Will You Be My Love

Will You Be My Love?

Katy Hart

B/G

FRT
Spoilers: Up to Doomed, but I moved up the gang seeing Giles sing, otherwise AU

Disclaimer: Joss owns them, not me *pout*. No infringement intended. Sting owns the song.

Distribution: You want it? Just ask.

Feedback: much appreciated, keeps the muse happy.

Dedication: To my loving husband for putting up with my Buffy obsession and for offering to dress in tweed *smiles* Sorry honey, not the same. And to Cat for the beta.

A/N: <Song lyrics>

Giles sat in his BMW, fiddling with the radio. He couldn’t seem to find his favorite oldies station. Static hissed and popped as he cruised through the streets of Sunnydale. He’d just left a gig at the Espresso Pump, surprised to have seen the children there. Well most of them. Buffy had been missing. And he really shouldn’t think of them as children anymore. They had most certainly grown up, leaving him in the dust.

At last the end of a song filtered through the speakers. He hoped he’d found the right station, what passed for music these days was atrocious. As the song faded, another started, slower, mellower. Giles recognized the singer, but not the song. Turning up the volume he listened, absorbing the lyrics. They spoke to his feelings for her, feelings best left unspoken.

“Are they really old man?” he said to himself. “Could she really see you as more than old and gross?”

He was sorry he’d been so harsh. But he was only guarding his heart. Her look of hurt had crushed him. He’d sent Olivia away, not wanting company anymore. As the song continued a plan began to form. He could use this song to talk to her. Willow could help him out he was sure, get Buffy to hear the song. Giles was quite determined as he pulled into a spot in front of his building. This could let her know how he really felt. If she didn’t get it, he would leave, he had been thinking about returning for a while now. If she wouldn’t return his feelings, he would leave.

Buffy stalked through the cemetery restlessly. She’d staked three newly risen vamps without really thinking about it. Her thoughts were on anything but patrol. Willow had come in just before she’d left, all excited and hopped up on mochas.

“You’re extra jumpy tonight Will. I thought you promised me only one mocha tonight.”

“Oh I did Buffy, and I kept my promise, only one. Something else, really cool, you should come with us sometime, see if it happens again.”

“What Will? You’re not making any sense.”

“Giles singing. It was sexy, reminded me of my crush in high school. Tara even thought it was good.”

“You had a crush on Giles?” Buffy felt uneasy at the thought of her best friend jonesing for her Watcher. “Giles was singing, I didn’t know he could sing.”

“Oh he can sing Buff. He can really sing,” Willow replied, a dreamy look in her eye.

“Gotta patrol, be back later,” she grunted before she acted on the anger she didn’t understand.

So here she was, headed back to the dorm, thinking about Giles singing, Giles as sexy.

“Well he did really have nice legs under that robe,” she told herself. “Wait, he did? Bad Slayer, that’s Giles, he’s …… well he’s Giles.”

She shook her head.

‘Then why did you go all bitchy when you saw that woman in his shirt?’ her subconscious asked.

“Cause he’s my Giles.”

She stopped for a moment. When did she become so possessive of her Watcher? Did she think of him as sexy? She tried hard to think of Angel, of Riley, of George Clooney, but all her mind would conjure up was Giles. Giles in tweed, acting all stuffy. Giles in a tuxedo, smiling at her. Giles in the robe, decidedly unstuffy.

Buffy gave a half groan. She had feeling for Giles. But she’d called him old and gross. He could never see her as anything but the Slayer. And he wanted her to move on without him. How could she? It was all so mixed up, she needed to think. She headed into the dorm, more confused that ever.

A week later

Buffy wasn’t sure why she’d let Willow talk her into coming. She wasn’t sure she was ready to face Giles singing. She’d spent the last week thinking of nothing else. She’d argued with Riley so much, they’d broken up. But she didn’t really feel sad about it, he wanted her to be something she wasn’t, namely not the Slayer. When Willow had asked, she’d said she had feelings for someone else, but wouldn’t say who. Will had just smiled mysteriously and left her alone.

Now there were at the Espresso Pump, to see Giles sing. She could here a soft sexy voice drift through the store as they looked for a table. When they found on close to the mike, she saw him. He was sitting on a stool, holding a battered guitar. Giles, but not Giles. He was wearing a soft blue shirt that was open enough for her to see a few tufts of golden hair peeking out. Black jeans hugged his hips, emphasizing a tight butt. His hazel eyes gleamed as his gaze fell on her. He wasn’t wearing glasses and there was a silver hoop in his ear. Her mouth went dry. Giles was definitely sexy.

He’d seen Willow come in, but sang on as she dragged Buffy to the table. He never wavered in the song, but his heart sped up. She had come. She was dazzling in a white peasant blouse that accentuated her bosom. The black skirt fell just above her knees, showing off her long legs. This was it, a chance to let her know. He looked at her and she blushed before turning to say something to Willow. He finished the song, time to get on with it.

“This next song is for a special woman in my life. I hope she understands,” he said, looking at her again as he began the opening chords.

She was mesmerized by him. She saw him look at her as the song started. She tried to look away, but the words caught her and she listened.

<You’ll remember me when the west wind moves

Upon the fields of barley.

You’ll forget the sun in his jealous sky

As we walk in fields of gold.

So she took her love

For to gaze awhile

Upon the fields of barley

In his arms she fell as her hair came down

Among the fields of gold. >

Giles poured his heart into the song. He saw her with her hair down, gazing at him. Could he be her love?

She unconsciously rocked to his voice. She forgot everything but him, heard nothing but him as he sang to her.

He stared straight at her as he sang that line.

She shivered as the words hit her heart. Did he really mean that?

<Among the fields of barley.

We’ll forget the sun in his jealous sky

As we lie in fields of gold.

See the west wind move like a lover so

Among the fields of barley

Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth

Among the fields of gold.>

Heat raced through his body at the thought of kissing her.

She nearly groaned at the image of him kissing her.

<I never made promises lightly

And there have been some that I’ve broken.>

He inwardly winced. He promised to be there for her and then he’d told her to leave, to go out on her own.

She saw the hurt in his eyes. He promised to stay, but told her to leave. Did he regret that now?

<But I swear in the days still left

We’ll walk in fields of gold

We’ll walk in fields of gold.>

The notes floated around them, emotions high for them both. As he continued the song, Buffy kept looking at Giles. Was he telling her something?

<Many years have passed since those summer days

Among the fields of barley

See the children run as the sun goes down

Among the fields of gold.

You’ll remember me when the west wind moves

Upon the fields of barley

You can tell the sun in his jealous sky

When we walked in fields of gold

When we walked in fields of gold.>

He closed his eyes as he finished, listening to the crowd clap. He looked at her, seeing the questions in her eyes.

She felt the tears form, but she blinked them away. She saw him put the guitar aside. She turned to say something to Willow.

“I’m gone, looks like you two need to talk,” the red head spoke as she picked up her mocha and left

Buffy barely noticed her friend leave as Giles walked towards her. Her heart beat faster, what would she say?

“Hello Buffy.”

“Hey.”

“May I sit?”

“Oh, yeah, sit away. I liked the song.”

“Um, yes, well, I …..”

“Am I the special woman?” she blurted out.

She looked right at him, emerald gaze piercing him. She had rushed into the question, unsure if she wanted the answer.

He hadn’t expected the question. Was he really ready to bare his soul to her? Well he had sung the damn song, hadn’t he?

“Yes,” he answered, tearing his gaze from hers.

“Oh.”

They sat in silence, emotions swirling and tearing around them. His heart was about to break. Hers was swelling with love.

“Buffy….I”

“Giles….I”

They looked at each other, her hand coming to rest on his. She lost herself in his hazel eyes. Hearts raced, breathing labored on. He brushed his other hand over her arm. She shivered under his touch.

Neither could say who made the first move, but they found themselves face to face, lips a hairsbreadth apart. Then together, a kiss so sweet and soft and questioning. His hand moved to pull her closer. She moved hers to roam his chest. A moan, an opening and his tongue slipped against hers.

They came apart slowly, reality slipping back to normal. She tasted him, tea and mint and something uniquely Giles. He wanted more of her, no other would do for him now. Unanswered question filled the air, neither wanted to speak first.

“Will you be my love?” he whispered, hand taking her chin, looking deep into her eyes.

“Yes,” she replied. In her heart she’d always loved him, now she acknowledged it openly.

He took her hand and pulled her off the stool. He grabbed his guitar from by the stage and made to leave the shop.

“Giles….”

“I know Buffy. We can talk later, let’s just go be alone for a while.”

“Okay,” she sighed as he smiled at her.

He brushed a kiss across her cheek. She took his arm and they walked away in silence. She would stay with him, she would be his love. And they would walk in fields of gold.