She picked up the teapot and tipped it over to see if there was something wrong with the pot itself. Since the pot was now off balance, water spilled out the spout and down Buffy's arm. "Damn!" She yelled, and then was startled when she heard him chuckle from the doorframe.

Buffy glared at him, but immediately her features softened. He looked so handsome, with a green sweatshirt on that matched his emerald eyes, the sleeves pushed up, and faded Levi's that looked well worn on his long frame. There was a twinkle in his eyes as he chuckled at her, bags of groceries held in his arms.

"Is there a problem, Buffy?" He asked, a grin on his face. She looked so adorable, her white transparent blouse flowing all around her, the sleeve damp from the water pouring down her arm, black Capri pants, and no shoes or socks. The consternation on her face was very amusing to him. His Slayer was many things, but Martha Stewart was not one of them.

She narrowed her eyes at him, slamming the teapot down with almost too much force, so it jumped and teetered and would have fallen off the stove if her quick reflexes hadn't caught it from toppling down to the floor. Giles guffawed at her again, but silenced immediately at her glare.

"Your stove must be broken. I tried to have tea ready for when you got back, but I can't get the stove to turn on, or the water to boil. What's the deal? Did you forget to pay your electric bill this month or something?"

Giles, still with that bemused expression on his face, entered the kitchen and placed the grocery bags on the kitchen table. Then he ambled over to the stove, opened the cupboard above, and took out a book of matches. "The pilot light must be out."

"The what a who's it?" Buffy asked. Giles glanced at her, quirked his eyebrow, and then bent to light the stove. "This is a gas stove, Buffy. The pilot light must have gone out. You just have to light it here, and then," at his directions a nice blue flame came to a glow, "you turn this valve, and like magic, the stove will now boil your water."

Truth be told, Buffy liked it when Giles would tease her. The look in his eyes when he did so made the butterflies swim in her stomach. So she just smiled back at him with a nod, refilled the teapot, and placed it on the burner. Now they would have tea in no time. "Do all stoves here in Bath and England have those pilot light thingies?"

Now he laughed out loud, grabbed her in a hug, and kissed her senseless until the whistle of the teapot brought them both up for air. Her question went unanswered, forgotten in the heat of the moment.

As Buffy poured the tea, Giles unpacked the groceries and proceeded to make dinner. Buffy helped now and then by cutting up the vegetables and setting the table.

"Hank should take Dawn on vacations more often. I am enjoying spending this alone time with you immensely, Buffy, having you here in my home all to myself." Giles was at the sink, washing up the dishes as their dinner simmered on the stove. Buffy had just finished setting the table, and now came up behind him and placed her arms around his waist, resting her cheek on his back between his firm shoulder blades. She breathed in his scent, that of a spicy aftershave, tea, and the dinner aromas that wafted in the kitchen. She couldn't remember ever being so content in her life.

"I wish we could stay like this forever, just the two of us."

Giles turned his head so that he could give her a small kiss, while his hands still fumbled with the dishes. He accidentally dropped a pot in the soapy water while distracted, and water and foams soaked his shirt front and ran down the counter on to the floor. He screeched as the water hit him, and jumped back out of the way. Buffy bent over giggling, and was promptly hit in the head with a spray of water. Giles had turned on the faucet and pointed the hose right at her. The water fight was on!

It was almost an hour later when they finally sat down to dinner. After the water display, they had made their way to the bathroom to shower, together, and change into some clean clothes. Then they had to clean up their mess in the kitchen, and mop the floor. Only then did they finally sit down to eat.

"Everything smells wonderful, Giles." Her stomach then growled loudly, causing them both to giggle. Giles dipped a fork into his plate, and then held it up to Buffy for her to taste. She narrowed her eyes at the white piece of meat covered in a marinara sauce on the tip of his fork, and then took the sample into her mouth. She chewed reflectively for a moment. Then she wrinkled her nose. "It's kind of rubbery. What is it?"

Giles took a bite himself, chewed, and then also made a face. "It sat on the stove for too long, I think. It's calamari, Buffy, and normally quite good, but I think our festivities earlier ruined it."

Buffy smiled fondly at him. "I didn't mind those festivities one bit."

His eyes held hers. "Neither do I."

"Calamarmi?"

"No. Calamari."

"Oh. What's that?"

"Squid."

Buffy made a horrified face. "Squid? You made me eat squid? EWWW!"

Giles, a look of consternation on his face, retorted. "I tell you, it's usually quite good. It just got a bit over cooked is all." He stood up and began to clear the table, but Buffy put her hand on his arm stopping him. "Giles, it's fine. Really." She picked up her fork and shoveled another bite into her mouth, chewing, and striving unsuccessfully to not make a face. Giles studied her for a moment, trying not to laugh at her futile display, but also failed miserably. "It's bloody awful, Buffy. I'm sorry. I'll make us something else."

Buffy, relief on her face, stood up and placed her arms around his neck, pulling him down into a lingering kiss. "The marinara flavored Giles is quite nice." Buffy said softly after slowly breaking the kiss.

"I am hungry, Buffy, but not for food." Giles reached down and gathered her legs up from under her, carrying her lithe body in his arms. The calamari was forgotten again.

The End