to you, Giles.”
He lightly stroked her hair as he returned the embrace, leaning down to place a soft kiss on the top of her head. “As have I.”
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she took a step back and looked up at him. “You’ll call?”
He nodded, aching to pull her back into his arms and beg her to stay with him. “Same time?”
“Yeah. Um…I’ll call you when I get back to Rome. I mean, if you want me to…I don’t have to…”
Despite the heaviness of this goodbye, a smile pricked at his lips as she rambled. He’d always found it fascinating…and adorable.
“Please do, Buffy.” He stared into her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. “Have a nice trip and…give my love to Dawn.”
She nodded slowly and slid into the back seat of the taxi. “I will. I’ll talk to you soon.”
He gave her a warm smile as she closed the door. With a slight wave, he stepped back from the driveway and watched as the taxi backed out onto the road. He caught her eyes once more and gave her another wave before shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he watched the taxi drive down the road.
He watched until it was out of sight and then still stood there for a few minutes longer. With a heavy, sad sigh, he turned and made his way back into the house.
* * *
The tears started as soon as he waved at her for the second time. As the driver navigated the car down the street, he glanced at her in the rearview mirror. He had seen this time and time again…people saying goodbye when they really didn’t want to. For some reason, this time struck him as different.
“Should I turn around?” He asked softly.
She shook her head, wiping her eyes as she looked out the window. “No…if he had wanted me to stay, he would’ve asked.”
The driver gave a nod, but said nothing more. He’d seen the look in the man’s eyes as the pair had embraced. He’d wanted to ask her to stay, but something kept him from it. It was really none of his business, but the situation made him a little sad.
He sighed softly and turned onto the road that would take them to Heathrow.