fic What I Want (Giles/Anya) PG Chap 3 Cookies Are Innocent

[devylish.livejournal.com]

 

TITLE What I Want

FANDOM Buffy The Vampire Slayer
PAIRING Ganya Spuffy… More ganya than anything

CHAP 3 (of 6?)  Cookies Are Innocent

AUTHOR Devylish

WORDS 3064

WARNINGS none

RATING PG
PLOT AU timeline, Tara’s around, Dawn is 17, Anya and Xander are together but not engaged, Spike and Buffy are ‘foolin’ around’ but it’s still a secret – and Buffy is still torn about how she feels for Spike. Oh and yes… yes, Giles and Anya SHOULD be together!

AN What a fricking difference a beta makes!!! And TWO, TWO is better than one! mobile_alh and Xela Ebonie thanks ever so much for helping me beat back the elliptical monster that seems to live in me!!! You were BOTH dolls and oh soooo much help! All remaining mistakes are mine mine mine!!!!

AN2 part of my entry for the Summer of Giles LJ
AN3  BTW I’m sure that Ella was quite a genteel woman … despite what Anya may suggest.

AN4 Chap 4 is in my head lol

 

 Previously on What I Want

 

WiW WiW WiW WiW WiW

 

After spending a couple of hours baking – or, learning how to bake – with Dawn, Anya had headed back home: oatmeal raisin, double chocolate chip, and shortbread cookies in tow. She’d then spent what seemed like hours, picking out an outfit that said: ‘Giles, I think I might, kinda, sorta, like you’ at the same time that it said ‘Xander, hey, remember me?’.

 

And now she was pacing outside of Giles’ home, bearing cookies that might mean a heck of a lot more than just a few pounds at the waist. ‘This is stupid. Dumb. I shouldn’t be here. I should be at home doing….  Doing what?’ She sighed. ‘Anyankah, you’re not doing anything wrong, you’re just bringing the man cookies. Cookies are harmless. Innocent. They mean nothing.’ She raised her hand and knocked on his door before she could change her mind again. 

 

As she waited, she could feel her heart beating against her ribcage, keeping time with the passing seconds. ‘This is why I hate being human. I was never bothered with fragile hearts and stupid, innocent cookies when I was a demon.’

 

She tapped her foot impatiently and knocked again. ‘And I definitely didn’t have to worry about stupid men when I was a demon, OR stupid teenagers with stupid plans!’ Anya shifted the cookies in her arms, “The way to a man’s heart is through his – pfft!” She tapped at the door again, ‘Right! Like that makes any sense whatsoever! And why am I spending my whole day waiting at peoples’ doors?’ 

 

She frowned. ‘It seems like I’m always waiting for someone or something these days.’ Anya glanced down at her feet. ‘And these heels are so NOT comfortable to be waiting in!’

 

WiW WiW WiW WiW WiW

 

Giles dropped the towel from his hair, and draped it around his neck. Grabbing the belt of his grey robe, he marched downstairs, closing the robe as he walked. 

 

He peered at the clock as he headed down the steps, 2:00pm.  He’d put in four hours at the shop and returned home covered in more dust and grime than he ever cared to see again. And he’d just climbed out of a very necessary shower when he’d heard the insistent knocking at his apartment door.

 

Slippers on feet, robe secured, Giles reached for the handle as yet another resolute knock was delivered.

 

“Anya?!”

 

“Giles!” She took in his wet hair, curly from the shower, the few stray beads of water at his neck, and the blue-grey robe wrapped around him… keeping her from seeing him au naturel. 

 

She’d never cursed a piece of clothing before.

 

“Anya, wh-what are you doing here? Is everything alright?!”

 

“I brought cookies.” She shoved the ‘innocent’ offerings toward him.

 

“Cookies? Cookies. Yes… erh, well, umm, come in, come in.” He stepped back from the door, and held his hands out for the tins she was carrying. His fingers grazed hers as he took the treats, and he had to force himself to keep breathing. ‘She belongs to Xander you stupid git… despite what Spike might suggest.’

 

“Are you naked beneath your robe?” The words, like many of her words, were out of her mouth before she even knew she was speaking.

 

“Erh,” Giles looked down at his outfit.  He’d quite forgotten he was wearing next to nothing; although now, he definitely wished he were wearing something more dapper. Or at least something not quite so potentially revealing. He flushed but answered her question, “More or less, yes. I just got out of the shower and….” Giles stopped. “Is something the matter, Anya?”

 

‘Don’t look at his robe. Don’t look at his robe. Don’t look… he just asked you something. Crap!’ Anya focused on Giles’ face.  “Hmm? Oh. No. Nothing.” She repeated her opening lines, “I brought cookies.” She waved her hands in the direction of the treats still being nestled against his chest.

 

“Yes, I – I see.” He scratched his head. “So you’re not in need of anything else?”

Anya’s face dropped. ‘He doesn’t want me around. Stupid heart/stomach theory! Stupid innocent cookies!’

 

Giles read the look of disappointment on her face and backpedaled. “Not that you’re not always welcome in my home. You are. I – I just wasn’t expecting you this afternoon. This evening, yes, but not quite at this….” Again his voice dropped off.

 

“Well, if you don’t mind? I was thinking that maybe I could help you get ready.” And then her eyes dropped to the knot that held his robe closed. “Umm… ready for the party. Not getting dressed. I…” ‘stop babbling Anya’, “I’m certain you can handle that part yourself.”

 

“Yes. Yes. Well, right. Help.” A picture of her undoing his dressing gown and wrapping her arms around his waist flitted through his mind. “Erh, well why don’t I just pop these in to the kitchen for keeping and, ummm, why don’t you follow me. We’ll see what still needs to be done.”

 

Setting the cookies on the counter, Giles looked around the kitchen, somewhat at a loss for an activity for Anya to perform. It wasn’t that he couldn’t actually use her help, he could, but, her presence… alone in his home with him, while he was half dressed – was distracting to say the least.

 

‘Think, Giles! It’s what you’re bloody well known for. At least currently what you’re known for. Right. I need to get dressed first, and then perhaps I can focus a bit more.’

 

“Anya, I tell you what, why don’t you take a look at my album collection and select some pieces for us to listen to tonight? I was going to do that last night but, I – I got distracted.”

 

“Music! I can do music! Lead me to the music.”

 

Settling Anya on a chair by his CDs and vinyl collection, Giles headed up to the safety of his bedroom.

 

Once upstairs he leaned against a wall with one hand. ‘Deep breaths, mate. Deep fucking breaths.’

 

It took Giles all of 3 minutes to: strip, redress, run a comb through his hair, head half way down the stairs, dash back up the steps, splash on some cologne, remind himself to breathe deeply again, then slowly saunter down the stairs.

 

It took Anya less than 3 minutes to find a cd and place it in the stereo. When Giles reached the bottom of the steps he froze, watching her as she slowly swayed around the room, humming with her eyes closed.

 

Half words floated out of her:

 

… The thrill of the thought

That you might give a thought
To my plea

Casts a spell over me,

So I say to myself,

Get a hold of yourself

Can’t you see

It never can be?

 

As Anya floated around the couch humming the jazz standard, she opened her eyes to find Giles standing at the bottom of the stairs, watching her. She wasn’t certain what specific shade she was turning, but she knew she was definitely blushing. 

 

“I – it’s Ella Fitzgerald.” She offered as if that explained everything.

 

You go to my head

‘like a smile that makes my temperature rise

Like a summer with a thousand Julys’

You intoxicate my soul

With your eyes

 

Giles smiled. “It is indeed. One of my favorite vocalists. Quite a pure voice – she proves the value of the human voice as an instrument.”

 

“She could also swear like a sailor.” Anya pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

 

“You – you knew Ella Fitzgerald?”

 

“I was a friend of a friend, but, yeah.”

 

Giles shook his head. “You really must tell me more about some of your experiences. I can’t even begin to imagine what you’ve seen. Heard. Who you’ve met.” He moved past her, not seeing the sudden swell of tears in her eyes. “Let’s go get this meal underway shall we?”

 

Though I’m certain that this heart of mine

Hasn’t a ghost of a chance in this crazy romance

You go to my head

 

Anya took a steadying breath and blinked her eyes rapidly, pushing back the emotion that had fluttered through her. Giles wanted to hear what she had to say. He wanted to hear about her life. Okay, maybe he really only wanted to hear about the people and things she’d seen, but that counted for something, didn’t it? Turning on her heel she followed Giles into the kitchen, music trailing after them.

 

The thrill of the thought

That you might give a thought   

To my plea

Casts a spell over me

Still I say to myself

Get a hold of yourself

Can’t you see that it never can be?

 

WiW WiW WiW WiW WiW WiW

 

“Really?!”

 

Giles stirred the contents of the pot once more then put the lid back on. “Really.” He grinned, “I was about nineteen at the time,” he leaned against the counter, “and my friends and I were rapscallions, hell on wheels… once we’d managed to nick them.”

 

“So,” Anya sipped the wine that Giles had poured for her earlier, “what you’re saying, is if I go to a dealership, and I see a car that I want, I could maybe bring you along to hot-wire it for me or something?”

 

He laughed. The Giles’ laugh; the one that made the lines around his eyes and his lips crinkle in a sexy, purely Gilesian way. 

 

“I haven’t actually hot-wired a car in quite a few years. I’m afraid my skills are probably quite rusty.”

 

‘I bet your skills are just fine.’ Anya looked up from her glass hoping that she hadn’t verbalized her last thought. No, Giles was looking at his wine glass, apparently lost in memories. “Does anyone ever call you ‘Rupert’?”

 

He looked up, surprised at the change in topic. “Erh, very few people do. Jenny – Ms. Calendar did. Ethan. Spike does at times – or he uses a derivative thereof. And of course you did when –.” Giles stopped. They’d never really spoken about that night; the night of Randy and Joan, Rupert and Anya.

 

“The night we were a couple,” Anya finished for him.

 

“Right.”

 

Silence filled the small kitchen. 

 

It’s amazing how much room ‘silence’ actually takes up. 

 

“That was a good night.” Anya heard the words leaving her and she couldn’t stop them. She wasn’t certain she wanted to. 

 

His leveled his gaze at her, curious as to what she was truly saying. Was she intimating that she felt being part of a couple, with him, had been good? Or was she simply suggesting that having those few hours of forgetfulness had been good – freeing?

 

Looking up at Giles, Anya tried to ease the tension of the moment by adding, “Well, it was a good night until the bunnies.” She shivered.

 

“It – it was a good night for me too.” 

 

Anya lifted her chin and tried to read the words hiding in his eyes. 

‘Oh fuck it all to hell! Be a man, Giles.’ He took a deep breath, “Anya, I –.”

 

“GILES!” Buffy’s voice burst through the delicate bubble that had been created in the kitchen. 

 

He smiled wryly at Buffy’s timing and slid his glasses back on.

 

“We’re in the kitchen,” he called out.

 

“We?” Buffy busted into the kitchen gazing around curiously, “Who’s – oh hey, Anya.” Buffy turned back to her watcher, “Giles?”

 

“Yes, Buffy?” The weary, parental tone was apparent to Anya, but totally missed by Buffy. 

 

“Seriously, can I kill Spike?”

 

“Is he still neutered?”

 

“Oi! Watch the ‘neutered’ talk!” Spike’s lean form followed Buffy’s into the suddenly shrinking kitchen.

 

Buffy smiled sweetly and turned to Spike, even though she was answering Giles’ question. “Yes, he’s still neutered, impotent, and otherwise ‘unable to perform at full capacity’.”

 

“Hey!”

 

“Then, no, I’m sorry, Buffy, you can not kill Spike. Out of curiosity, what did he do this time to earn your wrath?”

 

She cocked her head to the side in consideration. “Do I really have to have a reason?” 

 

“It might be easier if you two just released some sexual tension. You won’t want to kill him quite so much, and, I’m sure,” Anya appraised Spike’s figure, “it would also provide you both with some wonderful orgasmic pleasure.”

 

Giles spluttered into his wine. 

 

Buffy turned a shade of red that Anya was pretty certain was similar to the shade she’d been a few hours ago.

 

Spike grinned at Anya and rolled on the balls and heels of his boots. “Told Rupes here that you were a smart bird.” 

 

“Um, yes, as smart and beautiful of a bird, erh, woman, as she may be Spike, I’m going to suggest we curtail this conversation, and adjourn to the living room.”

 

The last one to head out the door that Spike held open for group, Giles murmured a barely audible ‘behave yourself’ to the vampire as he passed him.

 

WiW WiW WiW WiW WiW WiW

 

A half an hour later found the whole gang save Xander sitting in various spots in Giles’ home, warm bowls of homemade chili in hand; each topped with the fixings… fritos, cheese, sour cream, avocados. 

 

Willow rested her head against Tara’s knee and sighed deeply. “Why did it take so long for us to find out that you make such an amazing chili?”

 

He beamed at the compliment. “I’m pleased that you like it.”

 

“Like?! I may make love to a bowl of it.” As soon as she realized what she’d said, Willow lifted her big eyes from the bowl in front of her. “That totally came out wrong. Cuz I so don’t want to make love to a bowl of chili. First of all, it has spices in it, and those spices shouldn’t go certain places, and secondly, I have Tara… and actually, Tara is my first reason for not wanting to make love to a bowl of chili. The spices are the second reason. Tara is much more satisfying than your chili. Umm, not that I should necessarily be comparing her to – I’m going to just shut up now.”

 

From her seat on the couch, Tara reached down and smoothed her hand through Willow’s hair, soothing the frazzled witch. “Willow is right Giles, your chili is w-wonderful.”

 

“Um, thank you, ladies.”

 

“So to drastically move the conversation away from the topic of sex –“

 

“Dawn!” Buffy chirped

 

“What? Now I can’t even ‘say’ the word sex?”

 

Buffy eyed Dawn.

 

“Fine. To move the conversation away from the topic of s-e-x, where’s the Xan-man?”

 

Anya realized everyone was looking to her for an answer. “He should be here soon. He had to work the 8am shift today.” 

 

“Stop it!” Buffy hissed.

 

Everyone looked at her, noticing perhaps for the first time, that she was seated next Spike. A Spike who was trying way too hard to look innocent.

 

“Everything all right over there, children?” Giles questioned the two constantly squabbling adults.

 

“Fine. Fine. Thanks for asking, mate, and for the extra chili peppers.” 

 

Giles hemmed and hawed quietly, embarrassed at having his slight act of kindness for Spike pointed out. And no, it didn’t help to have Buffy staring at him questioningly.

 

Anya slowly tuned out the chatter of the group around her, and instead focused on watching them. Tara and Willow were seated close to one another, touching shoulder to leg, hand to head. Quietly, but definitively WITH one another. Appreciating the very nearness of the one they loved.

 

Anya turned her head to study Buffy and Spike. The slayer was seated next to her vampire, unconsciously laying claim to her mate/mate to be, whether she knew it or not. Anya noticed with a wry smile that In the middle of Giles’ living room, as everyone ate and chatted, Spike was surreptitiously caressing Buffy’s outer thigh; his finger subtly rubbing up and down the denim of her jeans. To most observers, his actions would seem accidental, but Anya wasn’t most observers. She was an ex-demon. An ex-demon whose whole focus for hundreds of years was to study love in all of its facets: its aberrations, and its normalcies. 

 

Spike and Buffy might arguably be an aberration of love, but they weren’t an abomination. And they WERE in love. Or at least, Spike was. 

 

When he realized he was being watched, his strokes stopped, but as soon as he realized that it was Anya who was watching him, he smirked in her direction before continuing his guarded appreciation of his slayer.

 

Anya sighed; the Witches, the Vampire and the Slayer – couples. In love, head over heels, impossible couples.

 

Who would have thought Willow would fall for Tara? And who would have ever planned for Spike and Buffy to fall for one another? Did God, or The Powers That Be, or, or Shiva… plan this stuff? Or did they just role the dice and let them fall where they may?

 

Anya surreptitiously glanced at Rupert as he sat comfortably in his armchair. If a Jewish Wiccan and a small town southern girl, and the Slayer of Slayers and the greatest Slayer to ever live met with the approval of TPTB, did an ex-vengeance demon and an ex-watcher maybe stand a chance at gaining their approval?

 

Anya smiled softly, hopefully, to herself.

 

Giles watched his family as they chatted comfortably about inconsequential, wonderfully frivolous things; at the moment, life and death weren’t an issue for any of them. He loved to see them at peace and happy. These moments were rare and therefore, precious. Rare and precious like the wistful smile that was gracing Anya’s face. He let his eyes take in her slender figure. She was curled up on the floor, half way between the couch and his chair; barefoot, in jeans and a silky blue top.  She was relaxed, seemingly content, and undeniably beautiful.

 

“Hey Peeps!” Xander hollered as he burst into the apartment.

 

“Xander!”

 

“Xan”

 

“Whelp.”

 

“Peeps?” Dawn questioned. “I don’t think you can pull ‘peeps’ off.”

 

“Welcome,” Giles yanked his eyes away from Anya’s frame, almost as he were a child almost caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He stopped looking at her so quickly that he missed the way her frame straightened and tightened as Xander entered the apartment. “Let me show you the way to the food.” 

 

“Food! Food gooooooood!”