Summary: The second in my three part W/G series.
Spoilers: Mild through the third season. Takes place a few years in the
future. (Have any of you noticed how often I do that? lol...)
Disclaimer: Joss, baby, yeah!
Rating: PG so far. The third part will most likely get a higher rating. ;)

Willow grinned as Giles walked out of the room to get the tea. Buffy leaned
in, hissing, "Everything set?"

Willow nodded casually, not betraying her nervousness. Keeping her voice
low, she replied. "Yeah. I got the streamers and the cake... And the little
hats. Cordelia was busy with some case, and Oz is on the road, so it'll just
be us three, but it'll be good. I couldn't find Ethan," she added impishly,
and Buffy smirked.

"Lucky for Ethan," she whispered, "Or I'd have kicked his ass all the way
back to the candy factory."

Giles walked back in, carrying steaming cups of tea. He set them down before
Buffy and Willow and raised his eyebrows. "Kicked Ethan's... Um... Is Ethan
in town, Buffy?"

Buffy giggled, shaking her head. Darting a glance at Willow, she sobered.
"Um.. No. That was just an- an expression! You know, like, 'till the cows
come home,' or 'when hell freezes over.' Like that."

Willow rolled her eyes and Giles smiled in confusion. "You two made up a
saying about Ethan? Ethan Rayne?"

This time Willow fumbled for words. "No! It was... Buffy's friend.
Ex-friend. From, ah, her first high school! Yeah. And he had a slight...
candy problem. He stole it. A lot. So, that's why she was going to kick
his ass." She was breathing heavily as she finished, and Buffy looked at
her, bemused.

"It's okay, Willow," she covered smoothly. "Yeah, Giles, Ethan Rayne. We
know you get sensitive over the subject, so Willow was trying to save you the
pain of thinking of him. Willow always wants to save you pain, she likes it
when you're happy." She paused, choking on a giggle as Giles shoved his
glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"All right, I suppose... Um, sugar, either of you?"

Willow nodded emphatically. "Yes! Sugar would be great!"

Giles raised his eyebrows, but stood and headed for the kitchen again.
Willow turned to Buffy. "What was *that?!*"

Buffy shrugged innocently. "I was just trying to make up for sounding so
nervous at the first question he asked. Geez, you'd think he would knock
before coming back into the room unannounced."

Willow sighed, amused. "In his own house? To enter a room without a door?"
she laughed lightly. "And anyway, I don't mean that and you know it. What
was that about me never wanting him to have pain? God, Buffy, I thought you
said you wouldn't say anything!" she murmured softly, pained.

Buffy lifted her shoulders again, helplessly. "It's been two weeks since you
told me that you were going to confront this. I was just... Giving you a
helpful push in the right direction." She looked towards the doorway.
"What's taking him so long?"

As if on cue, Giles entered holding a small dish of sugar cubes. He placed
it on the table and scratched his chin, sinking down into his chair heavily.
He looked at them contemplatively, and Buffy suddenly yanked Willow up by the
arm, causing her to spill her tea on the tiled floor.

"Uh... Sorry, Giles. I just remembered that Willow and I have to get back to
our apartment to.. to..." Buffy trailed off nervously, focusing her eyes on
the liquid seeping past her shoes.

"Um, study for classes tomorrow!" Willow supplied brightly, grinning. She
touched Giles's arm as Buffy nodded swiftly and began dragging her away.
"Sorry..."

Giles barely had time to open his mouth to say goodbye before they were gone.
As the door clicked shut behind them, Giles could have sworn he heard Buffy
saying, "So you'll bring him there, right?"

It was all very curious.

And he felt terrible. In the kitchen, he had been shamelessly eavesdropping
on the two women in his life. Well, that wasn't exactly correct, he felt
shame. Massive amounts. And stirrings in his chest that hadn't been there
for quite some time. He gazed at the door, wondering.

And somehow knowing at the same time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Willow looked at her watch, tapping her foot impatiently. He was late for
coming home, and that just wouldn't do. She was supposed to take him out,
drive him to the surprise party! What the hell was he thinking?

And for the second night in a row, he arrived as if on cue. Stumbling into
his apartment wearily, he threw is briefcase on the sofa and unknotted his
tie before he noticed her. He looked up and froze, half of his buttons
undone. Willow was quite frozen herself.

But not in the least cold.

Shaking herself out of the trance she had sunk into, she rose from her seat
and walked over to him quietly. As she stared up into his eyes, Giles found
that he couldn't speak, could barely breathe. His stomach was pleasantly
warm as her hands crept up his chest. His eyes widened.

And she began rebuttoning his shirt.

Finally he found his voice. "What are you doing, Willow? I mean, here.
What are you doing here?"

The buttons done, she started looping his tie, and paused before she spoke.
Her voice was soft, feathery, seductive. "Dressing you, I guess."

He gave a strained laugh. "Ah... Yes, I gathered that. But what were you
doing here before that? And why?"

"I was waiting for you to get home." She glanced at his face and he stared
down into her eyes for an eternal moment before she broke the gaze and patted
his tie, stepping away. "I'm taking you out for..."

"Dinner?" he asked, at the same moment she finished with, "Research."

His face fell, but he cleared his throat and straightened. "I see. All
right, shall we go? Is Buffy waiting for us at my office?"

Willow looked up at him again, hiding a blushing smile. "Yes." Almost as an
afterthought, she added, "Oh, and happy birthday, Giles."

He nodded quickly, and they left the apartment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The car ride was tense, silent. As they reached the college, Willow
intentionally made a lot of noise going through the halls walking to his
office. She broke the silence by jabbering nonstop about something she had
heard on the radio, ignoring the numerous odd looks Giles sent her way.

And then they were there.

As Willow's hand was about to turn the doorknob, Giles caught it, clasping it
in his own. She turned to face him, surprised. "Giles?"

"It may be the glass of wine I had before I left work persuading me to do
something stupid," he started quietly, his hand warm in hers, "but I need to
tell you something." He stopped, and Willow waited for him to finish. His
eyes were serious, lit darkly with something that Willow didn't recognize.
"I don't have many friends, Willow. Not ones that I interact with as much as
I do you and Buffy and Xander. For I consider you all my friends. Very good
ones. And I don't want to say anything that could hurt that."

Willow sighed, breaking her gaze from his penetrating stare. "Oh," she
murmured in a small voice, utterly convinced of what he was about to say.

"Which is why it's so hard for me to confess that I'm in love with you," he
finished quietly.

Her eyes snapped back to his face. He was blushing feverishly, and she
placed her palm gently against his cheek, searching his eyes. "You're in
love with me?" she repeated, uncertain.

Giles groaned. "Dear Lord, I have done it now, haven't I? I'm sorry,
Willow, if I've made you uncomfortable. That was never my intention."

Willow's smile lit up her face. "You're in love with me," she said again,
confident this time. Giles glanced uneasily down at her and then slowly
nodded. "Didn't you know, Giles? Couldn't you see after all the years we've
known each other that I was in love with you too?"

Giles swept her hand up and kissed the palm soundly, tenderly. "I was as
oblivious as Xander," he muttered, grinning. "I don't know what I was
waiting for. I suppose it was for the right moment, but that never came. I
continued telling myself to wait, that any day now I would know of your
feelings either way. Finally I could wait no longer."

Willow laughed softly. "Giles?"

"Yes, love?"

"Lets go into your office."

His eyes were smoky and he gave a slow nod, accompanied by an appreciative
smile. Willow turned, one of her hands still in his and opened the door.

The lights went on, and Buffy and Xander leapt out from their hiding places,
grinning widely. Buffy bounced up and down a little before tossing Giles a
little party hat. "So!" she demanded expectantly, "Are you pleasantly
surprised?"

Giles looked at Buffy and Xander, and then to Willow, who was waiting for his
response.

"More than I can tell you."

The End
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


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