Perspective Is Everything
October 20, 2006
1,391 words
Written for LostGirl in the Xander round at maleslashminis. Request found after the fic.
Title from Aimee Mann's 'Invisible Ink'.
Thanks to Mireille for the quick and thorough beta.
* * *
"Whatever," Buffy was saying, and Xander looked up from his book to see her standing up from her chair. "I don't think we're going to find out anything tonight. I'm gonna go home."
"Of course," Giles said, and Xander turned to him. "You all should go home and get some rest."
"Except for Xander, right?" Willow stood as well, her eyes laughing.
Xander frowned at her. "Uh? Wha--?"
Buffy snorted. "We're not stupid, guys," she said, and Xander couldn't even look at her, because Willow was giggling now, and Xander just-didn't get it. "You've been staying late after every research session we've had since Anya left."
Oh. God. Xander cast a look at Giles, and he looked just as surprised-and maybe a little scared-as Xander felt. No, they hadn't really been discreet. Not that there was anything to be discreet about, yet, but they hadn't thought they needed to be. So what if they started spending more time together? It didn't mean anything.
Except that the girls obviously thought it meant something, and Xander kept hoping it did. And Giles wasn't saying anything, and that meant Xander would have to, and he didn't know what to say.
"It's okay, really," Buffy continued. "We don't care what you guys are doing together, alone, after we're gone, as long as you, you know, never share the details, but-"
"But," Willow picked up. "We would really have liked to be told, you know, since we're supposed to be your friends." Willow was looking straight at him, and Xander gulped.
"I don't," he tried to say, but his voice caught in his throat and he coughed, loudly. "I don't know what you think is going on, but you've got it wrong. Right, Giles?" Xander turned to him, silently imploring him for help.
"Right," Giles finally said, clearing his throat. "Of course, Xander is only helping me put the shop back in order after you two leave."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. That's why when I came back last night for the book I forgot, I found the two snuggling in the training room."
"There was no snug-that was you?"
"Um, yeah? But, seriously, guys, I don't know what the deal is. You don't need to hide anything from us. Did you think we'd be-?" She waved her hands in the air, obviously not sure what the right word was.
Xander looked at his hands, unable to find words at all. They hadn't really been snuggling, Xander had just being laying his head on Giles' lap, and they'd been talking. There might have been petting of hair involved, but Xander would deny any knowledge of that. Well, unless Giles actually spoke up about it, because then Xander would admit that he liked it.
"The deal," Giles finally said, and Xander could almost hear the air quotes surrounding the words. And damn, it was time Giles decided to talk, because Xander wasn't finding words. "The deal is that we don't quite know that there is anything to talk about yet." He looked at Xander, and their eyes locked. Xander ducked his eyes, a faint blush making his cheeks heat up.
"Oh." The girls both sounded surprised, and Xander looked at where they were now standing close to each other, and saw their look turn sheepish. And they wouldn't stop staring at him.
Xander needed to move, or run away, or something. He stood up and started pacing, because something told him that running out the door wasn't really a good thing to do in this situation. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to breathe slowly. He just wished the girls hadn't brought it up. If they hadn't, then maybe tonight there would have been more than just hair petting. Xander had been waiting for it, and something Giles had said... Xander had spent all day building up the courage to do-he wasn't sure what, but something.
"Xander," Willow said, approaching him slowly, and putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay."
When Xander looked at him, Giles had that concerned look on his face, and Xander had to look away. "Easy for you to say," he told Willow, pulling her into a hug.
"We shouldn't have said anything," she said. "It's just-with the way you look at each other-"
That made Xander look back at Giles, and Giles met his gaze, a soft smile on his lips.
"Yeah, exactly like that. We just-we just thought there was something there, and you guys were just hiding it from us."
"We don't-" Xander started. "We don't really have anything to tell yet. You really think I wouldn't have shared something that big with you? I was going to. When there was something to share, not just-me and Giles talking every night."
Willow nodded against his shoulder. "Okay," she said, then pulled away, a shy smile playing on her lips. "Sorry. I should-"
"Yeah, we should go," Buffy finished for Willow, waving to the door, and picking up their purses.
"Yeah, run away, now that you've messed things up..." Xander said, smiling as he watched them both escaped hastily through the door. He didn't think they really had messed anything up, but he didn't feel as confident as he had felt just a few minutes ago. He'd been looking forward to this , and now there was a pressure on his chest, and he couldn't look up at Giles.
Xander heard him push his chair back and stand up. "Let me close up the shop," Giles said. "Then we'll talk."
"Yeah, okay. I'll-I'll wait for you in the back."
***
Xander's hands were shaking.
He couldn't figure out why, because this was Giles, and it wasn't the first time they'd talked. But then what the girls had said somehow changed things, and all of a sudden, Xander felt like he should hurry things along and stop waiting for them to develop on their own. The girls already thought-and Xander wanted-but he was nervous, and he had no idea what Giles wanted to happen.
Waiting had been okay. Giles and Xander had talked about a lot of things for the past few weeks. Life and family and girls and maybe liking guys, because Xander needed someone to talk to, and Giles had been there.
At first, it had been weird, and a bit confusing, but Xander had gotten over that. They'd gotten progressively closer; from each side of the table, to side to side. After a few days, they moved to the training room, and the couch, each at their end of it, edging closer every night. And then last night, Xander had already been sprawled on the couch, too exhausted to move, when Giles had come in the room. Instead of sitting on one of the nearby chairs, Giles had waited by the couch until Xander lifted his head to look at him, and then he'd slid down under Xander's head and shoulder, and bang, Xander had been lying down on Giles' lap.
At first, Xander had laughed it off; good joke, funny and all. But Giles wasn't moving. He'd put his hand on Xander's stomach and settled comfortably. A bit surprised, a lot confused, Xander had finally relaxed, and put his own hands just below Giles'. They'd kept talking, nothing different from any other nights.
It felt natural.
Even when Giles used his other hand to play in Xander's hair. Even the soft tone that had started to creep into Giles' voice, and even Xander's own voice. It all felt natural.
"Stop," Giles said simply when he came into the room.
Xander looked up, stilling the up and down movement of his knee, and watching Giles sit down beside him. "I'm-"
"I know," Giles said, interrupting Xander, and picked took Xander's hand in his. "Buffy and Willow are not far from the truth.
"I know," Xander said in turn. "It's just-we haven't talked about that, and..." Xander licked his lips nervously. "I don't-I don't know what you want to happen, and I'm a bit-"
"Nervous?" There was a hint of amusement in Giles' voice.
"Yeah, you could say that."
"So am I." And then, just like that, Giles bent down and kissed him.
The End
Your name: Lostgirlslair
Male character (one) you want paired with Xander: Giles!
Up to three things you want in your fic: A new experience, a shared joke, and the rest of the gang figuring them out.
Up to two things you don't want: Uber!angst or character bashing
Preferred maximum rating: Any
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