Giles Shorts

Title: Great Expectations
Author: Quaggy
Word Count: 100
Last line prompt: “He'll be the one laughing.”
Pairing: B/G


He'll be the one laughing at Buffy’s wedding, that’s what he always thought. And why wouldn’t he be? His Slayer would have beaten all the odds and been able to have that normal life she so craved. Yet, here he was with actual tears falling, far happier than he ever could have imagined. But then he never imagined he’d be the groom.

“Giles, don’t cry. You’ll make me cry too and that’ll mess up my make-up,” Buffy whispered, as she reached up to dry his tears. He caught her hand and kissed it.

“Well, we can’t have that,” he grinned.

Title: High and Dry
Author: Quaggy
Word Count: 500 approx.
Rating: G
Rewind Prompt: Horsepower (His Favorite Things)
Notes: This is as much inspired by the Radiohead song "High and Dry" as it was by the "Horsepower" prompt, more for the mood that the song than the actual lyrics. Well, other than the "flying on your motorcycle" line, of course.



It was the first sunny day in forever. Buffy had opened the window to get some fresh air in her room, when a movement from the courtyard of the Slayer Compound below caught her eye. She watched as Giles pulled out his motorcycle, a classic bike from the 1960s that he was absolutely crazy about. It was the perfect day to take a ride through the English countryside. He looked utterly happy in a way she hadn’t been used to seeing until recently. He was so in his element here, teaching Slayers how to be Slayers and Watcher how to be Watchers. It was clear that he had found his place and was completely at peace.

She was not. She’d never felt more useless and alone. They all said they needed her, but she really didn’t see it. Anybody could teach these baby Slayers just as well or even better than she could. But the real problem was when class was over. She just didn’t fit in anywhere. She was too young to really relate to the other teachers, all retired Watchers, some of whom were decades older than Giles. She was too under-educated and over-experienced to have much to talk about with the Watchers-in-training. And she was too old to hang with the other Slayers, even if she wasn’t their teacher. Giles was the only one that she was truly comfortable with, but that was part of the problem. The more time that she spent with him, the more that the wayward feelings she thought she had buried long ago began to resurface.

Maybe it was time to move on. Find her own place in the world, if such a place existed. At least go somewhere where the sky was blue on a regular basis. Go someplace where her heart wouldn’t break over something she’d never have. Yes, she knew what she should do and it was well past time that she did it. Buffy closed her eyes and turned her head away from Giles and towards the sun to better feel its warmth on her face. She only opened her eyes when she heard someone call her name.

“Buffy!” Giles called again and waved when she looked his way. He looked so like an excited child that she couldn’t help but smile.

“Off for a ride?” she called back.

“Yes! Would you like to come?” he asked with eager enthusiasm. Buffy paused. On one hand, she really shouldn’t. Snuggled up next to him on the back of his bike would only make her inconvenient crush worse. On the other hand, she didn’t think she had it in her to outright reject him like that. As if sensing her indecision, Giles waved his hand beckoningly, beaming at her all the while. And Buffy was lost.

“I’ll be right down,” she called and, if possible, Giles’s grin grew even wider. Oh, this wasn’t good for her heart at all, but, honestly, how could she resist?

Title: Confessions of a Bibliophile
Author: Quaggy
Word Count: 100
Rating: G
Rewind Prompt: Books (His Favorite Things)
Notes: Been working on this since the prompt was first posted, but I was always a little over. Finally got it down to 100 words. Cross-posted on my own page and here on Ao3


Ethan stopped teasing him about poking around bookshops after he’d brought home that old spell book. And if anyone asked, the poetry was to impress girls. But, in reality, he could no more abandon his books than he could stop breathing. The musty smell as he walked through the bookshop door, the triumph of a successful hunt, the joy in an unexpected treasure, the comfort of a paperback in his back pocket, they were all a part of him.

Ripper had left behind everything that had to do with Rupert Giles, but he took his love of books with him.

Title: He Has His Reasons

Title: Mirror Image

My father had the kindest eyes. Even at his most serious, you could always see the laughter lurking behind them.

After his Slayer’s death, I know he tried to be just as good of a father and husband as he was before. I never doubted that he was proud of me and it was obvious that he adored my mother. But his eyes were never the same. There was a sorrow in them that never quite went away.

I now think about that every morning when I look in the mirror and my father’s weary eyes stare back at me.

Title: Fool That I Am
Author: Quaggy
Category: Post-Series
Rating: G
Pairings: A whole lot of unrequited feelings going on with a mention or two of past relationships
Notes: Written for the giles_shorts prompt "Fool". Dawn and Buffy talk about unrequited love. The focus is mainly on the sisters, but Giles does make and appearance at the end.


( Fool that I am for falling in love with you... )

Title: Tattoo Removal Too
Author: Quaggy
Word Count: 100
Last line prompt: "Giles smiled but said nothing."
Notes: Set after right after Season 4. I wasn't expecting to write a sequel to Tattoo Removal, but sometimes the muse has other plans for you.


Giles smiled but said nothing as Buffy examined his arm.

“It’s gone!”

“Yes.”

“But how?!”

“The enjoining spell, I assume. My arm had started to itch afterwards, but I didn’t think much about it.”

“Places to go. Apocalypses to stop.”

“Exactly. It was only after our shared dream that I noticed it was gone completely.”

“Well, we have our proof now. Slayer healing really doesn’t like tattoos.”

“Evil tattoos.”

“Huh?”

“I had more than one. The others are fine.”

“Others?! As in plural? Like two or more?”

“That shocks you?”

“Giles, at this point, nothing about you shocks me anymore.”

Title: A Moment During The Scooby Reunion
Author: Quaggy
Word Count: 100
Last line prompt: "She wanted to keep him all to herself."
Pairing: B/G


She wanted to keep him all to herself, but she was going to have to give him back to his parents eventually.

“He’s quite taken with you,” Giles laughed.

“It’s mutual,” Buffy replied, smiling down at the infant.

“Has that inspired any thoughts?” he asked, his eyes hopeful.

“No, Giles, my biological clock isn’t ticking,” she replied and did her best not to laugh at his crestfallen expression. “Because we’ll have one of these of our very own by the spring.”

“Wait… Do you mean?”

“Here,” Buffy said, passing the baby to her awestruck husband. “You better get some practice.”

Title: London Fog
Author: Quaggy
Word Count: 100
Last line prompt: "Dubiously, Giles asked, 'What exactly is in this potion?'"
Notes: This is probably post-series because it's unlikely that Buffy would have had a London Fog before 2003. But it's fine by me if you'd rather think of this exchange as happening during their Sunnydale days.


Dubiously, Giles asked, "What exactly is in this potion?"

“Mostly Earl Grey and milk,” Buffy replied. “Trust me, you’ll like it.” She rolled her eyes as Giles gave it a suspicious sniff. “You sure make it difficult for someone to fuss over you.”

“I’m not an invalid, Buffy.”

“No, you’ve just been running yourself into the ground. Now drink your tea and rest up. We need you in fighting form.”

It was no use arguing with her when she was like this. Giles took a cautious sip of the strange brew and grumbled. He hated it when she was right.

Title: The Third Time isn’t the Charm
Author: Quaggy
Word Count: 200
Prompt: "You take my life when you take the means whereby I live."



He wasn’t there the first time, though he had tried to be. Tried to take her place. The less he thought about the second time, the better. And now here he was, desperately casting a counter-curse to prevent the third. The dark miasma surrounding her disappeared. His spell was successful, but that didn’t mean he succeeded. She was so still.

“Please. Oh please! Oh please,” he begged, dropping to his knees beside her. “Can’t go on without her. Won’t go on. Please!”

“Love you too,” Buffy croaked, eyes still closed, and Giles sobbed in relief. He didn’t even realize he was kissing her until he felt her lips move under his and her hand thread through his hair. He quickly pulled away.

“So, that’s what a girl has to do to get kissed around here. Good to know,” Buffy grinned, sounding both smug and exhausted. Giles found himself smiling back.

“Well, if you would be so kind as to refrain from getting yourself killed yet again, I promise I will kiss you as often as you like,” he said.

“You’ve got yourself a deal,” Buffy declared and tapped her finger to her lips. Giles was quick to answer her command.