Title: Gifts & Wishes
Author: Elisabeth
Email: dragonydreams@yahoo.com
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Giles has a special present for Willow's birthday.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They are owned by Joss Whedon et al.
Author's Note: The info about peridot was found at www.gemstone.org
Gifts & Wishes Willow nervously approaches Giles' front door. It isn't often that Giles summons her to his home, so it must be something really bad. Hopefully it isn't going to be another lecture about her doing magic. She bounces from foot to foot as she prepares herself for the worst. Quietly she knocks on the door, taking a deep breath.
Slowly Giles opens the door. "Ah, Willow, there you are. I've been expecting you."
He swings the door open to reveal an over-decorated apartment full of Scoobies yelling, "Surprise!" and "Happy Birthday!"
Willow stands in the doorway in complete shock. She thought that they had forgotten. She should have known better. It is her 18th birthday after all.
Buffy runs over and pulls her into the apartment, placing a pointy hat on her head. Willow is guided to sit on the couch in between Xander and Oz. She is glad that she and Oz have been able to remain friends since the break-up. Angel is leaning against the fireplace. On the coffee table sits a pile of presents next to a cake with picture of a witch on it.
"You didn't really think that we would let your birthday pass without celebrating did you?" Xander admonishes her.
"Well…" she blushes, knowing that she should never have doubted her friends.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~ The next several hours go by in a blur of wrapping paper, cake and dancing. Before she knows it Buffy and Angel are going off on patrol, Oz is off to a late Dingoes show and Xander heads home to bed. Willow hugs them all good-bye and stays behind to help Giles clean up the incredible mess. Her parents are out of town again, so she won't be missed.
While Willow deposits the last of the party dishes in the soapy sink Giles quietly removes one last present from his desk. He hadn’t wanted to give it to Willow in front of the others. He hadn’t been entirely certain that he would go through with giving her the gift, but he desperately wants her to have it.
"Well, that about does it," Willow comments, returning to the living room. She notices that Giles has a small box cradled in his hands. "What’s that?"
"Oh, ah, this... This is for you Willow. Happy Birthday." He hands her the box, delighting in the brief touch of her fingers against his.
Willow tries to ignore the tingles that are running up her arm as she takes the present from Giles' strong hands. "Giles, you don’t have to give me anything else. You've already given me those books and a great party."
"Of course it isn't necessary, but you only turn eighteen once. Please open it. I do hope you'll like it." His hands naturally find their way into his pockets as he anxiously awaits her reaction.
Carefully, Willow removes the wrapping paper and lifts the lid of the velvet box. Her eyes open wide as she looks inside.
"Oh Giles," she breathes, "this is gorgeous. It's too much." She closes the box and tries to hand it back.
"Nonsense. I want you to have it." Giles opens the box and removes the necklace. He opens the clasp and walks behind Willow. "May I?" He asks holding the necklace open in front of her. Willow pulls her hair off to one side so that Giles can fasten the clasp. When he finishes he sets the chain upon Willow's neck, allowing his fingers to linger for a moment. He steers Willow over to the mirror so that they can both see how it looks, leaving his hands resting on her shoulders.
The gold chain rests several inches below Willow's neck. The pendant hanging from it is almost hypnotic. It is a green oval stone, roughly half an inch long, set in a gold base.
"I was right," Giles observes, "nothing could be more beautiful than this necklace than seeing it on you."
Willow's eyes begin to tear up as she turns around to face Giles. The smile on her face holds a wealth of emotion. She steps closer and hugs Giles tightly, wishing that she could convey all the love that she has for him in the embrace. Giles returns the embrace, relishing the feel of her body pressed against his.
"Thank you Giles, I love it," she says, her face still resting on his chest. To herself she adds, 'I love you.' She pulls back and leans up to place a delicate kiss on his cheek.
Giles tightens his hold as he leans down and gently places his lips against hers. Slowly their lips move together in a slow, torturously sweet dance. Eventually, after several blissful minutes, Giles pulls back, breathing deeply, his eyes filled with desire. He sees the same desire reflected in Willow's eyes as she struggles to regain control of her breath.
"And the presents just keep coming," whispers Willow, running a finger along Giles' jaw.
Giles chuckles softly, capturing her hand before kissing it and leading Willow back to the couch. They sit watching each other, not sure what to do next.
"This necklace," Giles begins, lifting the object of discussion, "belonged to a very powerful witch. In times past, it was believed that this type of gemstone, peridot, had the power 'to drive away evil spirits and the power was considered to be even more intense when the stone was set in gold.'"
"And you thought that I could use some help banishing evil?" The teasing tone quite evident.
"We can all stand to gain a bit of help at times," Willow arches an eyebrow at him so he adds, "even me."
Willow leans back, settling herself against Giles. They sit there comfortably as Willow fingers her necklace. Giles looks down at Willow when he feels her small hand drop on to his thigh. He sees that her eyes are closed and her breathing is deep and even... she is asleep. He knows that he should rouse her and take her home before he becomes more... aroused. Unfortunately, he has no desire to be parted from Willow tonight, or frankly any other night. So against his better judgement, he closes his eyes as well.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~ Several hours later Willow wakes from pleasant dreams of kissing Giles. She is slightly disoriented and wondering why her pillow is so hard. As she sits up she quickly realizes that it isn't a pillow, it is a thigh. A strong, muscular thigh, belonging to Giles. He is still asleep with his head tilted against the back of the couch. Willow eeps at the realization that she has fallen asleep in Giles' arms – one of her tamer fantasies.
Giles quickly sits up at the noise, "What? I’m up."
He relaxes at Willow's giggles. It was true then. He had fallen asleep with Willow in his arms after sharing the most exquisite kiss with her.
"Hello Willow. What may I ask is so funny?"
"Oh, nothing. It's just that you sat up so quickly and your hair is all mussed."
Giles runs a hand through his hair, effectively making it worse. Willow reaches out and smoothes it for him. She had raised up to her knees, accidentally bringing her chest to Giles' eye level. Of course Giles can look nowhere else and is forced to grab Willow's hands and pull her back to a sitting position.
"Sorry," Giles replies to Willow's confused expression. "It’s… it’s just that… you were…" His eyes flick down towards her chest.
Comprehension widens Willow's eyes. "Oh, sorry," she blushes. She frees her wrists and wraps her arms around her body, trying to cover her chest. This of course makes it impossible for Giles to look anywhere else.
As Willow tries to not get embarrassed she thinks about how wonderful it was kissing Giles last night. She wants to do it again, but first she wants to get rid of her sleep-mouth.
"Uh, Giles, do you have a spare toothbrush?"
Giles snaps out of imagining what it would feel like to touch and taste Willow's breasts with a "What?"
"Toothbrush? Do you have an extra one? I usually brush before I go to bed, especially after eating cake, and obviously I didn't last night 'cause I fell asleep, here."
Giles smiles, "Yes, I have one you can use. Come with me." He takes her hand and leads her to the bathroom. After finding a new toothbrush he goes into the kitchen to contemplate breakfast possibilities.
When Willow emerges Giles takes his turn freshening up. Willow finds herself back in front of the mirror, admiring again the necklace Giles had given her. A soft smile lights her face as she remembers the events of the previous evening. Was it really only a few hours ago?
Giles enters the room and notices the far-away look on Willow's face reflected in the mirror. It takes his breath away. He walks over to her and rests his hands on her shoulders. He slides his hands down her arms until his are wrapped around her. Willow's smile grows at his touch and she returns to the present.
Watching her in the mirror, Giles softly asks, "And where were you just now?"
"Right about here, only several hours earlier," she admits.
"And was that a good place to be?" He dares to get his hopes up.
"Oh yes," she sighs. She turns in his arms and brings hers up around his neck. "Although, here now is a pretty good place to be too. But it's gonna get even better."
Willow rises up on her toes and presses her lips against Giles'. She runs her tongue along his lips and he willingly opens so that she can slip her tongue into his mouth. 'Mmm. Minty fresh,' she thinks.
Giles brings one hand up to tangle it in her hair, taking over the kiss. He plunges his tongue into her mouth, exploring every nook and cranny. He becomes lost in the pleasure of kissing Willow.
Willow can feel her knees getting weak from Giles' passionate kiss and she leans against him more, only vaguely aware of the hard press against her belly. Afraid of scaring her, Giles pulls back from Willow's eager mouth when he feels her leaning against his growing erection.
Willow stumbles as Giles moves away from her. She grabs onto his arm for support. "Wow, next time warn me when you're going to do that."
"Do what?"
"Make my knees weak and then pull away."
"Are they still weak?" He asks with a hint of humor in his voice.
"A little," Willow grins, "Why?"
In answer, Giles picks her up and carries her over to the couch, sitting her on his lap, keeping one arm around her waist.
Snuggling against his chest Willow changes her previous statement, "Never mind. You can make my knees weak so long as you carry me afterwards."
"Agreed." Giles chuckles and kisses the top of her head.
Willow runs her fingers along his suspenders, eliciting a soft moan from Giles. She pulls him forward so that she can slip the suspenders off his shoulders. She leans in and kisses his neck... little nips and kisses starting from next to his ear and meandering down to his collarbone. Giles absentmindedly rubs Willow belly, wandering up to just below her breasts. Willow pulls his tie off and tosses it over the back of the couch. Giles freezes, his breath catching, as she begins unbuttoning his shirt.
As she pulls his shirt out of his pants to reach the last buttons Willow whispers in his ear, "It's okay. You can touch me too. I want you to touch me."
Giles sighs as he releases the breath he didn't know he was holding as he slowly slides his hand beneath the bib of her overalls, closing around a breast. He tweaks the hardening nipple and she moans. Willow captures his lips again, unable to restrain the hunger he is building in her.
Willow shifts so that she is straddling his lap without breaking the kiss. Once she is settled Giles unhooks her overalls, letting the flaps fall to her waist. Giles breaks the kiss to pull Willow's shirt over her head and remove her bra.
"My god you're beautiful." Giles gasps before capturing a breast with his mouth. Willow's head falls back with an "Oh," pushing her chest closer to Giles. She rolls her hips, grinding down on the very obvious evidence of Giles' arousal. Giles' groan reverberates around Willow's breast and his suckling takes on a renewed effort.
Willow returns to her earlier task and slides Giles' shirt off his shoulders. He pulls away from Willow only long enough to remove his shirt and undershirt. When he returns to his feast he lavishes the same attention to the other breast. Willow eagerly begins exploring his strong, muscular, slightly scarred chest with her hands and mouth. She runs her fingers through the rough hair covering his torso before tweaking his nipples. Giles sits back and groans.
Willow licks Giles' neck from his collarbone up to his ear where she whispers, "Giles, can I ask you for one more birthday present?"
"Anything you desire," he barely manages to get out.
Willow pulls back so that she can look into Giles' eyes. "Take me to bed?"
Giles can barely believe his ears. Nothing would give him more pleasure than to make love to Willow. Staring into her eyes he asks, "A-are you sure?"
"I love you Giles."
He kisses her, quick but hard. "I love you too, Willow."
Willow stands, pulling Giles to his feet. Shyly, silently, she takes one of his hands in hers and leads him upstairs. Giles, hardly believing that this is happening, is helpless but to follow.
As they reach the top of the stairs, Giles lifts Willow up and carries her over to the bed. He sets her down on her feet and takes a step back. His hands reach for the buttons at her hips so that he can finish removing her overalls. He kneels as he slides the material down her legs, pulling off her orange sneakers and socks. He looks back up to her face as he reaches for her panties. Willow smiles reassuringly, resting her hands on top of Giles', helping him slide the last remaining piece of clothing from her body.
Giles stands, completely in awe of the goddess standing before him wearing nothing but a shy smile and the necklace. He is shocked out of his reverie by the delicate touch of Willow's fingers against his stomach as she slides them under his waistband to unbutton his pants. He gives a shuddering breath as she pulls down the zipper. Willow bites her lower lip in concentration, a move that Giles has always found unbelievably sexy.
With trembling hands she pushes Giles' pants and boxers off his hips, keeping her eyes on his handsome face. Giles steps out of his clothing as Willow gathers her courage. She takes a deep breath and lowers her eyes. She has never seen a man naked before. Slowly she reaches out to take Giles' erection in her hand. Her touch sets his blood on fire and his cock twitches. Giles can tell that she is unsure of herself, and wants to let her take this at her own pace. He has waited for so long to be with Willow, he can wait a little while longer, just not too long.
Willow carefully slides her hand up and down the length of him, memorizing every detail. She is fascinated that a piece of flesh can be so hard. Giles closes his eyes to better control himself. Which is why he doesn't notice when Willow replaces her hand with her mouth. She licks the underside of his cock from base to tip before taking the head into her mouth. She swirls her tongue around the head, learning his taste.
As wonderful as it feels, Giles knows that he won't be able to last much longer if she keeps that up. "Willow... wait," he says, pulling away from Willow's delectable mouth. "I don't want this to end so soon, do you?"
Willow shakes her head and stands. Giles kisses her, long and deep. As they kiss he backs her towards the bed. Still kissing, they lie down, touching and caressing each other. Giles' hand travels from Willow's hair down her neck, across a breast, down her stomach until it reaches the valley between her legs. She willingly parts her legs, allowing him to explore further. Giles runs a finger between her nether-lips, feeling the wetness that is already there. They both moan into the other's mouth as he slowly slides a finger deep within Willow.
"Oh, Giles," Willow gasps, breaking the kiss as Giles slides his finger in and out of her. Giles takes the opportunity for his lips to follow the trail his hand had recently made down her body. A second finger joins the first as Giles' tongue flicks across her clitoris. Her hands find their way into his hair, massaging his scalp, keeping him in place. The sensations Giles is creating in her are like nothing she has ever felt before. Her entire body is on fire, more so where he is touching her. She arches off the bed, calling out Giles' name as her orgasm washes over her.
Willow lies back, catching her breath, as Giles crawls back up the bed to lie next to her. Willow reaches out a hand to caress his cheek and he leans into her touch. Giles kisses her palm before recapturing her mouth in a tender kiss.
When her heartbeat has returned to near normal Willow looks into Giles' eyes, "I'm ready Giles. Make love to me?"
"With pleasure love."
Maintaining eye contact, Giles moves until his body is over hers. He sees desire and arousal, tinged with bit of nervousness in her eyes. As he slowly begins to penetrate her he also notices pain crinkle her eyes. He pauses when he brushes up against her maidenhead.
As much as he wants this, he needs to erase any lingering doubt, "Willow, are you certain you want to do this?"
She silences him with a passionate kiss. This answer satisfies him and Giles thrusts fully into her. Willow whimpers and Giles pauses again, allowing her to adjust the new sensation. He begins a slow rhythm, in and out, until Willow begins moving against him. She runs her hands over his broad back, trying not to sink her short nails into him. As their thrusting increases Giles runs an arm under her back, pulling her to his chest as he kisses her shoulder. The feeling of the rough hair against her sensitive nipples causes Willow to moan. The sound is music to his ears. She rubs her chest against his, increasing the friction.
Giles slides a hand between their bodies and begins rubbing Willow's clit, knowing that he is close to climax, and wanting to bring her along for the ride. Willow clings to Giles even tighter, wrapping her legs around his hips, groaning as he goes even further. As Giles slides deeply into her he feels the beginning of his climax. This triggers Willow's orgasm as well. They cry out each other's names as Giles continues to move.
Eventually, he disentangles himself from Willow's vice-like grip to lie beside her. He pulls her close and kisses her hair.
Willow looks into the face of the man she loves, "Thank you for granting me my birthday wish."
"You are welcome my love, and thank you."
"What are you thanking me for?"
"Tonight you have granted every wish that I have ever made since the day that I met you. I have loved you for so long now Willow. And before tonight I never let myself believe that you would ever be able to love me in return."
Willow blushes, "Oh, well then, you're welcome. But," she teases as a grin spreads across her face, "it's still my birthday, right?"
Giles' grin matches hers as he nods.
"Can I get one more present?"
"What is it that you desire?"
"Just you. I want to fall asleep in your arms and wake up in your arms and make love as often as possible."
Giles chuckles softly, "Is that all? Well then it's yours." He kisses her to seal the promise, knowing that it is what he desires as well.
Willow pulls a blanket up around them and then settles against his chest.
"Giles," Willow mumbles as she begins to drift off to sleep, "thank you for the best birthday ever."
"My pleasure, love. My pleasure."
They fall asleep, limbs entwined, secure in their love.
The End Copyright© April 2003