Author:
Beta: lornelover.
Pairing: Anya/Giles.
Rating: NC17.
Setting: Post-"Grave."
A day after Willow broke every chair in the Magic Box, Anya slumped on the floor. No one had contacted Anya since the battle, since Willow almost destroyed the world out of grief for Tara.
She sighed and stood up. There were still boxes to haul down to the basement for temporary storage before taking them to her apartment one carload a day. The front door lay smashed on the floor. She needed to finish packing everything salvageable. After all, looters came out at night. She would've cast wards, but magic was an uncomfortable issue lately.
"Ahn." Xander stood where the door once was.
"Go away, Xander." Anya opened the basement door and started walking downstairs. She could hear him moving through the store and following her.
"I wanted to make sure that you were okay."
Anya didn't look up him. Xander Harris was the last person whose pity she wanted. In fact, she didn't want anyone's pity.
"It's over, and I thought we could chat."
"I'm fine, Xander. Please leave." Anya adjusted her blonde ponytail and waited for Xander to go away.
She took a deep breath as the door slammed shut, and she gathered an armful of empty boxes, carrying them upstairs. Setting them down on the counter, she pulled her slightly scratched copy of Tapestry from her purse and put it in the CD player.
Softly singing along, she tried not to cry over the damage. The Magic Box was probably never going to reopen. It figured that Willow would be the one to finish off the place. She'd told the others that the girl was out of control, but Xander warned her that it wasn't her place.
Her place. She snorted and tossed slug scented candles into a box.
"Anya."
She turned around to see Giles walking toward the folding chair she had dragged up from the basement. He looked older, more vulnerable. The wound on his head was wrapped with a bandage. His face was soft and his eyes showed her empathy that she'd figured he didn't have the strength to give. "Thank you."
"No thanks needed. You'd do the same thing if I was in danger of dying." She accompanied the last few words with the screech of packing tape.
"I don't know if that's true."
"Maybe not Buffy, but you would. And Xander." Anya frowned. "He still thinks he's my knight in shining armor. Prince Phillip didn't leave Sleeping Beauty at the altar. I guess he forgot to watch that part." She rested her elbows on the counter. "The Disney movie marathon Dawn and I had two weeks before my wedding wasn't very insightful about how happily ever after's supposed to go."
"Possibly you need a prince, not a knight." Giles smiled.
"I'm over 1,000 years old. I don't need your coddling. I'm not one of your children."
"I know. But we all need a friend. Even vengeance demons."
Anya placed a vanilla candle in another box, still caring if the scents merged together. "Here to do something about it?" Her hand went instinctively to the gem around her neck, the one Giles had once smashed and trapped her in human form.
"No, Anya." He slumped further down in the chair. "A lot's happened since my last visit to Sunnydale."
She grabbed another chair and sat down beside him. "I'm tired."
Giles placed his hand on hers. "It's been a long couple days."
"Why did you come back? I understand why Xander did."
"Because I care."
Anya looked determinedly into his eyes, searching for something she wasn't sure was there. "And why do you care, Giles? I can remember when you wanted anything but my presence."
"I always thought..." He stopped. Removing his hand from hers, he touched his bandage and began again. "Yes, sometimes your methods rather lack in... tact. And while you may appear as a 21-year-old, we both know you're actually much older and I appreciate that."
Anya imagined just how ridiculous their business partnership must have seemed to outsiders, and insiders. A laugh curled on Anya's lips. "Thank you, Giles." She put her arms around him and hugged him. "Thank you for making me laugh. You have to admit that while we made odd partners, we ran excellent business."
Giles' arms remained around her. "We did indeed." He ran his finger across her hairline and placed a kiss on her cheek. A seemingly chaste kiss that lasted a few seconds longer than one between friends should. "Was that okay?"
"Yes, that's very much okay, Giles. Well, if it wasn't for the fact that you're leaving soon." She sighed. "But I suppose that's just my luck that you'd finally notice me and then have to leave again." As much as she wanted to stay and to be held in Giles' arms, she stood up. "Best get back to packing. Wouldn't want the Tepthera essence making its way out of the store by itself."
*****
Giles recalled the first time he met Anya as he walked toward their former shop the next day. He was worried she'd kill Xander or worse. But as it turned out, Xander had hurt her. She didn't dye her hair then and looked a little bookish. She reminded him of the girls he was too shy to date during his freshman year of college. And looking into her eyes showed an age beyond his comprehension, beyond his own life. Older than even Spike or Angelus.
Sometimes he forgot her age when she would go on about cartoon anvils or sex with Xander. Perhaps her excitement fooled him. He couldn't keep up the cheery attitude after living roughly a half of a century. She had lived over a millennium and still swooned when Russell Crowe appeared shirtless on film.
But today, she looked her age. Well, possibly not, just a mature woman who's life had been struck by tragedy. Though that didn't make her any less attractive.
"Would you like some help loading your boxes?" He smiled at Anya, approaching her on the sidewalk in front of the Magic Box. To see the permanent 'closed' sign made him worrying for her, but then he realized what a determined and natural businesswoman she really was. Instead of a blow to her life, this could be an opportunity for her to move on, and away from Sunnydale.
"Here to collect your final count of inventory?" Anya's words were sharp, but he convinced himself that she had a small smile starting on the edges of her lips. She held two boxes stacked on top of one another.
"I trust you to deal with any remaining business formalities, and I was serious on the offer to help." Giles took the top box from Anya, muscles tensing at the unexpected weight of only one, but then remembered her demon strength.
They loaded boxes in silence, not like the friendly chatter that happened yesterday. Of course, he'd gone and kissed her. Considering that he had an unstable witch to take back to England, it seemed rather childish to focus so much on what had, or rather hadn't happened between them.
As they finished putting the last box into the back of Anya's Jetta, she gave him an excuse to leave. "Buffy probably wants you to stay with her. Last night here and all."
"I am supposed to be on my way back." He handed Anya her green purse, pausing when her hand brushed his.
Tossing her purse in the car, Anya turned back to him. "Is the coven transporting you or are you going the more traditional way?"
"Traditional." His hands moved to his pockets, stalling. The My Little Pony sheeted couch and cold Doublemeat burgers waited for him at Buffy's as well as Willow, on the floor in a sleeping bag with the magical valium she'd taken earlier. "I don't believe I have enough energy to pull that off."
"If you help me unload these at my apartment, I'll transport you two back," Anya offered.
He moved around to the other side of the car. "That won't be necessary, but I'm willing to help you anyway. After all, the shop was owned by both of us; and certainly, this silent partner can help you carry a few more boxes."
*****
When he wasn't looking, Anya smelled herself. They were both thoroughly sweaty from carrying boxes up the stairs of her apartment building. If he hadn't been there, she would've abuse her demon teleporting powers, but she didn't need to hear from D'Hoffryn anyway.
Giles centered the last box on top of another. She knew that he was lingering, and also observing her apartment, which made her wonder just what he was looking for.
"Would you like something to drink?" Anya moved into the kitchen area and pulled ice cubes out from her freezer. She always enjoyed the crack when she bent the trays, even if automatic ice dispensers from fridges were considered trendier. Reaching for two glasses, she began to hum; perhaps, she was finally accepting that the Magic Box would never be revived to its once glory. At least she didn't suffer the fate of its former owners, though they almost had.
When she turned around, Giles was standing in front of her. "Here you go." She smiled and handed him one of the glasses of ice water.
"Thank you." He nodded as he took the glass from her and started to drink. She felt his eyes watching her. Usually, she'd find that annoying, considering that with an audience it was much more likely that she'd spill water down the front of her shirt. Not that it really mattered with all that sweat.
Placing her half-drained glass on the counter, Anya cleared her throat. "I hope this wasn't too much of an inconvenience for you. I know you have to deal with Willow and get back to England. Plus, Buffy..." There was that stare again, causing her lose her train of thought.
"Anya." Giles touched the side of her face, and he leaned down to kiss her. "I'm not going anywhere at the moment." His lips were softer than she expected as they touched hers.
Anya's arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer. She moaned into his mouth. All the tension that she'd felt before with him faded. She felt his hand running across her back, hopeful that they were going to be getting sweaty the only way she ever wanted to be that sweaty again.
As Giles' hand lowered and pulled up her shirt, Anya knew that her hope was becoming a reality. He broke their kiss so she could pull off her shirt. "Bedroom's over there?" His head leaned toward a half-closed door.
"Yeah." Grinning, Anya rose off her heels to kiss him and tugged him in the direction of the bedroom. Stumbling backwards, she pushed the door open; her back pressed tightly against it. "Rupert."
Giles' hands gripped her ass. "You're calling me Rupert now?" His mouth moved to her collarbone, kissing and nipping her skin.
Anya groaned loudly. Her arms moved to allow her bra to drop to the floor. "Well it is only appropriate if we're going to have sex. Would you rather I call you Giles? We are going to have sex now, right?"
"Yes, Anya." Giles' knee pushed between her legs. His erection rubbed against her thigh. "Yes, we are."
Her hand unfastened his belt and then went for his pants. She wanted him now. Later, they could have nice, proper sex in bed, but she needed him. Her hand reached down, pushing the material of his pants and boxers away, and her hand gripped his cock.
A deep groan vibrated through Giles' body. His hips arched into her touch. "Rubber?"
"Birth control," Anya responded. Giles began satisfying her need by pushing up her skirt. He touched her thighs, thumb flickering over her clit. As Giles hoisted her up, she whimpered at the loss of his hand.
"Ah, yes such a modern marvel." Pulling her higher, Giles kissed her as her legs wrapped themselves around his waist. "I'm very much enjoying your lack of knickers." His cock pushed inside her, her hand guiding him. He grunted as he began to thrust. "God." His breath was heavy in her ear. "Want you to touch yourself."
Anya nodded. Her shoulders bumped against the door at each thrust. Heat built in her body, and with her fingers rubbing her clit, she wasn't going to last long.
"Feel wonderful," Giles muttered between their kisses. His fingers dug into her thighs and ass.
"Fuck. Rupert." Her head leaned down, and she gently bit down on his clothed shoulder as she came. Panting, she regained her balance and attempted to move with him.
Giles bucked faster into her. "Anya," he groaned, spilling inside her.
After a moment, she unhitched her legs and grinned. "We're definitely going to be doing this again. In fact, you're not going back to England until we do." She pulled him towards the bed, knowing that they both needed to rest or at least sit down. Her hand wiped off the sticky sweat between her breasts. "And I need to finish getting you out of the rest of those clothes."
Anya yanked off her own skirt and kicked off her shoes. Settling on her bed, she watched him undress, appreciating the slight definition of chest muscles and his adorable bottom.
"Better now?" Giles joined her in bed as Anya nodded her approval. "You should come to England with me." He wrapped his arms around Anya and planted a kiss on her forehead. "After all, you can always teleport back if you're needed."
"What about Willow?" Anya asked. "We don't want her going evil when she finds out about us." She briefly wondered how they would argue when her own newly reacquired demon powers came up in conversation.
"I think Willow has enough self-control or enough guilt to suppress anything." Rolling on his back, Giles pulled Anya on top of him.
"She did have that huge crush on you," Anya pointed out. Her hand ran down his side.
Giles shook his head and chucked. "She was a child then." He sat up, shifting her lower to his lap.
"Going already?" Anya asked, a pout crossing her lips. She definitely wasn't going to let him go before having sex again.
"Possibly not." Giles leaned down and kissed her. His hand trailed down her back and cupped her ass.
"Naughty. I like." Anya ran her fingers across his stubble, realizing that she was happy. "We both need a shower. You know, there's this bar in there for safety..."