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[location: Shelly] or [visual: locked to Faith]

After a shower and a change of clothes Giles felt, if not better, at least a little more human. His talk with Buffy and the others had reassured him that his time as Ripper hadn't irrevocably damaged any of the relationships he held dear. Or at least most of them. His conversation with Faith was too brief and abruptly ended, and left him with a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Faith?" It took him a few times to get it right, but he finally figured out how to send a direct message over the tablet. "You could save us both a lot of time by just telling me where you are. I need to talk to you."

While he waited for her to answer he walked around Shelly, heading in the general direction of her apartment. The message was locked but anyone might run into him walking.

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[Faith had to stare at her tablet for a good half hour before deciding whether or not to respond. Sure, it'd be easier-- and much less angst-producing-- to just pretend she didn't see it. But she's already done the running thing physically, and there's only so much pussying out she can excuse.

...She leaves it on voice, though. Easier to hide the things she doesn't want Giles to see, that way.]

Sup, G?

[He's just about given up hope, at least for today. For half an hour he's been alternating between staring at the screen of his tablet and looking around hoping to see her. He's checked the Bronze and her apartment, but if she was at home she wasn't answering his knock.

He's relieved that's she's finally answered, and frustrated that it's only voice. Bloody tablet. If Faith could see him she might notice that he's wearing a sweater (no tweed, but no leather either) and his hair is sticking out in all directions as he's been running his fingers through it.]

Where are you?

[Yeah, home? Not exactly the best strategy there. What's the old saying? If the enemy knows where you are, then get the fuck out of there. Giles may not be the enemy by the technical definition, but it's close enough. So Faith's been out a whole lot. Nowhere for too long or reliably, but the clever soul might be able to catch her at Dean's when she gets tired of sleeping in random-ass apartments (that all seem to look like her fleabag motel from back in the Dale, Faith your subconscious is a fucked up place) and needs a little company.

Faith's not looking too hot herself, but that's another reason she won't be switching to visual anytime soon. Never let 'em see you sweat, or whatever.]

Around. You need something?

[Does he need something? He needs her but that's not the sort of confession tweedly British blokes make easily, and certainly not over a tablet. A little over a week spent with her both in bed and out, and now a day apart has left him craving both her touch and her company. There were a few times when she'd forget to be freaked out by who he was and just relaxed, and laughed. God, he loved her laugh.

He's been telling himself since the glitch ended that he needed to find her so that he could fix the damage Ripper did and try to get back to where they had been, the friendship they had been building. But he's beginning to realize that simply friendship might not be all he wants, and that's terrifying. The lists of reasons a relationship with Faith would be a bad idea is a long one that includes his age, her trust, Buffy and a hundred other things]

I'd like to talk to you.

[Faith would like to tell herself she doesn't need Giles at all. She always was wicked into self-delusion. Truth is, that week with Giles was one of the freakiest she'd ever had, but... one of the best, too. And after Buffy let it slip Giles was keeping it on the dl, all she's expecting is the inevitable 'look, babe, you were a great piece of ass, but that's all'. Easier just to keep running and let it go that way, because Faith is pretty sure Giles saying that would break things she can't glue back together. Not this time.]

Look, it's cool. I get it, right? We're five by five.

[It might surprise Faith to learn that even seemingly mature Watcher type people get confused and uncertain sometime. Talking to Buffy so soon after he unglitched, when she was in such need of reassurance, it had seemed like a good idea to ignore all things Faith and tell her that things were back to normal. Maybe he even half believed it, but then again when in their lives had things been normal?

Plus he's still not used to Buffy and Faith having actual almost civilized conversations.]

Before all of this happened you had no problem seeing me. Even sought me out upon occasion. If we really are five by five...

[He leaves it there, the challenge half issued. Does she dare to pick it up?]

[First rule of Faith club is: we don't talk about Faith club. Third rule, however, is that everyone is better than her, Watchers most of all. (Fifth is that everything comes back to Buffy, but never mind that.)]

Just giving you some space, okay? Quit tripping, it's not like I'm avoiding your ass or something. I just been busy, is all.

[Hint: that was a lie.]

Edited 2009-09-08 23:58 (UTC)

[Oh Faith. You make Giles sigh a lot, you know that? he doesn't think he's better then her, and she's worth so much more then she believes she is.]

And if I said that I didn't want space? I...

[He closes his eyes for a moment, not knowing if this will only scare her more but needing to speak the truth]

I miss you.

[Avoiding his ass???]

[Faith... has no concept of this. Sob.]

Think you made it pretty clear what you want, G. [This is accompanied by a slightly bitter laugh. What she means is that he wants them to go back to the way it was before the glitch; Giles, of course, can feel free to misinterpret.] I'm telling you, we're fine. Don't make a big deal out of it, all right? Like I said. The 'comfort the blushing virgin' crap is cute, but save it for somebody who needs it, all right?

[This is just a long silence.]

Sure you do, G. Look, it's not like we ain't all breathing down each other's necks here. We're cool.

Edited 2009-09-09 20:05 (UTC)

[Where's the telepathic demon infection when you need it? Could use an 'earshot' moment here]

I don't think I'm particularly good at making anything clear, not just now. [Heaven knows his time as Ripper certainly made things about as clear as mud. And he'd argue with her about 'needing' comfort, but he knows when he's wasting his breath.

A pause, though not as long as hers.]

Maybe you're right and we both need some space. [lie] I'll leave you alone, but... Have dinner with me tomorrow night?

[Until Giles can track Faith down and make sure she's not going to run, and then force some honesty down her stubborn throat, they're going to keep doing this.]

No, I got the message. [Faith would, of course, claim she needs nobody and nothing, because she's a stone cold bitch who gets by just fine on her own. The veracity of that statement is very much in doubt.]

...Yeah. [See? The world does what she expects it to. Giles is just trying to let her down gentle.] Yeah, sure. We'll see.

[And today on This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things Theatre, watch as Faith lies through her teeth to the one person actually reaching out to her.]

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