She walked into the library. He had to be there somewhere.
"Giles?" she called hopefully.
His head popped out from behind one of the shelves. "I see that you've decided to grace me with your presence. To what do I owe this special occasion?"
"Enough with the underhanded British sarcasm thing. I get it. You're mad at me. You don't have to be so snippy about it."
"One does tend to be disagreeable when they're angry."
"I know. I made a mistake. I'm only human."
He came down the steps with a large stack of moldy books. "That is exactly my point, Buffy. You're only human. What you did was terribly reckless and completely irresponsible!"
"So you keep saying. My head wasn't on straight. It was backwards and upside down. All I could think was demons, plus people, plus hungry, equals bad. They were really hungry. Hungry hungry hippo hungry, only they don't eat the little plastic marble thingys."
"Still, you should have waited until we knew more. You charged into their nest like that man in those action movies!"
"Rambo?"
"Yes. Him."
"I don't see the big deal. The demons are deader than dead and I'm alive. I saved the people of Sunnydale from becoming an all you can eat buffet. Where does that not add up to a yay?"
He rubbed his forehead. "Buffy, please. You never think before you act. Next time might be different. You could be killed and that would definitely not be a yay. My God, I'm starting to talk like you."
"I rub off on people. Don't worry. I'm done with the Ramboness. Really. I'm done. Stick a fork in me."
"We both know that the moment there's trouble, you'll run off and start slaying before we even know you've gone."
"Maybe…"
"Slaying is your job and a big part of the job description is survival. You won't be able to do anything or help anyone if you're dead."
"Not if I'm undead."
"Not funny. This is serious."
She hopped onto the table beside him. "Someone is cranky."
"I am not cranky."
"Ouch. Denial. Someone is double cranky."
"Stop it. I'm not in the mood."
"I thought you would be grouchy. I made a stop on the way here and I got you something," she held up a brown paper bag. "Tada."
"Why, I've always wanted a paper bag. How on Earth did you know?"
"Ha-ha. Look," she reached in and pulled out one of the doughnuts. "I got you a doughnut."
"A jelly?"
"A jelly."
He eyed it carefully. "You're trying to get into my good graces by bribing me with a doughnut?"
"I thought that it was one of my more cunning plans."
She held it up enticingly.
"No thank you."
"You know that you want it," she responded with a smirk. She moved it closer to his face. "Just one bite."
He turned away, his will power slowly fading. "I said no thank you."
"It's a jelly. The kind with the powered sugar on it. They had just made them when I stopped by."
"Just made them?"
"Uh-huh. It'll go to waste if you don't eat it."
"Well, when you put it like that…"
He took it from her, defeated. She grinned. "Does this mean that Buffy gets an A for her plan?"
"I took it because I didn't want it to go to waste, not because I was accepting the peace offering."
Her grin quickly turned into a frown. "I said I'm sorry."
"No, actually, you didn't."
"I said it now."
He got up and started to pace. "This isn't a game."
"I know. I'm in total not a game mode."
"You could have at least told me that you were leaving."
"You wouldn't have let me go."
"And for good reason."
"Can we take a break from the lecture Buffy marathon? I'm sorry. I think with my stake more than my head sometimes. That's what I have you and the guys for. I don't like it when you're mad at me."
His features softened. "I don't like being mad at you, but it's necessary. I have to make you aware of your mistakes. In the long run, it will help keep you alive."
"Yeah. I know."
He gave her a small smile. "Thank you for the jelly."
"You're welcome. I got one for me too."
He took a bite. A combination of powdered sugar and jelly clung to his face.
"Uh Giles, you have a little something right here…" she told him as she motioned to where it was.
"I do?" he wiped the wrong side.
"Other side."
He still missed it.
"Did I get it?"
"No. It's really starting to bug me."
"Is it here?"
"Colder."
"Here?"
"Warmer."
"Here?"
"Colder."
"What about here?"
"Colder than Antarctica. Just let me."
She grabbed a napkin and walked over to him.
"You can find Bellreth in a one thousand page book within five minutes, but you can't find some food on your face."
"Byleth," he corrected.
"That's what I said."
She gently wiped his face. Her hand lingered there a little longer than it should have.
"Hey Buff," Xander called as he and Willow walked through the library doors.
"We were looking for you," Willow added. She stared at Buffy and Giles. "Are we interrupting?"
Buffy stepped away from Giles. "I have to go to class."
He cleared his throat. "Right. I'll be here with my books."
She grabbed the bag containing her jelly doughnut and she quickly left with Xander and Willow on her heels.
"What was that about?" Xander asked.
"You did seem kind of…cozy…with Giles," Willow nodded.
"Ew. Please. He had something on his face. I wouldn't get cozy with Giles. That's my mother's job."