sparklebutch

Title: Wet Behind The Ears
Fandom: Buffy
Characters: Giles, Wesley
Summary: an offer

-=-

Wesley shakes the umbrella and then, self-consciously, his own head, like a dog out of the rain. Water drops hit the already-soaked pathway, and the few potted plants that survived dry in the doorway.

He closes the umbrella, and takes a deep breath.

Then he rings the bell.

It takes a few moments, during which he reminds himself of who he is, what he's become. All that he's been through in the past few years. He's not a child anymore.

Still when the door finally opens he swallows in a suddenly-dry throat.

Giles smiles at him warmly.

"Come in, Wesley."

He does.

-=-

His shoes are wet, despite having wiped them on the doormat. The bottoms of his trousers are wet, too. Wesley sits on the sofa and thinks about the damage he does to Giles' carpet.

There's brief talk about the weather, and an offer of tea. Wesley nibbles on the edge of a biscuit and waits for the real conversation to begin.

Giles doesn't let him wait for too long, for which he's thankful.

"I called you here because," he starts. Changes direction. "You know I'm trying to rebuild, reassemble the council."

"Yes," Wesley says and licks his lips nervously. He's heard about this. From his father.

Roger Wyndam-Pryce was less than thrilled with the entire concept. He was torn between being dissatisfied with Rupert Giles' position, being actually pleased that some semblance of a council was to be formed, covertly wishing he would be asked to assist and fill a role, and of course discouraging and discouraged about his own son's chances of ever being asked.

"There's a position waiting for you."

"What?"

He didn't mean to snap. He was just caught unawares. And very much surprised.

"If you're interested." Giles leans back in his armchair, steaming cup in hand, and smiles benevolently. Being Head Watcher suits him, Wesley thinks numbly. "I'm aware that you've worked independently for a while, but I think you'll find the organisation has changed quite a bit. Not exactly the council you and I remember."

Something in his voice suggests that his opinion of the old council isn't much better than Wesley's. Wesley smiles faintly.

"And we do need you," Giles says seriously. "With everything that's been happening..."

"You'll take anyone," Wesley finishes, cynical and self-deprecating.

"I was going to say, we could use trained, capable men," Giles says, quiet but very emphatic. Wesley feels the heat rise in his cheeks.

"Think about it," Giles says, rising from his seat. "Let me know."

"I'll take it," Wesley blurts. The interview, such as it was, was over, and he doesn't want to hesitate. He wants to be worthy of the trust. And for a change, his father doesn't weigh in as a reason to do, or not to do, anything.

Giles pauses, and then smiles. "I'm glad," he says gently.

-=-