Title: Tell Me A Story
Author: Gileswench
Contact: gileswench@yahoo.com
Date: 3/18/01
Spoilers: None really. A sweet future moment.
Summary: Giles tells a bedtime story.
Rating: PG-13 for mild sexual innuendo
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Distribution: Gabi, Dee, Robin, Mel, and Emryld if they want it, UCSL. All others, ask and ye shall receive.
Feedback: Constructive criticism always welcome. Praise abjectly sought.
Disclaimer: It all belongs to Joss, Mutant Enemy, etc., etc., etc. I just let them have all the fun Joss won't. I own nothing except my twisted mind which you really don't want. Please don't sue.

Dedication: To Savage. She knows why. Sweet dreams, my Savage One.

* * * * * * * * * *

"Tell me a story."

"What sort of a story would you like to hear?"

"A love story. One with a happy ending."

"A happy love story?"

"Oh, and I want it to be, y'know, sorta sexy too."

"Ah, a happy, sexy love story. And what should be the name of the couple in the story?"

"Who do I always want it to be about?"

He chuckled, the vibrations coursing through his bare chest to the form of the young woman curled up half on top of him.

"Us, then. Let me see...Once upon a time, there was a beautiful girl and her wise, handsome, tweedy - yet wildly sexy - advisor. She never ever listened to a single word he said, and was, therefore, always getting herself into trouble."

He yelped as she poked him in the ribs.

"Stop that. You're telling it wrong."

"I'm the storyteller. It's my story. I can't possibly tell it wrong."

"Okay, then you're telling it in a right way that will keep you sex-free for a week."

"I shudder at the mere thought."

His lips twitched into a smile despite is best efforts. She tried to look severe, but relented when she saw the merry twinkle in his eye.

"Okay. I know I've threatened that before and that I'm always the one who cracks first. But you never know. I could just get myself a toy and make it the whole week this time."

"I doubt that you'd wish to spend this particular week with a toy when you could have my body on tap the entire time."

"You sound sure of yourself."

"I know you. You're a romantic at heart, my love."

"Guilty as charged. But hey, so are you."

"I suppose I am at that, love."

They drew together for a long, sensuous kiss.

"Now lie back and let me finish the story without further interruption. You know we haven't very long."

She settled back and waited for him to begin again.

"So one day, the lovely girl was walking along the road feeling terribly dejected, when she saw a handsome man coming towards her."

"What was he wearing?"

"A brown leather jacket and an earring."

"Anything else?"

"Well, he did wear trousers and a shirt and such, but she thought those ugly and unfashionable so I decided to only mention the things she thought were nice."

"Good idea. Then I can imagine leather pants and a pirate shirt showing off all that sexy chest hair."

"Sexy, eh?"

"Very."

She rolled over and planted a kiss in the middle of his chest. He kissed her head as she rolled back.

"At any rate, she suddenly realized that it was her advisor. She thought he was strong and handsome and not nearly so old as she'd thought him before. She even decided he might not have succumbed entirely to the ravages of senility. But how on earth was she to convince him that she'd changed her mind and fallen in love with him at three millionth sight?"

"It was not three millionth sight! It was more like twenty-eighth millionth sight."

"So she thought and she thought, and she consulted with her friend who happened to be a powerful, if not terribly accurate, witch. And the witch said that all she needed to do was rely on the magic of love and caring to make the handsome, sexy, and ever so clever advisor love her too."

"And did it work?"

"At first, the advisor wondered if the girl were entirely well. She began hanging around him in his workshop and following him places she normally would have avoided. She even invited him places she had previously tried to keep him out of. The advisor was terribly concerned for her well being."

"Did he get the picture eventually?"

"He was being driven to distraction. You see, what the girl didn't know was that he'd been in love with her for a very long time. He'd hidden it even from himself until the day he did her a great wrong. But when he realized, he'd already hurt her so terribly that he felt he would never have the right to tell her of his feelings."

"But she forgave him that same day."

"But you see, he didn't know that. He felt he would never be able to hold her or kiss her or make love to her. Still, he stayed by her side though others had warned him away."

"This is the part of the story I don't like. Could we take it back up to where the girl woos him?"

"Your wish is my command. So, one day, as he's being driven to the brink of madness by the sweet torture of being with her, but never being able to hold her, and so on, his friend the court jester came to him and told him he was a blind old fool. He said the girl was being driven to violence by the advisor's inability to see her love and devotion. The jester told the advisor to dance with the girl and be sure to kiss her and his dearest wish would come true."

"So did he do it? Did her take the jester's advice?"

"He was terrified. If the jester was wrong, the advisor would get his face slapped and the girl would never trust him again. If the jester was right, the advisor knew he would live happily ever after with the girl of his dreams. He girded his loins..."

"Mmmm, I like those loins."

"Thank you, love. I rather like yours too. At any rate, he asked the girl to dance and she surprised him by saying yes. At the end of the dance, he slowly leaned down to kiss her. She kissed him back. Then they kissed one another and they've never stopped kissing, and holding one another, and making sweet love. And soon, they will live happily ever after."

"Forever and ever?"

"And a millennium after that."

"Rupert, do we have time to...?"

"I'm afraid not, Buffy, love. You told me not to let you stay beyond midnight so we wouldn't have bad luck."

"Me and my big mouth. Okay, sweetie, I'll get dressed and go. But hey, at least it's the last time ever."

They kissed tenderly.

"See you at the church, Rupert."

"I'll see you then, love."

As soon as she had pulled on her clothes, she was out the door. Giles looked at the clock as the door shut.

11:59 PM.

He sighed.

They would have good luck on their wedding day after all.