And the Water Is Receding
October 2, 2008
730 words
This is a coda to (Lean On Us and We'll) Keep Your Head Above the Water
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Giles has spent a total of four evenings and two nights with them in the past month. Each time, Xander or Wesley would have to coax him out of his office, away from the lure of work or the bottle. Each time he ends up in bed with them, he's gone in the morning.
"Xander?" Giles' voice on the phone is... weird. "Would you--could you come and get me? I don't quite trust myself behind the wheel."
Okay, no weird, just drunk. Xander looked at Wesley, who was drowsing on the couch, the TV on, but forgotten. "Sure, where are you?"
It figures he'd be out of town, half an hour away. When Xander parks in front of the seedy bar's door, Giles staggers in, leaning his forehead against the dashboard with a groan.
"I would have brought Wesley," Xander says conversationally as he turns back into the street. "But he was sleeping, so um, we'll get you car back in the morning, okay?"
"I'm sorry," Giles mutters, barely audible. Oh yeah, that hungover will be epic.
"I wasn't sleeping. I usually go to bed late, something you'd find out if you, you know, stuck around," Xander says. He wants to look at Giles, to touch him, soothe the ache or something, but the road is dark, barely illuminated by the few streetlamps; he has to keep his eyes on the road.
"I'm sorry," Giles repeats like a vinyl stuck on the same lyric over and over again.
"You know," Xander tries, reaching down to turn on the radio, though keeping the sound low, "you can stop apologizing for nothing. Just--I'm taking you home. To my, our apartment. Wesley'll be happy to see you."
"Xander, I'm not quite sure I should--"
Xander serves to the right suddenly, interrupting whatever Giles is about to say--thank God. He stops the car on the side of the road, gripping the wheel so tight his knuckles are turning white. "Maybe, just maybe you're one of the wisest people I know, but you can be fucking stupid sometimes." The curse has the effect of at least forcing Giles to look at him. Xander turns his head, and allows himself to reach out and caress Giles' thigh.
Giles looks at him, at his hand, back to the dashboard and again at him. He shakes his head, although it doesn't look like a "no" more like he's trying to put his thoughts back together. "I've heard what you and Wesley have been telling me," he says carefully. He doesn't sound drunk at all. "I'm not sure you know, both of you, what you'd be getting into. With me."
"So you figure what? Just sex's going to be safer?" It's a stupid kind of logic, and yeah Xander can see Giles' point there, but... stupid. "We know what this means, Giles, we know it won't be easy, but we're ready to give it a try. Are you?"
"Xander--"
"Reasoning with me's not gonna make me change my mind." He brings his hand up and curls it around the back of Giles' neck. "Come on, Giles, give us a chance," he whispers, lips ghosting Giles'.
He pulls back before it can turn into a proper kiss. Xander waits for Giles to close the distance, he wants him to be the initiator for once, to be the one who reaches out for him. They've always, Wesley and Xander, been the ones to initiate, but if Giles wants this, if he's finally learned what they've been trying to teach him all along...
Giles' expression softens slowly, and a passing car's headlights reveal a little twinkle in his eyes. He puts his palm against Xander's cheek and says, "I'd kiss you, but I'm afraid my breath is not very enticing at this moment."
Xander grinned. "We can save the kissing until we're home and you've had time alone with a toothbrush," he says teasingly. He can smell the alcohol and he knows Giles is right. "Just promise me you're not going to run away."
"Home it is then," Giles says, quietly, without taking his eyes off Xander.
"Yeah." Xander turns his eyes back to the road, turning the key smoothly in the ignition and bringing the car back on the road. "And tomorrow morning, you'll still be there?"
"Myself and my hangover I suspect, yes."
"Good."
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