Amore

Buffy/Giles

FRT

Summary: A meeting with an unexpected ending

Spoilers: Everything plus a teeny bit of comics canon from Issue one.

Disclaimer: I’m not Joss, I will never be Joss, I just play with his creations.

Distribution: My LJ, my site, anywhere else, just ask.

Author’s notes: written for antennapedia’s birthday. She wanted ‘Italian romance of the comics canon never happened’ sort. I almost got it. Happy birthday to you Antenna, beta goddess extraordinaire. Unbetaed, all mistakes are mine.

Buffy sipped her iced mocha, playing with the straw while scanning the crowd. She was supposed to be meeting someone and they were late. Instead she watched the tourists, the ordinary people of Rome, especially a gaggle of girls, giggling and gossiping over someone.

When they parted, she got a glimpse of who they’d been a flutter over. The very epitome of manliness, Rupert Giles. She stared at him over the top of her sunglasses, smiling to herself. He might look dashing and debonair but he blushed as he picked his way through the girls, stammering as he excused himself.

“You’re late,” she said.

“Yes, well, it’s been a while since I’ve been to Rome, the traffic was terrible and….”

“Sit, Giles.”

He pulled out a chair and sat down. He ordered a glass of water in flawless Italian. Buffy allowed herself to preen a little, knowing the girls were just across the plaza no doubt arguing with each other and being jealous of her.

“So, how is that young lad of yours? The Immortal?”

“Giles! That’s the other me, the not!me….” she sputtered.

He tried to look innocent and apologetic but his eyes twinkled mischievously and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly upwards.

“Oooh!” she huffed, tossing her napkin at him. “I hate when you do that.”

“No, you don’t, love,” he replied, reaching over to take her hand and place a kiss in the palm of it.

“No, I don’t,” she sighed.

Giles got up, moved his chair closer, leaning down to kiss the top of her head before sitting again.

“I’ve missed you,” Buffy said, twining her hand with his.

“And I you, but Council business….”

“Yeah, new slayers, new baddies, same thing as ever.”

“I do have news.”

“Good news?”

“Very.”

“Spill.”

“But I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“Giles, me and surprises? Unmixy if I have to remind you.”

“No, you don’t. All right then. Vacation. You, me and no interruptions for two weeks.”

“Really?” Buffy squealed, nearly knocking over her mocha.

He just nodded. She jumped into his lap and gave him an enthusiastic kiss. The people around them just smiled and whispered amongst themselves about amore.