WatcherLove Ficathon

Here's my entry for the WatcherLove Ficathon written for margarks. A very hearty thank you goes out to my beta reader captcrashsc.


Leaving Your Heart Alone

"Almost there big guy," Xander grunted as he tried to keep Giles upright and fit the key into the lock. He got the door open and dragged Giles in and dumped him onto the couch.

"Thank you," Giles spoke very softly. He pulled the bloodied cloth away from his head and examined it. "Am I still bleeding?"

Xander leaned down and looked at the nasty gash in Giles' forehead. "I don't think so. Let me go get a wash cloth and clean you up."

"No," Giles reached out and grabbed his forearm. "I can manage."

Xander snickered, "You can't even walk straight. I'm not going to have you careening into walls and knocking yourself out again."

"I didn't knock myself out!" Giles protested, despite the throbbing in his head.

"Okay, the evil tree jumped out and clobbered you." Xander went into the bathroom and started wetting down a cloth and retrieved some aspirin out of the cabinet. He sat down on the coffee table and started dabbing the wound. "I'm getting really good at this. Maybe I should learn to be a medic."

"That would be--" Giles hissed, "--a very good idea."

"Yeah," Xander grew a little sad, but tried to cover it up. "But who would want me performing CPR on them? Or, y'know, a Band-Aid." He set the cloth to the side and started taping gauze over the wound.

"Obviously I am very comfortable with it."

Xander smiled, "Yeah and you also have a concussion." Once finished Xander patted Giles' knee, "Do you want water or tea?"

Giles tried very hard not to show his aversion to Xander's tea. "Water."

When he got up, the phone rang. Giles tried to reach for it, but Xander was quicker. "Chez Giles," he announced. He listened for a bit and then said, "He whacked his head again." After a few moments, he gave the phone to Giles. "It's Wesley."

Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose before taking the phone. "Hello Wesley."

"Rupert, are you alright?" Giles' heart warmed at Wesley's concern.

"Yes, I'm fine, just a bit of a concussion."

"Do you need me to come down?"

"God, yes, please," he wanted to say, but didn't. It was too far for Wesley to drive just to baby sit him. He looked at Xander who was fussing around in his kitchen, trying to give him some privacy. "No, there is nothing you can do."

"Will Xander stay with you? I don't want you to be alone."

"Yes," Giles didn't even need to ask. Xander always stayed.

"Okay," Wesley paused. "You get some rest and let Xander take care of you."

"Yes, Goodnight Wesley."

"Goodnight."

Xander came back into the living room with a glass of water. "Wow, I heard more passionate conversations between a little ol' lady and her cat."

Giles just shot him a cold stare and downed the pills.

"So, is he coming down?"

"No." Giles took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

"No? But he's your..." Xander trailed off, unsure what to call Wesley.

"Boyfriend?" Giles gaze was harsh with out the glasses. "You have one yourself."

"Yeah, but I don't want to think about you and Wesley doing what Spike and I do."

Giles slipped his glasses back on, "And that makes two of us. Maybe all four, I'm sure Spike and Wesley would agree."

Xander smiled, "Maybe we should double date sometime?"

He let out a low moan, "No, my head can't handle that idea."

Xander reached over and rubbed Giles' shoulder. "Ready for bed?"

With Xander's steadying arm, he rose and slowly made their way upstairs to the bed. Giles clumsily undressed and slipped between the covers wearing only his boxers. Changing into another set of clothes was too much effort.

"Do you need anything before I head downstairs?" Xander asked.

"No." Giles closed his eyes and tried to think of nothing. Not about the throbbing in his head. About the incomplete translation which needed to be finished by tomorrow night. About Spike and Xander doing pornographic things. About him and Wesley doing pornographic things.

He sighed and wished he was selfish enough to ask Wesley to come, but it was unreasonable. He was fine for the most part and Wesley didn't have time to drive down and nurse him. It would be nice, but unnecessary.

*.*.*

Xander was watching a Jackie Chan movie in Spanish. Giles really needed to get cable, or a VCR, or a Playstation, something to keep the rest of them entertained. Of course, watching a martial arts movie dubbed in Spanish was pretty entertaining.

A knock at the door startled him. He jumped off the couch and answered it. Wesley stood on the other side, looking a little haggard. Xander smiled as he stepped aside for him to enter. "I knew there was a reason why I didn't hate you anymore," his voice was quiet, mindful of the sleeping guy upstairs.

"Ah, thank you," Wesley stumbled over. Unsure what it really meant. "How is Giles?"

"He's sleeping."

Wesley looked down at his watch. "Have you checked on him?"

"Yep. Knew his name and could spell aluminum."

"Do you even know how to spell aluminum?"

Xander smiled, "No, where is the fun of asking for a word I know how to spell."

"Yes, well," Wesley looked up the stairs. "Thank you for taking care of him."

Xander was already grabbing his coat. "No sweat. I'll just leave you two love birds alone."

He was almost out the door when Wesley remembered what kind of town they were in, "Will you be alright?"

From his jacket, Xander pulled out a stake, a cross and a clumsy vile of holy water. "I'm fine and I don't have far to go."

Wesley still stared at him, unsure if he should let Xander go. "Okay," he said slowly. "Take care of yourself."

Xander closed the door behind him as he left.

Wesley stood in the quiet flat for a few moments. He stretched his tried muscles. The drive took more out of him than he thought. His eyes stung from bright oncoming headlights, his head dully ached, and his back was sore, but it was something he needed to do. He couldn't leave Giles here, knowing he was hurt. Wesley knew he had no chance of falling asleep if he stayed home, worrying about his lover.

With quiet steps, he mounted the stairs and approached the rather small bed. Giles was still lying on his back, his left hand bent and resting lightly on his stomach. "Giles," Wesley called him, lightly shaking his shoulder. "I need you to wake up for a bit."

Giles eyes blinked and squinted, trying to recognize the shape. "Wesley?" He started to sit up and Wesley helped him.

"Yes. How do you feel?"

Giles reached out a hand and cupped the side of Wesley's face, feeling the scratching stubble along his jaw. "You came?"

Wesley smiled and placed his hand over Giles', "Yes, I had to."

#end#