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"With Willow's help, I've been able to--able to--able--Oh, for god's sake, Andrew! Will you put that down and pay attention?" Giles scowled at the young man and Andrew promptly put the smoldering sage wand in the center of their circle. "Sorry," he squeaked and then stepped back to the group. "As I was saying, I've been able to triangulate the four power locations we discussed at the last meeting. I don't think this should take too long. We can use the same points we used the last time we were here. Now, in the time it takes for me to speak this incantation, the power holders will be especially vulnerable to attack. As a result--PUT THAT DOWN, XANDER! THE SAGE IS NOT A TOY!" "Giles--" "They're bloody pyromaniacs, Buffy! I can't--" "Giles? The spell?" "Right." Giles shot a withering look at the one-eyed man. "Right." He smoothed his pants and went on, "As a result, I think it would be best if, while I was performing the spell, the magic-holder had someone with them for protection. Robin?" Giles indicated the man in the circle shooting annoyed looks at Xander and Andrew. "Yeah, Rupert?" "Faith will attend to you during the ceremony. Kennedy can assist Willow. Dawn, Buffy will assist you and…Andrew?" "Yeah?" "If you can stop playing with the sage long enough to do your part of the spell, Xander will attend to you." "Aw, Giles," Andrew whined," I'd feel safer with Buffy protecting me. Xander gets distracted easily. Remember when that Chumerian demon caught him playing Ms. Pac-Man and--" "Andrew! I won't get distracted," Xander protested. "Give a guy some credit here. I promise to…what exactly am I doing, Giles?" "For the time it takes to speak the incantation, the magic users will cast a light making them highly visible to all of the demon population. An attack may seem appealing to local vampires and the like." "Like a giant neon sign saying, 'Come eat me! Vulnerable girl-flesh here!'" Dawn explained. "Thank you for that, er, illustration, Dawn," Giles said and checked over his book one last time. "Is everyone clear on what they're going to do?" Eight nodding heads prepared to leave. "You said this wouldn't take long, right?" Buffy asked suspiciously. "Because this is a school night and Dawn is *so* not missing school because of Watcher duties." "You used to miss school because of Slayer duties," Dawn pointed out. One look from her sister told her that she was fighting a losing battle. "The longer we stand here jabbering, the longer it will take," Andrew whined. "Let's go!" For once in agreement, Giles passed the thick candles to the four magic-users who would make up the four points of unity for his spell. In precisely fifteen minutes he began the incantation to bind and remove the Durleplur demon from their dimension. When he finished his recitation, four beams of green light were visible to Giles, shining from each cardinal direction. A minute later, a large beam of purple light shot into the sky from the center of Giles' stone circle and the demon was effectively dispelled. Giles sighed. It was almost too easy these days. He began to gather his ingredients, stowing them in the large leather backpack he used when the team was on location. Today it was Bloomfield but tomorrow it would be…he consulted his thick planner. Tomorrow it was West Maryville. And after that, a dozen more small towns spreading out from the Cleveland Hellmouth. Eventually they'd be back to Bloomfield and the pattern would begin again. For the others, this way of life was a perfect combination of normalcy and adventure. For Giles, though, the job was beginning to wear thin. Giles watched as Robin and Faith returned first, hand in hand. When they were close enough to acknowledge him, Faith dropped Robin's hand quickly and Giles smiled to himself. Low bickering sounds got louder and Dawn stumbled into the clearing with Buffy close behind. "I *so* did *not* say you could wear my boots when spellcasting! I'd never say that! I don't wear them when slaying, why would I let you wear them when fire and smelly stuff are involved?" "Well you *did*!" Dawn said in a huff. "Did what?" Kennedy asked, entering the clearing and wiping what looked like blood from her stake. Giles eyed her weapon. "Stakes. Not just for vamps anymore," she explained. "You ran into trouble?" "Yeah. Plexlorath demon, but don't worry, Giles. It's toast. Can we go home now?" Giles finished packing his bag and stretched his back out, wincing as it popped. "Yes, I think we--where are Xander and Andrew?" Dawn groaned. "They are *always* the last ones back. I think they just start fighting and then they lose track of time. It's so ANNOYING! Their fighting is worse than--" "--You and Buffy?" Faith smirked and pulled out her keys. "We're outta here. Call us if the Muppets don't show." She turned and left the clearing with Robin in tow. He shot a mumbled apology over his shoulder regarding their brusque exit, but Giles wasn't offended. The simple pronouns Faith so casually used were a pleasant change that reflected her true feelings. Us. We. The watcher grinned as he searched for his keys, then his smile faded. How long had it been--how long would it be, still--until he could use those same pronouns? "I'm sure they're fine," Willow said. "I'm sorry?" Giles' mind had momentarily wandered and he looked to the redhead speculatively. "Andrew and Xander. Their auras haven't been affected." She held up Dawn's transparent bag of small stones. "See? The Soul Stones are just fine." Willow quickly gave the bag back to Dawn, who tied it around her neck. Willow was very proud of her magical protégé. The small bag held nine tiny stones, each personally chosen by a member of the team to represent their own aural energy. There had once been ten, but Rona's glowing stone had turned black on an especially dangerous assignment a month after they'd moved to Cleveland. They knew she'd been killed before Kennedy had returned to tell them. Now the stones were better indicators of health than a doctor. "The stones were a good idea, Dawnie." At the girl's worried look, she added, "I'm sure Xander and Andrew just got distracted by a comic book store on the way back, like when we were in Ellison. Remember? We had to wait an hour for them to come back that time. Their stones were fine that time and they'll be fine this time, too. We just have to wait." They waited in silence for nearly twenty minutes before Buffy finally gave up. "Giles, I know they'll be here any minute, but we all have school. Dawn needs good sleep for good grades and good scholarships. And I have a paper due tomorrow and I need my beauty sleep," she pouted. "Plus, I'm cold. Couldn't we just leave 'em a note or something?" Giles began kicking dirt over the embers of his small fire. Somehow, he'd known that this was how his night would end. "Fine, Buffy. *I'll* wait for them and you girls can go home. "Yeah!" Willow squeaked, then turned her voice down. "I mean, that's very generous of you, Giles. Thank you." She grabbed Kennedy's hand and the two girls made their way to their car. "Are you sure, Giles?" Buffy asked. "I’m sure they'll be here in a few minutes. You go. Get a good grade on that paper." Dawn left a kiss on Giles' cheek. "Be safe. Call us when they get here, okay? So I know you guys are safe." She passed Giles her bag of stones and then the two sisters left. Giles settled down onto a large log and checked his watch. It was almost nine o'clock. He used his pocketknife to clean under his nails and began to compose a summoning spell in his head--a pastime that never hesitated to make the time pass quickly. When at last his nails were clean and the spell in his head was ready to be transcribed onto paper for later use, he checked his watch. Good lord! Andrew and Xander had been gone now for nearly two hours. He quickly checked the Soul Stones. Andrew's tiny piece of white marble, and Xander's lump of turquoise were glowing as they always did. All appeared normal and yet… Giles' phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. "Giles! Are they back yet?" Dawn's concerned voice asked. "I'm afraid not, Dawn. I'm not entirely sure what to do." "Well, they took south point tonight. Can you go find their spot? Maybe they're hurt and they can't leave. Or maybe a demon has them hostage! Oh, Giles! What if they're dead and the stones have stopped working because I'm really new at this and maybe I messed them up or--" "Dawn! I'm sure all is as it should be. Don't fret," Giles soothed. "Now, you had an excellent idea. I'll retrace their steps and I’m sure I'll find them." And give them a piece of my mind, he mentally added. Unless they really *were* hurt. He suddenly thought of the Plexlorath demon Kennedy had slayed earlier. Didn't they hut in packs? Cold terror gripped the Watcher. He took a deep breath to still his voice. He had to be strong for Dawn. "I’m going to hang up now, Dawn. Go to sleep. I'm sure everything is fine." Giles hung up before Dawn could detect the nervousness in his voice and pocketed his cell phone. Then pulled on the backpack. The four-point spell had positioned Xander and Andrew on the southern point--at Windy Acres cemetery. They'd agreed to set up the unity spell in the Mason family crypt. Late night, cemetery, Andrew with a two-minute window of demon attraction coupled with Xander's own demon magnetism… Giles' heart sank. What had he been thinking? It was a dangerous combination and he'd added fuel to the fire by sending them off together. If they *hadn't * been attacked by a vamp--or worse--he'd be surprised. Giles readied a stake and strode purposefully through the underbrush and out to the parking lot of Bloomfield Park. Windy Acres was only a couple of blocks south of the town center. Giles walked quickly. He was often annoyed at the two young men but if anything happened to them--that was a thought he wouldn't finish. Entering the cemetery, it took only a couple of minutes to get his bearings and he found the Mason crypt easily. He found no signs of struggle--vamp struggle, that was--on the way. No bloodied bodies or dust. Giles quickly grasped the handle of the ancient crypt. The doorjamb *did* look like it had been half-broken at some point. He opened it slowly, knowing that if Xander and Andrew *were* alive, the element of surprise would be an advantage. It took quite a while for his eyes to adjust to the dim light. He could see three large coffins in the middle of the room, displayed on large stone pedestals. The thick, gray candle he'd given Xander and Andrew hours earlier sputtered on the nearest coffin, partway melted and dripping wax onto the floor. As Giles' eyes adjusted, so did his ears. He could hear muffled groans and panting that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Someone was being hurt. He silently prayed that it wasn't one of the two young men he'd come to call friends. He shut the door softly and then moved silently along the coffin toward the suspicious noise. As he came around the corner of the coffin, he froze in shock. "Xander…" Andrew was panting, his palms spread wide against the wall of the crypt. He was completely nude, his body softly illuminated in the light of the single candle. Xander was equally nude and buried to the hilt in Andrew's body. His larger hands were striding up Andrew's arms to cover the splayed fingers. Giles watched them lace together as Xander spoke. "So-so beautiful," he gasped. "You're so tight, Andrew. Tight and hot and so, so beautiful…" Andrew groaned happily and turned his head so Xander could leave a wet kiss on his mouth. Xander's lips trailed behind Andrew's ear and down his neck as he continued slow thrust into Andrew's body. "I love fucking you, Andrew. Love fucking you...love you…" he cried, growing closer to orgasm. "Love you, too," Andrew gasped, coming with a shudder and spattering the wall of the crypt with his seed. Xander's hands wrapped around Andrew's slim body and held him upright as he continued to thrust, panting Andrew's name. Giles watched it all. This was a new development, he thought. He wasn't sure what to say; what should he do? Leave? Wait outside? They were obviously safe. His job was done. Yet…Giles shifted, his cock unbelievably hard under his loose-fitting pants. Like a deer scenting danger at a watering hole, Xander suddenly tensed. He turned his head slowly until he met Giles' eyes. "Andrew…" The younger man turned his head until he, too, saw the Watcher. Giles was frozen to the spot, aroused by the sensual sight and embarrassed to be found in such a voyeuristic position. For several seconds neither Giles nor Xander and Andrew moved. Then, when the watcher didn't try to stop them, Xander pulled slowly from Andrew. When only the tip of his cock was left in the smaller man, he shifted and slammed forward, striking Andrew's prostate and eliciting a pleasure-filled scream. Giles moaned as quietly as he could, unable to contain himself. Xander pulled out again and plunged forward, continuing where he'd left off. Andrew kept his eyes on the watcher. Occasionally his eyes flicked down to the protruding bulge in Giles' pants but the Watcher refused to acknowledge his hard-on. In a dozen more strokes, Xander could hold on no longer. He came with a gasp, muttering quiet endearments into Andrew's ear. The younger man pulled away from him and turned, wrapping his arms around Xander's body and burying his face in the fine hairs of Xander's chest. Reality began to seep into Giles' mind and he suddenly realized where he was. He mumbled an apology and stepped back, stumbling as he made his way toward the door. He fumbled at the door handle and felt it slip shut. Then he cursed and grabbed it again. If he could just get outside, he could call the girls and tell them everything was all right. Xander and Andrew weren't hurt, they were just fucking. Fucking. Xander and Andrew were fucking. And doing it quite well, a part of his mind said before he tried the handle again. He rattled it impatiently. It wasn't opening. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Behind him, Xander and Andrew were pulling on their clothes and exchanging soft, sloppy kisses. He could hear them quietly talking; they were discussing which should be the one to approach Giles. Xander won and approached Giles timidly. "Giles…" He seemed unsure of how to continue. "We just want you to know that--" "The door is locked." "What?" "Or broken. It's not opening." Giles continued to yank on the offending handle. "Here, let me try." Xander gently moved the still-stunned watcher to the side and tried the door. "He's right," he called to Andrew. "It's locked." Giles began laughing. It wasn't a particularly pleasant laugh and both Andrew and Xander were unsettled. "Giles? Are you okay?" "No, I’m not okay, Andrew. One of the most shocking moments of my life and I can't make a graceful exit. I can't even make an un-graceful exit. I can't escape it." "I understand how you must feel, Giles," Xander began. "Oh, save it!" Giles whipped off his glasses and began polishing them on the hem of his shirt. "What you two have been doing is irresponsible. Have you no idea how worried we've all been? Dawn's nearly hysterical and it's entirely your fault. And to not tell anyone about your relationship? Well, that's just…cruel." "Cruel?" "Yes, cruel. Do you somehow assume that the rest of us couldn’t handle it? That we'd have so little respect for you or your lifestyle that we would disapprove? That shows how little you think of us, of me, and *that* is cruel." "I'm sorry, Giles," Andrew said, slipping his hand into Xander's. "We just thought--" "You thought what, Andrew?" "We thought it was--" "What?" Giles scowled. "Romantic," Andrew whispered. "Romantic? Romantic? Keeping your relationship from your friends? Making love at secret times in public places? Not knowing whether you'll be--you'll be caught or--" Giles stopped. Xander and Andrew were looking more and more chagrined. Giles just looked enlightened. He sighed. "All right. I'll accept romantic. But I cannot condone your actions when you don't return at your scheduled time." "It's Andrew's fault!" "Is not!" "Is so! You're the one that wanted to go again!" "*You're* the one that agreed!" Giles began polishing frantically. "This is not our concern now. We appear to be trapped in this crypt until someone opens the door from the outside." He thought for a moment then brought out his cell phone. "I don't know why I didn't think of it. We simply need a little Slayer strength." The phone showed that reception would be terrible but he had little choice. He quickly punched in the Summers' number. After three rings, the answering machine clicked on. Dawn and Buffy's voiced chirped that they were not home but likely out shopping and would call when they got the message. "Dawn! Buffy! Please wake up! Look, I've found Xander and Andrew at the crypt but the door is locked and we're trapped inside. I don't want you to worry a bit, but I need you to come here and break the door from the outside. I'm sorry to ruin your good night's sleep. Please hurry." He hung up and sank down to the floor. "As soon as they get the message they'll come for us." For several minutes there was silence. "Do you have any food?" Andrew suddenly whined. Giles fumed. It would be a long night. ***** Dawn rubbed her hair as she cam out of the bathroom. Her sister sat at the table in the small apartment, headphones on. "Did they call yet?" "I don't think so," Buffy said, scrunching her brow at her Art History text. "Check the machine." Dawn dropped her towel on the couch and went into the kitchen where she found the answering machine blinking. She quickly punched the flashing button. "Dawn! Buffy! --- Look, I've found Xander and Andrew at the crypt --- and we're --. I don't want you to worry a bit, --- I --- you --- and --- I'm ---to --- your good night's sleep. Please ---." "Did they call?" Buffy asked, entering the kitchen. "Yeah. That was Giles." "What'd he say?" Dawn grinned. "It was kinda staticy but he said he found them and they're fine. He doesn't want us to worry." "Great! The kids are all safe, Dawnie. It's time for you to get some sleep, too." Buffy gently pushed Dawn toward her bedroom door and pointed sternly with one manicured finger. "Geez. Bossy much? At least mom didn't use the Pointing Finger." With that, Dawn shut herself in her room, confident that the most important men in her life were safe. ***** "Rupes." "What?" The watcher glanced toward Andrew who was sitting with his back pressed against a coffin. "Rupes. That would be your Star Wars name. See, you take the first three letters of your first name and the last two letters of your last name and it makes you Rupes." "Fascinating," Giles said dryly, plucking through the contents of his backpack. "It is! I’m Andls and Xander is Xanis. His sounds coolest. Sometimes we play this game where Xander is the Jedi and I'm the Padawan and we do this sort of lightsaber training and--" "Hey, Andls? Shut up!" Xander sat across from Andrew, sorting Soul Stones into color-coded piles. "G-man doesn't want to know about our role playing." "But earlier when he came in--" Andrew was silenced by a severe look from his lover. "Oh, I get it. Not supposed to talk about stuff, huh?"" He sighed while Giles scowled. "So…no food, huh? That sucks. I wish we had some cheeseburgers or maybe--" "Will you shut up for five seconds Andrew!" Giles spat. "I'm trying to find some verbena. If we have verbena I can make a transport spell and get one of us out of here. I just hope to god it's ME! Now be quiet!" Giles resumed searching and Andrew sat back against the coffin like a whipped puppy. Fifteen minutes later, a thorough search of Giles' backpack provided no verbena, but it had turned up two granola bars. Without a word, Giles tore into one himself and left the two men to fight over the last one on their own. Previous visits to Tony's Pizzarama and Chock Full 'o Cheeseburgers had prepared Giles for their eating habits. A meal rarely ended without the two fighting about the last french fry or which boy had eaten the largest number of pepperonis. But the watcher was stunned as the two men opened the granola bar. "It's not very big anyway, Xander. You can have it." "No, we split it 50/50, Drew." "Yeah, but you need to keep your strength up and I don't like granola bars much anyway." "Of course you do! It's the chocolate chip kind. Those are your favorites. Why don't you take it? I’m sure we'll be out of here in a little while anyway." "Right. Which is why *you* should eat it." "Enough!" Giles was unsure whether to be charmed by their exchange or disgusted by their almost saccharine cuteness. He broke off the end of his granola bar and passed it to Andrew who took it gratefully. "See? Now I have some, so eat!" Andrew ordered. Xander appeared ready to debate the size of his bar vs. Andrew's piece, but Andrew quickly shoved the food in his mouth. Giles chewed slowly, watching the two young men. Xander ate quickly and managed to get only a small chunk of chocolate on his chin. Andrew grinned at him happily and rubbed the chocolate off with the side of his hand, letting his fingertips trail across Xander's raw lips. "Too much kissing." Xander raised his eyebrows suggestively and Andrew giggled. "Giles, do you have any Chapstick or something?" The watcher quickly averted his eyes and checked his bag. He pulled a small jar from its depths. "This salve should do he trick." He tossed it to Andrew who rubbed a small lump over his lips and then held it out to Xander who dipped his finger into the small jar. Giles was grateful Andrew hadn't tried to apply it to Xander himself or he might have felt the need to be physically ill. He was irritated even as he envied their affection. How long had it been since he'd shared a warm bed with someone? Two years? Three? He sighed. "Are you bored, Giles?" "I fear that would be an understatement, Andrew." Giles placed the tip of a scrap of paper into the flame of the sputtering candle they'd moved to the floor and watch the paper blacken and curl. "And you call *us* pyromaniacs," Xander joked as he stretched out and leaned back against a coffin opposite Andrew. "We could play Truth or Dare," Andrew suddenly said. "It'll be so fun!" Giles released a pain-filled snort. "Andrew. I do not intend on sitting in this crypt until Dawn an Buffy arrive playing Truth or Dare. I suggest you just try to get some sleep." Giles pulled his jacket off and wadded it into a makeshift pillow. "Come on, Giles" Xander pleaded. "It'll be cool. We'll let you start, even." Giles checked his watch again. Dawn hadn't yet called him back so there was no way to know if she was coming or not. After the night he'd had, it was unlikely he could sleep anyway. With a long-suffering sigh, he said, "Fine. How does this game work?" "Yeah!" Andrew scooted closer. "Okay Giles, you have to ask me whether I want a Truth or a Dare. If I don't want to do the one I pick, I *have* to do the other. Got it?" The watcher nodded. "So I begin?" "Yeah. You ask me and then I ask Xander and he asks you." "Okay then, Andrew. Truth or dare?" Andrew narrowed his eyes, trying to gauge how seriously the Watcher would take the game. Siding on the side of caution, Andrew said, "Truth." "Very well. How long have you and Xander been," he coughed, "together?" "Um…" He cast a quick glance at Xander who nodded at him to go on. "Four months." "Four months? FOUR MONTHS? How can that be? You fight all the time! Every time I ring your cell phone you're fighting with Xander...together…somewhere…all the time." Realization sank in slowly. "And you never wondered why we're *always* together? Silly, silly British man. But I don't blame you. Xander can be completely covert. One time we even hid in the back seat of your car so you wouldn't catch--" "Your turn, Andrew!" Xander quickly jumped in. "Oh, uh…okay. Truth or dare Xander?" "Truth." "Okay…how many times a day do you…you know…" "Do I…?" What?" "Jack off," Andrew finished with a blush. "Oh. Well that depends." "On what?" "On if I've--" He looked guiltily at Giles, "--on if I've seen you, you know? If I'm going to be with you, then I don't but on other days, um...twice? I don't really know the right answer." "That's good enough." Andrew smiled happily. "Your turn, Xander." "Okay. Giles. Truth or Dare?" "Truth." "Truth: Who is the most beautiful person you know--inside and out?" "Both inside and out? One person?" "Right. Inside and out. The most beautiful package and you can't say Mother Theresa because she's dead," Xander clarified. "--And she was old," Andrew added. "What? She *was*!" Giles thought a moment. "Come on Giles. Easy one. Inside and out." "Well it's not *that* easy. I know many beautiful people and many people with beautiful souls. But to have *both*…I guess I would have to say…Dawn." "Dawn…" Andrew repeated reverently. "Yeah…" "Dawn's who I would have said, too," Xander admitted. "My turn," Giles said, strangely feeling as if he'd passed some unspoken test. "Truth or dare?" "Truth." "Andrew, if you could date anyone in the world, who would it be?" "Xander." "No, Andrew. In the *entire* world. Who would it be?" "Xander." Andrew looked confused. "Are you telling me, that of all the people…both men and women…celebrities, rock stars, you would choose Xander?" "Of course." Giles snorted. "What?" "Well, I believe yore just saying that because Xander is here right now. You'd likely change your mind if he wasn't present. I think you should have to do the dare." "I would not! You're not playing fair! I told the truth." "Fine. It's your turn, Andrew." Giles fumed and Andrew turned flashing eyes to Xander. "Truth or dare?" "Dare." "I dare you to punch Giles." "What?" Giles sputtered. "Or at least slap him. He didn't believe me, Xander!" "That is preposterous, Andrew. Xander is not going to--OW!" "Hey, you heard the man, Giles. He says to punch, I punch." "You two--deserve each other! Your turn Xander," Giles spat. "Truth or dare, Giles?" "Dare," Giles said boldly. He rubbed the tender spot on his lip where Xander had struck him, though he'd done so quite lightly. "I dare you to kiss and make up." "What?" both men asked at the same time. "You and Andrew. I don't want to see my two favorite guys fighting. So kiss and make up." Giles laughed but neither Andrew nor Xander was joining him. "I'm not going to…I mean, that's…" He looked helplessly at Andrew, then Xander. "That's your dare, Giles. Kiss." Xander's voice was husky as he eyed the watcher. Giles looked at Andrew and knew he couldn't do it--wouldn't do it. To take advantage of the young man would be-- Before he could finish his though, Andrew was on his knees and scrambling across the dirty crypt floor. One arm snaked around Giles' neck and he pulled the Watcher close. Giles felt moist lips and hot breath close over his mouth. A soft, wet tongue teased his own and then he was drowning, gasping, reveling into the first kiss he'd shared in far too long. All too soon the kiss was broken and Giles was left hard and wanting. "Was that okay?" Andrew asked, absently touching his lips. Giles only managed a choked, "Yes," before his glasses came off and he began polishing them frantically. "He's a good kisser, isn't he?" Xander commented. "I am?" Andrew seemed pleased. "Of course you are. I told you that." "I just thought you were being nice." "I *was* being nice. And I was also right. Tell him, Giles." "Yes, ahem, very good." He replaced his glasses and shifted his legs almost painfully. His night was going from bizarre to downright surreal. "It's Giles' turn." The Watcher's mind was blank. The scene he'd encountered when he'd first entered the crypt kept playing on a loop through his head. Smooth skin…soft grunts…a young, talented tongue tickling his own and-- "Mr. Giles? Your turn." Giles swallowed hard. "Andrew. Truth or dare?" "Dare," he said boldly. Giles licked his lips. "Your dare is the same." "Huh?" "The same. I want to see you two kiss." Giles couldn't miss the subtle glance that passed between the two young men. "Don't tell me you two are shy now?" Giles' heart was racing--partly from arousal and partly from fear. Andrew and Xander had proved their exhibitionist nature, but here was always the chance that they'd balk at the idea. Still, Andrew hesitated and Giles' stomach dropped. Perhaps he'd been out of line. Perhaps he'd assessed the situation differently. "If you would prefer to take the truth--" Andrew grinned and shook his head in Giles direction. "It's not that. Never mind." Andrew knelt in front of Xander and recreated the kiss he'd shared with Giles. Strong callused hands settled around Andrew's waist and the younger man's fingertips trail up and down Xander's biceps. The kiss was fairly chaste by their newfound standards but Giles found himself growing hard none the less. Xander broke away and took a deep breath; his eyes appeared to be searching Andrew's face for some sign, a signal for which Giles wasn't privy. There was a subtle nod from Andrew and instead of returning to their respective spots on the cold floor, their kiss resumed. Mouths ground harder this time and then Andrew was moving to Xander's neck to suck and bite. Both heads turned his way, gauging his reaction. Giles displayed nothing but a cool demeanor; inside, however, he was both terrified of the implications their continued exhibitionism implied, and aroused. As if sensing a challenge, Xander let a small moan slip from his mouth and Giles watched as the young man's hands began working at Andrew's t-shirt. They broke their kiss and Xander slipped the shirt over Andrew's head. Andrew did the same for Xander and then there was smooth skin and soft wet kisses for Giles to drink in. For his part, Giles felt as if he was caught somewhere between a surreal nightmare and a most glorious dream. He shouldn't watch, couldn't watch. Neither could he turn away. Xander's hands began working at Andrew's fly and Giles observed him languidly slip a hand beneath the fabric, stroking Andrew as he watched Giles. Andrew moved his hands to Xander's shoulders so he could get better balance. His forehead rested on Xander's shoulder as he panted shallowly, watching Xander's hand moving under his pants. "He's beautiful like this, isn't he?" Xander whispered. Giles finally met his gaze. "Yes." There was no need for pretense now. Giles stared openly, awed by the way Andrew gave himself over to Xander and by the tender way Xander was treating him. "He's so beautiful…" Xander whispered, kissing lightly at Andrew's pale shoulder. "Giles?" "Yes?" Barely more than a gasp. "Come here." Giles considered telling him no. Telling them both that they were on a dangerous path. That only the strongest of souls and most solid of relationships should dare what they were proposing. Instead, Giles found himself crawling slowly closer to the two young men. "Give me your hand." Giles reached his palm out and Xander took it with his free hand. Then he guided it to where his other hand was stroking. Andrew rolled his head against Xander's shoulder so he could watch more clearly. Giles nervously let his hand join Xander's, then Xander slipped free and it was Giles alone sliding his hand tenderly over the slim, hard flesh. Andrew cried out happily as Giles increased the pressure on his cock, the blonde boy's fingertips pinching at the bare skin of Xander's shoulder. Xander began pulling at the fabric tucked into the waistband of Giles' pants with one hand. The other held onto Andrew, always keeping some form of reassuring contact on his lover. Unbuttoning Giles' shirt was difficult one-handed, but Xander was in no hurry, which pleased Giles. There were so many things wrong with what was happening and so, *so* many things that were right… Giles moaned without warning. Andrew's mouth was sucking at the golden skin of Xander's shoulder and the older man was momentarily jealous. Sensing the slight change in mood, Xander smiled. The hand, which had nearly finished unbuttoning the older man's shirt, slipped under it to stroke at bare flesh. Xander wrapped his arm under the shirt and around Giles' back, pulling him into a half-hug where he was able to briefly bury his face in the rough hair on Giles' chest. Xander's mouth worked to leave light kisses across the skin, which led purposefully to Giles' waiting mouth. Every bit as sensual as Andrew's kiss, Giles let Xander control his mouth, teasing at his tongue. An almost pitiful whimper suddenly met his ears when he realized he'd stopped stroking Andrew. Xander pulled back, grasping Andrew's face in both hands and kissing him hard. "Giles?" Xander whispered when he was done. "Yes?" "Take your shirt off." Giles complied, regretfully removing himself from Andrew before pulling the shirt from his body, then kicking off his shoes. Xander resumed devouring Andrew's mouth, no longer gentle, but hot and insistent. Andrew began scrambling at Xander's jeans, pushing them over his hips. They each managed to push their respective pants off and then resumed kneeling on the cold cement. Xander bowed his head, licking and biting at each of Andrew's hard, red nipples. Once again he turned to the older watcher. "I want you to taste him." "Pardon?" Xander ran his thumb over a hard bud. "Right here. I want you to taste right here, Giles." Giles complied, nervously sucking the hard nub into his mouth. He reveled at the salty, soapy taste of Andrew's skin. Andrew's cries became louder, ecstatic, and Giles was growing even harder at the sound. The blonde's erection strained obviously at his underwear and Xander's was no less prominent. "Doesn't he taste beautiful?" Giles nodded, not wanting to give up his tiny treasure. He glanced over and found that Andrew was staring at Xander again, perhaps asking permission or seeking reassurance. Giles wasn't sure. Then, Xander's husky whisper came again, next to his ear. "Do you want to be *inside* this body, Giles?" Xander began nuzzling the underside of Andrew's neck. The blond man's head was tipped back as Giles considered the question. "Yes, " he finally admitted, half ashamed to ask for any more than what he'd already been offered. "Andrew's bag," was all Xander said. Giles nodded and reached for Andrew's discarded backpack. Quickly he rummaged for what they would need and found it sitting at the bottom. There was an almost-empty box of condoms and a bottle of lube that was completely empty. Giles grabbed his own backpack, searching for anything that would remotely be used as lube and trying hard to ignore any other doubts or concerns that threatened to batter his mind with hesitation. He rummaged for the small jar of lip salve with clumsy fingers. The green jar. Better to think of the jar than what would be done *with* the jar. Better to think of *anything* than the huge, delicious crash landing his life was about to take, Giles thought. He heard rustling behind him and low, whispered words and knew before he turned that Xander and Andrew were now naked. He finally located the precious jar and turned slowly to his two young friends. Xander sat on his coat, facing Giles, with his back leaning against a pedestal. His bare feet were flat on the ground and his knees were splayed. Between his legs, Andrew sat in an identical pose, the length of his body spread against Xander. His head was resting against Xander's shoulder. "Take off your clothes, Giles." The older watcher licked his lips nervously and nodded. When he had complied with Xander's wishes, he evaluated the two young men. Neither seemed as remotely nervous as he, himself, felt. Xander had one arm wrapped around Andrew's waist, stroking Andrew's cock with the lightest of pressure. The other hand appeared to be stroking his own cock, though his actions were hidden by Andrew's squirming body. Andrew didn't speak, only stared at Giles with wide doe eyes. Giles didn't move. His cock was nearly pinned to his navel, wet and ready. He swallowed hard and passed the small jar to Xander who opened it. He scooped out a small lump and moved his hand past Andrew's cock and toward his heated hole. Giles watched him ease a greased finger in Andrew's body. Andrew stared at Giles silently, his mouth opening and moving and trembling as he experienced the pleasure Xander was giving him. Xander eased a second finger in and Giles remained frozen, watching. Always watching. Andrew's arms were clenching over and over at Xander's knees; his ass was lifting off the ground, pushing eagerly toward Xander's fingers. A third finger made its way into Andrew's body and the blond man cried out it pleasure and frustration. "I want you to fuck him, Giles. I want you to feel a little of what I feel when I'm inside his beautiful body." Xander then removed his fingers and slid his hands down Andrew's thighs and tucked them under his knees He pulled the pale legs up until Andrew's shiny, stretched hole was fully exposed. Xander gestured for Giles to draw closer and he whispered to him once again, his voice husky with barely contained arousal. "He's ready for you, Giles. Look at him. He wants you to fuck him, Giles. *I* want you to fuck him." Giles moved to take off his glasses. "No." The small, soft voice surprised the older man. It was the only time Andrew had spoken thus far. "Like 'em." Giles felt himself grin briefly and let his glasses remain, then quickly slipped on a condom and slicked himself. Xander and Giles worked together to move Andrew to a comfortable position. With a subtle nod from Xander, Giles leaned forward and pushed into Andrew's inviting body. Soft cries of pleasure echoed in the enclosed space, though Giles was unsure of who they belonged to. Some sounded like him, others distinctly younger. The sweet sound was like no aphrodisiac he'd ever had. Slowly he pumped into Andrew's body. Giles' arm reached out to grasp for balance on the stand behind Xander. Then, when he was certain Xander wouldn't mind, at the dark-haired man himself. Xander's mouth sought out his and they shared a brief kiss over Andrew's twisted, trembling body. The blond man tried grasping tenderly at his two lovers, stroking Giles face and touching the stray hands that pinned his own legs to his body. Then Giles shifted and Andrew cried out enthusiastically. His arms seemed to become too much to concentrate on, and Andrew let them hang open limply as Giles rode his body. Xander resumed his husky whisper, this time for Andrew, though Giles couldn't help but hear. "You look so gorgeous, Andrew. So hot with Giles fucking you." Giles watched Andrew's eyes dilate further, staring at a spot beyond his head; he was lost in the words Xander was whispering. Xander was rocking against Giles thrusts, his cock pinned between his own body and Andrew's "…Look so good. So fucking good. Love you, Andrew." Xander arched forcefully against Andrew's back and groaned as he came, wetting Andrew's back with his spunk. Xander clenched harder at Andrew's knees, baring the precious, warm hole more easily to Giles. The older man was barely hanging on after watching Xander come. "Did you feel that, Andy? You made me come. Just feeling you--watching you--and I came…" Xander mumbled with panted breath. Andrew nodded, his eyes wide and his cock drooling against his belly. "I can't touch you Andrew. And Giles can't touch you, either," Xander added as if reading Giles' mind. The older watcher continued to thrust, nearing completion "But I want to so bad, Andrew. Wanna watch you come. Watch you come all over Giles, make him *ours* for tonight." Xander kissed Andrew's throat. The blond boy began to shake and then came, great shots of ropy fluid coating both him and Giles. Andrew cried out and his ass clenched around Giles' cock, milking his orgasm from him without warning. "You're so good, Andrew. So hot…so good, baby…" Xander was babbling, panting, and sweating. He slipped his hands from behind Andrew's knees and wrapped them tightly around his lover. Andrew melted back into him and Xander began kissing every piece of exposed skin he could find. Giles pulled out slowly. His knees were stiff and dirty and he wished he'd though to sit-or kneel as the case was-on his coat as the two young men had done. Andrew stretched out his legs, lying languidly against Xander's flushed body. "Giles?" Xander said, as the older watcher was preparing to dress. "Yes?" Xander gestured for him to draw close and join them. Giles hesitated, threw his coat to the ground and stretched until his cheek was against Andrew's smooth chest. Their pile of flesh rose and fell between three sets of panting chests. Giles was exhausted and more relaxed than he'd been in years. A slim hand began stroking over his heart, petting at the peppered gray hairs of his chest. In moments he felt the hand still and the deep, heavy breathing that signified that Andrew was asleep. Giles turned his head upward to watch Xander gently stroking at Andrew's hair. The dark-haired boy was smiling softly. "Xander, I think--" "Don't, Giles. Just…rest." Xander closed his eyes and Giles followed suit, lulled by the even rhythm of the bodies below him. ***** When he awoke some time later, his mouth felt old and dry. He swallowed uncomfortably when he realized where he was and what he had done. "Hey Giles?" The Watcher turned to look at a wide-awake Xander whose hand was splayed out over the top of Andrew's golden hair. Giles watched the hand squeeze the blond boy's head over and over. "Guess what this is?" Giles shrugged. "It's a brain sucker. Guess what it's doing?" "What?" "Starving." "HEY!!!" Andrew whined and turned over quickly, knocking Giles to the side. He pounced on his boyfriend and pinned him to the ground, looking for something to tickle him with. Giles watched his eyes light up when he found a broken bit of tree branch and began running it over Xander's hardening nipples. They had no time for this. The fact still remained that they were effectively trapped in this crypt and the faster they got out of here, the better, in his opinion. "Andrew? Andrew, I don't that that's wise. Andrew? ANDREW, PUT THAT DOWN! YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S BEEN!" Ah, now this felt familiar. Andrew guiltily dropped the branch and began searching for his clothing. "Spoil sport," Xander said grudgingly and stood to pull on his boxers. Giles put on his own clothes and began replacing the items they'd used in their bags. They he gathered the stray branches and leaves that had blown in over the years, setting them by the door. "Giles?" "Yes, Xander?" "Are you *tidying* the crypt?" "Am I--what?" "You are, aren't you? You're tidying the crypt. You're worse than Wesley!" "I am *not*!" "You've got to learn to cut loose, Giles. Andrew was right." And there it was. The truth at last. Giles turned slowly to the two young men. "Right about what, exactly?" Xander, to his credit, did not flinch when the Watcher turned sharp eyes toward him. "Andrew said you were lonely." "He did, did he?" On the other side of the crypt, Andrew's palms began to sweat and he blushed. "Yeah. He also said that it made him sad that you weren't as happy as we were. He even thought we could change that, given the chance." "So that's what this has been? A challenge for you two--" "NO! No, not even a little bit, Giles. It's…" Xander stepped close to the Watcher and placed a hand on the side of Giles' neck. "Not even a little. Are you happier now? Truly happier?" "Not really, no." Xander chucked. "See?" Andrew approached Giles slowly, handing him his glasses. Then he kissed his mouth sweetly. "Be happy, Giles," he said huskily. "Let your hair down. Like last night. Or maybe not *just* like last night, 'cause that's a one-time-only thing, but--" "Ahem!" Three pairs of eyes turned to the doorway. The doorway that was standing open with a pair of confused sisters blocking the early morning sunlight. No one said anything for several seconds. Then Giles broke the silence. "How much did you hear?" "More than we wanted to. Not as much as there was *to* hear by the looks of it. How about we just leave it at that?" "Lovely!" Giles said quickly and stooped to pick up his bag. "Why did it take you girls so long to get here?" "We thought you were okay. Then, when we called your house this morning, there was no answer. And then there was no answer at Andrew's apartment or Xander's apartment so we put two and two together and got either demon possession or vampires." "Well, we're glad you're both here at any rate," Giles said, slinging his backpack onto his back. "How did you get the door open without breaking it, anyway?" Andrew asked. "We all tried it and it was locked." "I just used The Master." At the men's bewildered looks, Buffy added, "Master Card?" She waved the small rectangle of plastic at them. Giles glanced at his watch. "Oh, Buffy. It's well after eight o'clock. Haven't you girls missed your classes?" The young slayer shrugged. "I can miss a few. Finding you was more important. I can turn my paper in on Thursday." "What about Dawn? Surely she's missing valuable school time?" "Lighten up, Giles," the dark-haired girl said. "You need to live a little." Dawn's comment did not go unnoticed by the older Watcher or his young companions. Blushing, Giles took a deep breath. "Perhaps you're right, Dawn. How would you suggest I did that?" "You could stop ironing your jeans." "HE IRONS HIS JEANS?" "Sod off, Andrew!" "Sorry, Giles." "Yeah! And you could say 'sod off' sometimes. Just if you were mad, you know?" Xander and Andrew followed Giles, Buffy, and Dawn out of the crypt. Andrew suddenly stopped and turned to the Watcher with excitement. "Are you really serious about cutting loose, Giles? Because if you really want to do something you wouldn't normally do, I know where you can go!" "Where?" Giles asked suspiciously, as they made their way to Buffy's waiting car. "Well, I won't tell you everything because that wouldn’t be spontaneous, but let's just say that there's a Star Trek convention in Chicago this weekend that I know you'd love…." ~*~The End~*~ |
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| In the Hour of Need |