The Slow Dance

by Amy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hi Giles!" Willow said brightly, tossing her bag on the counter, sitting on
a tall stool in front of the counter. Giles looked up from the stove, where
he was preparing dinner, and gave her a large smile.

"Willow!" He checked the clock. "I didn't expect you here for another hour
or so. I was just cooking."

"Oh, is there anything I can help with?" she offered, leaning over the
counter and looking around into his kitchen. "I can set the table, if you
like."

"Yes, that would help. Thank you."

Willow nodded and hopped off the stool and went into the kitchen, familiarly
poking around and finding the right dishes and silverware. She hesitated.
"How many people are coming tonight?"

Giles paused. "Well, it would be just you and me... Though if you have
somewhere else to go, that'd be fine as well."

Willow looked at him in astonishment. "Giles, this-- whatever it is-- smells
fantastic! There's no way you're getting me to leave this apartment without
eating some of it." She graced him with a smile for a moment, and then her
smile fled. "Unless... I mean, if you want to be alone, or if you're
expecting someone coming over later..."

"Someone?" Giles raised his eyebrows.

"I don't know... Olivia... Or someone," Willow rushed to add.

Giles shook his head, stirring the sauce. "No, I'm afraid it's the two of
us. But, really, Willow, if you'd rather not stay..."

"Giles, it's Valentine's Day." Willow nodded thoughtfully, placing the two
plates across from each other on the dinner table. "It's not as though I
have somewhere else to be. And, anyway... I like being around... hanging out
with... I like spending time with you." She fought back a blush, choosing
her next words carefully. "I always learn something new when I'm here."

"Oh?" Giles glanced at her. "What did you learn last time?"

Willow grinned triumphantly. "That I can beat you at Scrabble."

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, well, if you had given me the words in Latin that
I tried to use, you wouldn't have."
* * * * * * * * *

Willow pushed away her plate, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "That was
wonderful. Where did you learn to cook so well?"

"My mother, actually," Giles admitted, tracing his fork around his plate.
"She was a wonderful cook... She had a large book of recipes that I chose to
keep after her passing."

"Why did you choose the book?"

"It reminded me of her," Giles said, smiling sadly. "The smells wafting
through the house at supper brings to mind the image of her in her apron,
calling me to the table. Really the only childhood memories I have, the only
memories that are completely innocent of fear or responsibility. It was
just... my mother, calling me to dinner."

Willow touched his hand across the table. "Do you miss her?"

"Yes." Giles glanced down at Willow's hand, on top of his, and then cleared
his throat. "Actually, I miss her most on days such as this one. Holidays."

"Valentine's Day?"

"Well, holidays like Christmas bring her most to mind, but yes, Valentine's
Day as well. It *is* about love," he pointed out softly, almost to himself.
"I'm not sure it matters which kind. And I did love her."

Willow sat back, pulling her hand away from his, and sighed. She gazed at
his face for a moment and then, realizing that this course of conversation
was painful to him, changed the subject. "I wonder why they call this a
romantic day."

Giles smiled. "Because it revolves around the belief that love is the most
important thing in the world. And it's right, to an extent."

"But... There are probably more of us who are single than those of us who
aren't," she fairly pouted. "That doesn't seem right."

"It's not, my dear," Giles agreed, taking a long draw from his wine glass.
"But, you will find love, I'm sure. You're young and beautiful, and quite
appealing to any man, with or without a pulse, and most gentlemen find it
hard to resist a redhead and..." He trailed off, clearing his throat again,
this time in embarrassment.

Willow blushed, gazing at him through her lashes. "Thanks," she whispered.
After a moment of silence, she stood. "It's getting late, though. I'd
better be getting home."

"Yes, you'd best, hadn't you?" Giles stood up quickly and ushered her to the
door.

They paused with the door open, and Willow suddenly found herself looking up,
to where a small, dead sprig of mistletoe still hung. "Keep forgetting to
take that down, do you?"

Giles followed her eyes. He gave a strained laugh. "Yes." They looked at
each other for a moment, and then Giles coughed. "Well."

"Yes, well," Willow agreed. "I guess we should..."

"It *is* a tradition," Giles acknowledged quickly.

Their eyes met for a minute longer, and then Willow reached up on her tiptoes
to kiss him lightly on the mouth. Giles placed his hands gently on her hips,
holding her in place while the kiss went on a second longer than it should
have. Finally Willow pulled back, her face warm, and stared at Giles.

His lips were burning.

He liked the sensation.

"I'll... see you tomorrow, okay?" she asked softly.

"Yes, tomorrow," he echoed, trying to fight back the impulse to pull her
close again. Willow nodded and then was gone.

Giles glanced up at the mistletoe with a warm smile after he was sure she'd
gone. "Thank you, my friend."
* * * * * * * * *

Giles was reading the next night when he heard a loud knock on the door.
Before he could get up to answer it, Buffy bounded in with a sunny smile.
"Hi, Giles!"

"Buffy," he greeted, hiding his amusement. "I see you're in a good mood."

"Yeah," she bubbled, "Sort of. Riley and I are going on a date tonight. So
I came by to ask if I could have the night off. I mean, there haven't been
any reports of vampire-related deaths in the past couple of days right? No
vamps will rise tonight?"

Giles shook his head. "Have a good time."

"Giles!" Buffy stomped her foot petulantly. "I'm *always* patrolling!
Don't you think that, every now and then, I deserve the night off? I mean,
you're always telling me to... Have a good time? I can go?"

"Buffy, you're the Slayer. I'm not, officially, your Watcher anymore," Giles
pointed out logically. "You have the right to make your own decisions
concerning when you do and don't patrol."

"That's right!" she agreed brightly. After a moment, her eyes narrowed.
"You're not just trying to make me feel all guilty so that I'll go, are you?"

He chuckled. "For once, I'm not. Have a good time."

"Thanks!" Buffy looked at him in awed surprise. "Why are you in such a good
mood?"

"I had a good night," Giles shrugged. "Do you see me so rarely in a good
mood that it's something to remark upon when it happens?"

"Yes," she answered without hesitation, a smile tugging on her mouth. "Oh,
and hey! Speaking of last night, what happened here? Willow came home and
she was all, 'we talked and had dinner and yada yada yada.' She wouldn't
shut up about it. Were you teaching her some of the more advanced magicks or
something, and telling her not to tell me for some reason?"

"Why would I ask her not to tell you?"

"I don't know." Buffy paused. "But it seemed like she was keeping something
from me. I mean, she must have talked about that dinner you made for hours,
but... I don't want to say she clammed up when I asked her anything, but it
was almost like that. She was sort of jumpy, hyper. Looked way too happy to
have been spending the evening with Mr. 'Evil Is Coming.'" She smiled. "So
what happened?"

A warm ache settled in Giles's heart. She had talked about him for hours.
She had been happy. He had made her happy. ...The kiss had made her happy.
He forced his heart to slow, forced himself to remain calm instead of jumping
up and down like a child on Christmas morning.

Which is precisely what he felt like doing. Though he never would.

He shook his head. "No. Nothing unusual. We talked and had a nice dinner.
It was good to relax after all that's been going on on top of the Hellmouth
lately. That's most likely the source of her excitement."

Buffy lifted her head with a 'that's plausible,' expression on her face. She
leaned over and patted Giles on the shoulder. "Okay. Well, thanks for the
night off, Watcherman. I'll come by tomorrow in case anything freaky
happens... Like usually does on my dates. Oh, yeah. Willow told me to tell
you that she'd be stopping by for some tutoring later, and to call her if you
had other plans."

Giles nodded with a smile, and watched her as she left. A few minutes after
the door closed behind his Slayer, after he was sure that she was gone, he
stood up and looked around.

He had some preparing to do.

It wasn't an actual... seduction he was planning. Simply a nicer night that
the previous one. He lifted his head slowly.

If he could convince himself of that, then everything would work out fine.
* * * * * * * * *

"Giles?" Willow stuck her head tentatively in the door, and then stepped all
the way inside. She looked around in surprise and dismay. The room was
filled with lit candles, the scent of vanilla and roses filling the air, and
something soft and old-fashioned was playing on his stereo. He obviously had
plans. Willow bit her lip and began to back out of the door when Giles came
down the stairs and spotted her.

She smiled sheepishly, and he returned it with a warm grin. She gulped,
taking in his clothes. He was wearing a pair of fairly tight black jeans and
a black T-shirt. His glasses were off, and he held a glass of wine. Giles
casually walked over to her and pressed the glass into her hand, gesturing
her in. Willow took it in confusion, stepping automatically back into his
apartment.

"Hi," she murmured, glancing around again. "...I'm sorry to interrupt. I
guess... Well, I'm sorry to interrupt. You must have company, or be
expecting someone or something." Her face was warm.

"I was, actually," he admitted, pouring another glass of wine. "Expecting
you."

"M-me?" Willow stuttered, nearly dropping her glass.

Giles chuckled. "Yes. Ah, um, Buffy told me you were going to come by. For
some... magick lessons? I don't recall mentioning that last night, but it's
fine if you'd like to work on your skills..."

"No," she said slowly, taking a sip from her glass, "Actually... Actually...
It's pretty stupid. I know you're going to think that it's stupid. But I
thought that maybe, if you didn't think I was being *too* stupid, we should
talk about what happened last night. With the... kiss. I just figured that
it has the potential to get awkward and we've never kissed before, even
though you've hugged me a couple of times which don't get me wrong, I liked,
and I liked the kiss-- a lot, and..."

"Willow," Giles interrupted gently.

"Yeah?" She sucked in her breath.

"Would you like to dance with me while you explain all of this?" A secret
sort of smile curved his mouth. He held out his hand.

Willow took it hesitantly. "Um, okay."

Giles led her to the middle of his living room, where the coffee table had
conveniently been moved out of the way. They started swaying slowly to the
music, and Willow sighed as his arm tightened around her waist, and he held
her hand up to his heart. He smelled good, like book leather and pipe smoke,
though Willow had never seen him with a pipe before.

"Willow?" he asked softly.

"Mmmm?"

"Did you want to continue?"

She flushed, looking into his eyes. "It... It doesn't really seem important
anymore."

He studied her closely, the glitter in her eye, the satin of her skin, the
pink filling her face, her dark pink lips... He paused. "You don't usually
wear lipstick."

Her blush became more pronounced. "I just wanted to... I just..."

Giles smiled and quickly dipped his head, effectively cutting off her next
words. The kiss wasn't soft as it had been the night before. It was a bit
questioning, but when Willow reached around and placed her hands on his
shoulders, holding him closer, Giles deepened it, and it became rapidly hot
and liquid, and he sank his tongue into her mouth, groaning slightly when she
massaged it with her own. Willow whimpered, relaxing fully against him, and
slipped her fingers higher, scratching his scalp lightly with her fingertips.

The kiss ended finally, after a moment or after the world had ended, neither
of them could be sure. They were still close, coiled around each other,
their ragged breath mingling. "Giles?"

His voice was coarse. "Yes."

"Did you just kiss me?"

He nodded gently, his forehead against hers. "Yes."

"And... Did you feel anything?"

"Oh, yes."

"Good." Willow gave a sigh of contentment. "Me too. ...Then, Giles?"

"Willow?" he breathed.

"Can we keep dancing, under one condition?" Her voice trembled, and Giles
smoothed her hair back gently.

"Anything."

"Will you promise to kiss me again later?"

He met her eyes with a grin. "You have my word."

They fell silent, swaying in each other's arms, listening to the strains of
the soft music drift out into the room.

The End

I'm a fluffy person, huh? <g>


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