FIC: Broken English (Ethan/Giles) - Part 1

[estepheia]

Okay, so I'm posting the first part of my Ethan-ficathon story. Why am I posting, if it's not finished? I'm posting so that I can concentrate on the unwritten part rather than tinkering endlessly with what I've already written.

Not sure if this works. The fanfic parts of my brain are a little rusty. Sorry, unbeta'd. If you spot any horrid mistakes, please let me know. My spelling checker doesn't work anymore.

Masterlist:  http://antennapedia.livejournal.com/275193.html?view=2076409#t2076409

TITLE: Broken English
PAIRING: Giles/Ethan
RATING: I'm aiming for a slashy R, but the characters might chicken out
SPOILERS: Set after 8x04 The Long Way Home (comics); set in Germany, btw
PROMPT: a vacation or roadtrip, magic, slash
WRITTEN FOR: spikendru

  

The hitchhiker is idly leaning against the Autobahn-sign, a dead man in a three-piece suit, holding a little take-away tray with two tall plastic cups, waving a crudely painted cardboard sign that bears the letters COW.

 

The BMW’s headlights wash over the man’s gaunt frame, almost too fast to make out any details. Almost. Short dark hair that glints silver in the headlight’s glare, a well-trimmed beard, eyes like black beads. But it’s the insouciant smile that Giles recognizes, the smile that has always been unmistakable.

 

Giles’s foot stomps on the breaks before he’s even checked the rear-view mirror. Thanks to the anti-skid system, the BMW comes to a halt right next to the Autobahn-sign. Tyres screech. Blowing its horn, the Toyota behind him swerves to the left, narrowly avoiding the BMW’s rear, then heads for the acceleration lane and disappears in the tail-light studded darkness of the motorway.

 

Giles exhales. His heart is racing. He feels like he’s burning up, in spite of the car’s AC. He stares at his whitening knuckles for several seconds until he realizes he’s gripping the steering wheel like a madman. Loosening his grip, Giles slowly turns his head to look at the apparition. A very solid apparition, for the man raps against the passenger window, producing a very real, solid sound that sends another jolt through Giles’s racing heart.

 

Giles takes a deep breath. At the push of a button, the window slides down.

 

“Knock, knock,” Ethan says, leaning forward to peer into the car. “Who’s there?”

 

“Ethan.” Giles’s voice is flat.

 

“The one and only.” Ethan is positively preening.

 

So, the image that has been imprinted on Giles’s brain ever since he saw the footage from Buffy’s comlink, the image of Ethan’s blood and brain splattered all over the prison cell wall - fake, nothing more. Another lie. He should have known. Giles grimaces at his own naivety. “Well, you certainly didn’t stay dead long.”

 

“Aww, did you mourn me, Rupert?” His tone is light-hearted, but a serrated edge seems to be lurking under his smile. “I’m touched.”

 

“What do you want?” Giles strives to look cool and decisive. In control. It won’t do to admit that he did, indeed, mourn his erstwhile friend. After a fashion. A completely reckless, unbecoming fashion involving too much whiskey and a one-night-stand best forgotten.

 

Ethan’s reply is drowned out by several cars blowing their horn, as they barrel past the stationary BMW, reminding Giles that he’s a sitting duck in the middle of a lane leading from the gas station to the autobahn.

 

Ethan tosses his cardboard sign on the back seat. A moment later he’s lounging on the passenger seat, balancing the two coffee cups on his lap. Looking more at ease than he has any right to be.

 

“I have no time for your games!” Giles’s voice is cold. “Get out!”

 

Ethan raises his hand defensively. “All I want is a lift and a little chat. Come on, Rupert, for old time’ sake.”

 

“What kind of old times? The kind where you spike my drink to turn me into a demon?”

 

Ethan stifles a sigh. “I believe I already paid for that.”

 

Another car rushes past them, tooting its horn.

 

“You don’t even know where I’m going,” Giles states.

 

“You’re going to Berlin. Don’t look so surprised, old friend. When I heard that Dannenberg’s are auctioning off a 16^th century palimpsest of Abramelin’s Sacred Magic, I knew you’d try to purchase it for your precious Council,” Ethan says, looking smug. “As it happens, we have the same destination.”

 

Resigned, Giles puts the car into gear, and steps on the gas. Like a horse eager to race, the BMW lurches forward. Within seconds, they are on the motorway, heading east.

 

“Fasten your seat belt.”

 

“As you wish,” Ethan purrs.

 

Smug bastard!

TBC

Comments

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

Lovely start. You can just feel both the weariness of Giles and his curiousity at the very sight of Ethan. And you've nailed Ethan's wonderfully snarky tone.

[estepheia.livejournal.com]

Thank you!
I'm glad Giles's weariness came across.

[shapinglight]

Giles/Ethan from Estepheia! What a treat! I love it already. You capture Ethan's perilous nature so well and Giles's wariness of him and yet inability to quite cast him adrift. Looking forward very much to how this continues.

I did spot a couple of very small spelling mistakes. 'Disappeares' instead of 'disappears' in the second paragraph and later 'toting its horn' instead of 'tooting its horn.'

[spikendru.livejournal.com]

Sorry I'm late to the party - I've been checking my flist rather sporadically, and this slipped by me!

Lovely beginning. Love Ethan's snark and Giles' discomfort. Ethan always did have that effect on Giles, didn't he? But he gives in anyway, and ethan quotes The Princess Bride to him! Squee!

Thank you!

[estepheia.livejournal.com]

You noticed!!! You noticed the Princes Bride reference. Yay!!!! Oh, I'm so pleased. *bounce*

I have another busybusybusy weekend coming up, after that I will carry on. I have another chunk written, but Ethan is currently sulking, and I have to think of a way to make him talk again. :-)

[estepheia.livejournal.com]

Awww, thank you. *blushes*
I will fix the spelling errors tomorrow, since my eyes feel blurry. I had a very exhausting day. Thank you for pointing them out!

[spikendru.livejournal.com]

Ethan is currently sulking, and I have to think of a way to make him talk again.

Well, I've heard he is very ticklish behind his left knee; you could try that to make him talk! And I have totally just made that up! but I figured it was worth a shot. *g*

[jmchau.livejournal.com]

Sorry for the delay in reading.

Nice start!

[shapinglight]

I hope there'll be more soon?

:makes Puss-in-Boots eyes:

[estepheia.livejournal.com]

No need to apologize!
And thank you.
Today I finally found the theme that will give me a title. Next week I'll have the time to write it down. :-)

[pinkdormouse.livejournal.com]

Hee! Great start!

[estepheia.livejournal.com]

Thank you, dear!

[firefly124.livejournal.com]

Great start!

[estepheia.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I already posted the second part, the third is currently read by a friend who kindly offered to beta it. The fourth is in the pipeline. :-)

[firefly124.livejournal.com]

Oh cool. ::goes to find part 2::

[hello-spikey.livejournal.com]

ooo baby. shapinglight pimped this and I'm glad she did. What a delicious Ethan! And I so hated him getting killed off in the comics. YAY! Chaos rides again! Well, chaos hitchhikes, but then, what did you expect?

:D

[estepheia.livejournal.com]

Ooh, a new reader! Welcome!
And yes, his death in the comics really rubbed me the wrong way. Hence the resurrection scenario - one of several, actually. :-)

Thank you for leaving feedback!

(I'm sorry I didn't link to the next chapter, but if you click on the Ethan-tag, you should easily find all the other installments.)