Buffy turned on the shower and let it get up to temperature for a while as she undressed. Without thinking she pressed Giles' sweater to her face and inhaled the familiar scent, then she realised what she was doing and dropped it like it was on fire. When steam began appearing from the shower she climbed in and began washing her hair . . .
** Strong fingers massaged the shampoo into her hair. It felt wonderful, and she wondered how she could ever go back to washing her own hair. He pulled her back under the spray to rinse off the soap, at the same time running his hands lightly over her arms. When her hair was squeaky clean she turned around. Her breath caught at the softly loving expression on his face, and then she giggled as his expression changed to the 'naughty child planning something evil' one she loved. He began carefully soaping up her body, paying particular attention to her arms and stomach and deliberately avoiding the areas that ached for his touch. Finally she had enough of his teasing and pulled his head down in a rough kiss. He responded as she had hoped, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her up. She hooked her legs around his waist and held on, the water making that task slightly precarious. The kiss sent flames through her already heated body, and eventually he took the hint and propped them against the wall of the shower . . . **
Cold water suddenly cascaded over Buffy, shaking her out of her daze. She drew a shaking hand over her face, and tried to banish the disappointment she felt at the abrupt end. For a while she stood, letting the cold water cool her overheated body (and imagination she added silently) then turned off the water. Then, shivering, she climbed out and wrapped herself in her towel. Wiping the steam off a mirror she stared at her reflection. Oh dear, she thought.
***
When Buffy got back to the room she shared with Willow her friend was busily taping away at her laptop. Although Willow had a beautiful new computer, as up-to-date as it could be (thanks to a guilty father forgetting her eighteenth birthday) set up in the basement/library, she still preferred to use her familiar laptop. Privately, Buffy suspected Willow was more upset about her birthday than she ever let on, but she would never admit to it. That's my Willow, always trying to see the bright side in everything. Although it's a trait I could use right now.
Willow turned as she heard Buffy enter the room, and immediately noticed that the Slayer was pale and shaking. "What happened?"
"Is it that obvious?" Buffy asked tiredly.
"You looked better after facing the Master."
Buffy gave in, knowing Willow would pursue it until she had the truth. Bloodhounds had nothing on the girl for persistence. "I either had the most intense day-dream of my life, or I had a flashback."
"Wow. What happened?"
Reddening (and wondering if it wouldn't be easier if she just painted her face red) Buffy said, "Shower, me, Giles, do the math."
"Showers are nice . . ." Willow trailed off dreamily.
"Willow!"
"Sorry," Willow grinned, not the least bit repentant. "What happened?"
"I've walked into a parallel universe. Is this my Willow speaking?" Buffy teased.
"I'm not as innocent and naïve as everyone thinks. Ok, I still get all stuttery and I know I still blush, and I don't want details, but you need to talk, and I'm your best friend so who else can you talk to and besides Oz is away for the weekend so I have to live vicariously!" Willow was panting when she finished.
"Tense much?"
"I get like this when I haven't had smoochies for a few days." Willow sighed.
"I repeat, where's my Willow?" Buffy teased, and sat down on her bed.
For a long time she sat there, picking at the cover while Willow watched her and worried. Outwardly Buffy seemed to be doing well under the circumstances, but her friend could tell there was something troubling her that went beyond what they had already discussed. Eventually Willow decided that Buffy was going to need some prompting and asked her what was wrong. Buffy did not reply, although several times she opened her mouth to speak and stopped.
Willow moved from her desk to the bed and put on her 'resolve face'. "Buffy, something's wrong, or at least something's wrong that you haven't told me about. I'm not going to stop pestering you until you tell me. Witness the resolve face. Now, spill it."
"It's crazy," Buffy finally looked up and stopped her restless motion on the bedspread.
The red-headed witch grinned at her encouragingly. "We live on the Hellmouth. Nothing's totally crazy here."
"Thanks Will. You always know how to make me feel better," Buffy said dryly. She could see her friend was not going to let this go, and in truth she needed to talk to someone. After a long pause she began, and as she talked the words became easier until they were tumbling out. "All day I've been thinking 'this isn't happening'. I mean, why would I marry Giles, and do whatever we did and forget about it? Why would I do it at all? I've never had any feelings for him in that way. And the weirdest part is, all the time, I just want to be back waking up being held by him 'cos it felt so good. Even when I realised where I was, I was embarrassed but at the same time I didn't want to leave. And then there was the shower. It was so intense, but it ended before we, uh, . . . you know, uh, finished, and I really wanted to finish, and I was so disappointed I almost cried! I'm going crazy," she concluded.
"Liar," Willow stated.
"Huh?"
"You said you've never had feelings for Giles," Willow elaborated. "You're a liar. You've wanted to do bad things to him for months."
"Willow!"
"Don't Willow me. It's the truth."
Buffy had no answer to that. "How do you . . . I didn't even know until today."
"We share a room. You, uh, dream and, uh, talk and stuff and it's sometimes a little difficult to ignore," Willow explained awkwardly.
"I do?"
Any further discussion of the matter was cut off by the sound of the doorbell.
***
Giles had just enough time to register who was at the door before pain exploded across his face.
"How could you?" Joyce Summers asked in the quiet voice she used when she was incredibly upset. It was not unlike Buffy's tone of voice when she was furious. And her punch was also not unlike Buffy's, although it did at least leave him conscious.
When he just stood there, stunned, she continued. "I trusted you and you took advantage of that. She's just a child! How could you betray her trust like this?"
"I assure you I-"
"Don't!" she cut him off. "Nothing you can say can change what you've done. You've taken her away from me, taken her life from her, and now you've seduced her? What kind of man are you?"
"Mom, it's not like that," Buffy said quietly from the stairs.
"Then tell me what it's like, because I'm interested to know. I have a right to know why I've come home from my trip to find a letter telling me you've gotten married!" Joyce was beginning to shout now.
"He didn't seduce me, I-"
"No! I don't want to hear it. I've had enough. I can't do this anymore; constantly worrying about whether you're alive, or the world is ending, or whether I'm ever going to see you again. This is the last straw. I can't cope anymore."
"I can't stop being what I am!" Buffy shouted back.
"You haven't tried, and I can't do this anymore." Joyce turned and walked out.
The sound of the door slamming behind her seemed to echo through the house.
*finis*