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cmk418Title: Reaching for the Center of the World
Pairing: Giles/Xander
Word Count: 753
Disclaimer: These are Joss' characters.
Summary: Giles and Xander over the years
A/N: Written for the Giles/Xander Octoberfest at![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
gilesxander for the daily prompt "Love is like a tree, it grows of its own accord, it puts down deep roots into our whole being."
“Had to fight Buffy off for this, but I know it’s your favorite.”
That Saturday morning Giles was in his office busy researching how to defeat the Master. He could hear the children talking on some innocuous subject outside, and then Xander’s voice at his door. He barely noticed when Xander set the jelly doughnut down on the desk next to his tea. Giles mumbled a thank you, but didn’t glance up from his books until Xander had walked away.
“Do you need anything from upstairs?”
Giles reminded himself to be patient. That Xander was only trying to help. The children didn’t seem to realize that nothing would ever be right again. Jenny was gone.
He shook his head and watched as Xander settled into the chair adjacent the sofa. Xander didn’t say anything, didn’t offer empty words of comfort. He just stayed still, becoming the solid center of the world that Giles reached for when emotion threatened to carry him adrift.
“Is that the last box? Or do we need to make another trip?”
There were twenty-two boxes of books stacked on the floor of Giles’ living room. While the girls were off doing some pre-Graduation shopping, Giles and Xander were moving the contents of Giles’ private library back to his home. Xander had volunteered for the job, claiming both a need to get out of the house and an even greater need to not have to watch girls try on dresses all day. Giles could have requested Wesley’s assistance, but since many of the books were Council property, he didn’t trust Wesley not to claim them for his own. Xander, on the other hand, had been invaluable these past weeks, not only with this, but helping to strategize the Ascension campaign in such a way that Giles had begun to believe that it might actually work.
“Does it seem sometimes that the connection is still there?”
Xander asked the innocent question, months later, when the four of them were gathered at the Magic Box. The girls said they didn’t notice it anymore. Giles didn’t respond. He wasn’t entirely certain that the lift of energy and lightness of heart he’d felt every time he saw Xander enter a room was the result of the enjoining spell. But it did seem to be the only logical explanation.
“Giles, I miss you like hell, but I can’t have you here for this. I hope you’ll understand.”
The words were scrawled at the bottom of the wedding invitation. Bloody hell, no, he didn’t understand. Why had Xander pushed him away like this? Xander was the one who had been there consistently for him these past few years. Xander was the one who phoned twice a week to let Giles know how Buffy was doing, because Buffy was still too upset with him to call. Xander was… getting married.
“I’ll look after Buffy. No problem. Just come back safe.”
It had been a busy few months. Back and forth, going between Sunnydale and various parts of the globe, picking up Potential Slayers before they became victims of the First. There was never any time for Giles to focus on anything but the coming battle. Xander, as always, got to the heart of his concerns. Buffy was running herself into the ground and Giles needed to jump on another plane. It made things easier knowing that Xander was here, that the younger man was still the heart of Giles’ world, the solid center that he could return to again and again.
“Well, that’s the last of it.”
It had been fourteen months since the renovations on the Council buildings had begun. The two men stood in the center of the training room. Giles clasped Xander on the shoulder, telling Xander that he should be proud of his accomplishments. Xander looked away, but not before Giles caught the “what next?” in his eye. They hadn’t talked about the future. Giles had made the assumption that Xander would stay on with the Council, but had never set any definite role for the other man.
Xander had sacrificed so much – Anya, his eye, his job, his home – all for Giles and the Council’s mission. If Xander wanted to leave, it was his right. Giles wouldn’t stand in his way. Even as Giles’ fingers traced the stubble on Xander’s jaw, even as Giles’ head descended, capturing Xander’s lips with his own, he knew that this may be good-bye.
When he pulled back, Xander was grinning at him.
“Took you long enough.”
Pairing: Giles/Xander
Word Count: 753
Disclaimer: These are Joss' characters.
Summary: Giles and Xander over the years
A/N: Written for the Giles/Xander Octoberfest at
gilesxander for the daily prompt "Love is like a tree, it grows of its own accord, it puts down deep roots into our whole being."“Had to fight Buffy off for this, but I know it’s your favorite.”
That Saturday morning Giles was in his office busy researching how to defeat the Master. He could hear the children talking on some innocuous subject outside, and then Xander’s voice at his door. He barely noticed when Xander set the jelly doughnut down on the desk next to his tea. Giles mumbled a thank you, but didn’t glance up from his books until Xander had walked away.
“Do you need anything from upstairs?”
Giles reminded himself to be patient. That Xander was only trying to help. The children didn’t seem to realize that nothing would ever be right again. Jenny was gone.
He shook his head and watched as Xander settled into the chair adjacent the sofa. Xander didn’t say anything, didn’t offer empty words of comfort. He just stayed still, becoming the solid center of the world that Giles reached for when emotion threatened to carry him adrift.
“Is that the last box? Or do we need to make another trip?”
There were twenty-two boxes of books stacked on the floor of Giles’ living room. While the girls were off doing some pre-Graduation shopping, Giles and Xander were moving the contents of Giles’ private library back to his home. Xander had volunteered for the job, claiming both a need to get out of the house and an even greater need to not have to watch girls try on dresses all day. Giles could have requested Wesley’s assistance, but since many of the books were Council property, he didn’t trust Wesley not to claim them for his own. Xander, on the other hand, had been invaluable these past weeks, not only with this, but helping to strategize the Ascension campaign in such a way that Giles had begun to believe that it might actually work.
“Does it seem sometimes that the connection is still there?”
Xander asked the innocent question, months later, when the four of them were gathered at the Magic Box. The girls said they didn’t notice it anymore. Giles didn’t respond. He wasn’t entirely certain that the lift of energy and lightness of heart he’d felt every time he saw Xander enter a room was the result of the enjoining spell. But it did seem to be the only logical explanation.
“Giles, I miss you like hell, but I can’t have you here for this. I hope you’ll understand.”
The words were scrawled at the bottom of the wedding invitation. Bloody hell, no, he didn’t understand. Why had Xander pushed him away like this? Xander was the one who had been there consistently for him these past few years. Xander was the one who phoned twice a week to let Giles know how Buffy was doing, because Buffy was still too upset with him to call. Xander was… getting married.
“I’ll look after Buffy. No problem. Just come back safe.”
It had been a busy few months. Back and forth, going between Sunnydale and various parts of the globe, picking up Potential Slayers before they became victims of the First. There was never any time for Giles to focus on anything but the coming battle. Xander, as always, got to the heart of his concerns. Buffy was running herself into the ground and Giles needed to jump on another plane. It made things easier knowing that Xander was here, that the younger man was still the heart of Giles’ world, the solid center that he could return to again and again.
“Well, that’s the last of it.”
It had been fourteen months since the renovations on the Council buildings had begun. The two men stood in the center of the training room. Giles clasped Xander on the shoulder, telling Xander that he should be proud of his accomplishments. Xander looked away, but not before Giles caught the “what next?” in his eye. They hadn’t talked about the future. Giles had made the assumption that Xander would stay on with the Council, but had never set any definite role for the other man.
Xander had sacrificed so much – Anya, his eye, his job, his home – all for Giles and the Council’s mission. If Xander wanted to leave, it was his right. Giles wouldn’t stand in his way. Even as Giles’ fingers traced the stubble on Xander’s jaw, even as Giles’ head descended, capturing Xander’s lips with his own, he knew that this may be good-bye.
When he pulled back, Xander was grinning at him.
“Took you long enough.”
