Marina
Copyright July 8-August 29, 2000 by Matthew Haldeman-Time
Rating: NC-17 for graphic male-male sex
Pairings: Angel/Spike, Oz/Wesley, Doyle/Xander, and Giles/Riley
Disclaimer: "Buffy: the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel," with their related characters and themes, belong to Joss Whedon and others, not to me. I make no money from this venture.
Dedication: This slashfic is for Ewan McGregor.
Wherein the reader will find mention of dusty demons, rogue demons, and a green-eyed Irish half-demon.
Notice: This slashfic takes place during the 1999-2000 season of "Buffy" and "Angel," meaning that Buffy's a university freshman and Angel's just begun his life in L.A. Oz has gone, Spike's been neutered by the Initiative, Wesley's off being a rogue demon-hunter, and "Hero" hasn't taken place. And won't take place. Ever.
"Let me see," the man said. "Looks like 38's open. You from around here?"
"Visiting from out of state," Angel said. "Looking for a friend."
"Oh?"
"Short, reddish hair, about nineteen or twenty."
"Don't recall anyone like that."
"You'd remember him," Angel said with a smile.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the country, Xander and Doyle stepped from the Metro. "I've never been to D.C.," Xander said. "So, are you going to tell me how you knew to come here?"
"Giles has his associates, I have mine," Doyle said. "Only his are polite English educated people and mine are a bit more underground."
"Mafia?"
"I should be so lucky. Now listen, you let me do the talking. Think you can stay quiet?"
"I can try," Xander said.
"And stay out of trouble?"
"Are you going to stay out of trouble?"
"I can try," Doyle said.
"We're doomed, aren't we?"
"You only say that because you're used to being a sidekick. If we were the heroes here, you'd have no fear."
"We're not the heroes. We are the sidekicks. We're...we're Zeppo."
"Don't be so insulting. Look. The spell chose us, didn't it? So we were made for this role. This is our star turn. And maybe we won't be Groucho, but we can be Chico and Harpo, right?"
"I like Harpo."
"Good. Then keep quiet and let me do the talking."
"You're used to doing that, aren't you?"
"What?"
"Pep talks."
"Angel needs them more than you'd think. He's always doing some brooding and I have to snap him out of it."
Doyle and Xander went to some of D.C.'s darkest corners among the filth and the grime. Doyle talked to one demon after another, Xander standing behind him trying to stay out of the way.
"Yeah, I saw him," a vampire said. "Tall guy, dressed in black. Leather. Riding a motorcycle. English guy."
"When was that?" Doyle asked.
"Month, maybe more. He was looking for some Artike demon."
"He hasn't been back?"
"If he has?"
"We need to find him," Doyle said.
"And if I know somebody who might know somebody who might know where he's been?"
"What do you want for the information?"
"Five hundred."
"Don't have it."
"He'll do."
"He's not up for sale."
"Too bad."
"Look, we're trying to save the world. Can you just tell us anything?"
"He might be in the area."
"Thank you. Do you know anyone who can tell us more?"
"Come back when you've got some spare cash."
"I'll do that." Doyle left with Xander.
Three blocks later, Xander said, "Doyle?"
"Yeah?"
"Did he want me in exchange for information?"
"Yeah."
"For what? Some creepy demon ritual? Food?"
"Food. Sex."
"Are all vampires bi?"
"No. Sorry, Anne Rice. They're straight, gay, or bi just like anybody else. The demons change their sexual behaviors but not their basic sexual orientation."
"So Angel was bi when he was human. If he's bi now."
"Yes."
"Who are all of these people? Not people, vampires, demons, whatever. How do you know where to find them?"
"It's an underground culture. There's a whole civilization of demons living on this continent."
"And you can tap into it?"
"I'm part of it."
"Part of it how? Because The Powers That Be gave you visions?"
"Because of the other half of being half Irish."
"Oh. Oh. So, you're...half Irish and...half...demon."
"Yes."
"Really?"
"Does that bother you?"
"I'm just surprised. I mean, I had no idea. Angel knows?"
"Angel knows. Cordelia doesn't. I figure she really won't date me if she knows. As opposed to now, when she's still not dating me but for different reasons."
"I'm not going to flip or anything, if you're worried. I'm an open-minded nineties kind of guy. I may be Joe Ordinary, but everyone I know is something or other. Except Cordelia. Although she's special in her own way."
In Kansas, Angel and Spike were going from town to town with the same story of looking for Oz. After the third failure, Spike said, "We're going about this the wrong way."
It was very rare for Spike to say anything these days, so Angel wanted to continue the conversation. Under normal circumstances Spike always had something to say, and Angel was worried about Spike's unusual reticence. "How so?"
Spike was lounging on a chair in the hotel room. "We're asking after the short red-haired teenaged version of Oz. We should be asked after the hairy toothy version instead."
"Ask about animal attacks, wild dogs," Angel said. "Those would be a lot more noticeable and memorable, and word may have traveled, rumors that we could trace. Spike, that's perfect."
"Of course, you can't just ask," Spike said. "What kind of person walks around asking about wild dogs?"
"I could be a journalist," Angel said.
"Don't suppose we could buy a first aid kit around here."
"Why?"
The next night, Angel walked into the Knight Inn. "Do you have a room? Two beds."
"Let me see," the woman said, checking her book. "Room 14's open."
"Thanks."
"What happened to your hand?"
"Friend's dog bit me. Nasty thing."
"Mm."
Angel wrote slowly in the register, biding his time, hoping.
"There was a wild dog a few towns over. Nobody ever saw it, but people heard it howling. Never did find it. Strange thing."
"Is it still around? It didn't hurt anyone?"
"Nobody. Not even other animals, or at least not that I heard. That was two months ago."
Two months. So if it had been Oz, he hadn't been here last month. "What town was that?"
"Gloryville. You on your way there?"
"Might check it out. We're just driving around to see what's there."
"Well, when you head out, you come back here and I'll give you directions."
"I will. Thank you."
Back in Giles' home, Riley set the spellbook back on the shelf. "So you were a juvenile delinquent."
"Hardly," Giles said. "Who told you?"
"Xander, when Ethan Raynes called."
"Remind me to thank him. No, I was not a juvenile delinquent."
"Want to know what his nickname was?" Buffy asked.
"You had a nickname?" Riley asked Giles, amused.
"I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that it was based on his first name, although really it was probably something way more serious," Buffy said.
"What kind of nickname do you base on Rupert?" Riley asked.
"I keep forgetting that you have a first name," Willow said. "But it's a nice one."
"It's horrendous, thank you," Giles said.
"So what was your nickname?" Riley asked.
"Ripper," Buffy said with glee.
"As in Jack the Ripper?" Riley asked. "How unhealthy."
"I beg your pardon," Giles said.
"Oh, Riley's going to do a psych analysis, this will be so cool," Buffy said.
"I try not to analyze people in public without their permission," Riley said.
"And please, don't make an exception," Giles said.
"So what did you do in your misspent youth?" Riley asked.
"My ill-chosen friends and I dabbled in the occult," Giles said. "Which was good in that it honed my interest in my future studies as a Watcher. However, we went a little too far and began to worship a demon."
"Which later tried to kill me," Buffy said. "But Angel saved us."
"Sounds like he did that a lot," Riley said.
"Do we talk about the old boyfriend in front of the new boyfriend?" Willow asked Buffy.
"The old boyfriend's in Kansas with his old boyfriend, and the new boyfriend is an ex-boyfriend," Buffy said, "so I think it's safe."
"Ex? Ex how? Ex why? You didn't tell me," Willow said.
"It was a gradual exing," Buffy said. "He's a wonderful person. He's probably the best boyfriend anyone could want. There's absolutely nothing wrong with him. Nothing."
"I wouldn't go that far," Riley said.
"I was tempted to keep him just for sex," Buffy said. "But that's not a good idea. So now he's my friend and my fellow soldier in the fight against evil. Which is a good thing to have."
"Friends are good," Willow said. "Boyfriends are better."
"Should I go?" Riley asked.
In Washington, D.C., Doyle sneezed.
"Bless you. Does that...I don't know...itch or anything?" Xander asked.
Doyle shook his head to get his face back to human. "No. Just looks funny."
"I know I've seen much, much worse."
"Yeah, now that you mention it."
"Remember right before we left, when Anya dumped me?"
"Hard to forget. I wish Jonathan luck."
"Remember what they suggested to me?"
"You mean abstinence or guys?"
"The...guys."
"Yeah."
"Do you think it'd work?"
"Xander, you can't just turn yourself gay."
"Yeah, but obviously girls aren't working. Anya's the best one I've had."
"That doesn't mean that guys are the answer. If you're straight you're straight, nothing you can do about it."
"What if I'm not?"
"Not what? Not straight?"
"Yeah."
"You think you're gay?"
"I think I'm...bisexual."
"And you just came to this conclusion?"
"Yeah."
"Since when?"
"Since I really want to kiss you. And I know you're straight, so I won't."
"I'm not straight."
"You're...not?"
"Nope."
"Oh. God."
"But you are."
"Am not."
"Are so."
"Am not."
Doyle kissed him. "See?"
"Oh. God." Xander grabbed Doyle's shirt collar, dragged Doyle to his mouth, eyes closing, lips parting.
In Kansas, Angel waited with a growing sense of hope.
"Yeah...I remember him," the woman said. "My daughter Chrissy had a crush on him. He was the nicest boy - - quiet. Real quiet. But real nice. And smart."
"When was he here?"
"Oh...three weeks ago? He just picked up and left one day."
"Do you remember where he went?" Angel asked.
"South Dakota. No, North Dakota. North Dakota. Said he was considering going to Canada, so he was going to sit near the border and think about it."
"Thank you."
"Chrissy might know more. She'll be here in the morning."
"Thank you."
In a graveyard in Sunnydale, Riley ducked fast, straightened faster, and slammed the stake home, yanking it out and turning around to block-punch-kick-punch-turn-flip-stake.
"Wow," Tara said. "He's really good at this."
"He has undergone extensive training and has experience," Giles reminded her.
"Yeah, but Buffy's good because she's the Slayer. Riley's just somebody off the street who wants to help."
Riley blocked-punched-blocked and lost his stake. "Buffy!" Giles called. "Stake!" She tossed one to him, and he tossed it to Riley, who caught it and slammed it home.
"Thanks," Riley said, wiping sweat out of his eyes as Buffy finished with her vampire. "That it?"
"We got them," Buffy said.
"Sorry about dropping the stake," Riley said. "Next time I'll-"
"Yo. Agent Finn," Buffy said. "No big deal. No deal at all."
"Sometimes Buffy drops stakes, too," Willow said. "Sometimes, they even knock her off-balance."
"You won't revoke my superhero status, will you?" Buffy asked. "Oh, I didn't finish my reading. I'd better go do that."
"We'll come with you," Willow said, including Tara.
"You coming?" Buffy asked Riley.
"I left my bag at Giles'," Riley said. "And I don't think that I need you to walk me home."
"Doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful," Buffy said. "We all know what goes bump in the night."
"Spike tripping?" Willow guessed.
"They didn't call in today," Buffy said.
"I'm sure that they'll call in tomorrow," Giles assured her. "You must remember that Spike is not the most responsible vampire we've ever met, and most likely they're busy. Angel did say that they had leads."
"Well, they'd better call tomorrow," Buffy said. "Why don't you do some more reading of the gibberish? We still don't know what to do when we find Oz and Wesley."
"See you tomorrow," Riley said.
"Bye," and the girls left. Riley and Giles collected the scattered supplies and headed for Giles' house.
"Does anyone call you Ripper anymore?" Riley asked.
"Only Ethan, but I do my very best to avoid him."
"I don't know if you know this, but... Buffy worries about you."
"About me?" Giles asked in surprise. "Whatever for?"
"She told me about Miss Calendar. She said that you were seeing someone else, when The Gentlemen came and stole our voices, but that she hasn't heard about that woman since and there's been no one else."
"She worries that I have no life," Giles translated.
"Yeah. So, if you are seeing someone, long-distance, or... You might want to mention it so she can stop worrying."
"I'm not seeing anyone, long-distance or otherwise. Part of the problem, aside from my utter lack of personality, is that I'm Buffy's, well, not her Watcher anymore, but I still serve in that function, and my life, my work, revolve around killing demons, saving the world, fighting evil. It's rather difficult to find someone who's open to that sort of life, or, even better, aware of it to begin with. People are amazingly blind to the world around them. When people ask what I do, I can say that I'm a former librarian, an academic, a researcher, and I can tell them that I specialize in the occult, and I can make it sound scary or interesting or even sexy if I like, but it's rather hard to say that I work with the Vampire Slayer. To make someone believe me, understand me, that's impossible, even if I could tell anyone in the first place, which of course I can't."
"What you need is someone who already knows, who already understands. Like Miss Calendar."
"People like Jenny are not a dime a dozen. Nevertheless, I appreciate what you're saying, Riley. It's just awfully difficult to find someone who knows about this life who's on the right side. Everyone I'm working with here in Sunnydale is far too young, Ethan's my age but he's turned completely hideous. Dating Buffy's mother would be...incestuous."
"Are you bi?"
"Oh. Well, yes. I suppose so, strictly speaking. Ethan's the only male I've ever ...been with, and that was quite some time ago. Back in my misspent youth, as you so elegantly put it."
"But you are attracted to men," Riley said as they entered Giles' house.
"I suppose so, yes," Giles admitted, turning on the light.
Riley put his hand over Giles'. "Are you attracted to me?"
"I can't say that I am, no. Well, that's not strictly true, but you are Buffy's boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend. And you're far too young for me."
"So you are attracted to me."
"Riley, really. You know that I think that you're a very nice young man, and you've been a great help, but there's no-"
"I know what it is." Riley turned in a quick circle. "I know what it is. The union, the bonding, the sealing, between Wesley and Oz."
"What?" Giles asked.
"Where's the gibberish?" Giles found it on his desk and handed it over to Riley. "I can't read this. Here, tell me what it says again."
Giles took back the paper. "'To destroy the spell of the Alkazanian raiders, two and two must seek and find the two. The two made one and the two made one must unite the two into one, to bond those who wander in search of themselves."
"Does this thing change every time you read it?"
"Its meaning shifts," Giles admitted. "The letters on the page are exactly the same, but my understanding of them changes."
"Unions, two into one, what does that sound like to you? It sounds like sex."
"Sex," Giles said.
"Loosen your stays, Rupert," Riley said. "Oz and Wesley need to have sex."
Doyle strolled into the bar, took a stool, glanced around the room slightly. The bartender made his way over in a few minutes, and Doyle said, "Lisin Irish."
"You're new," the bartender said without moving to serve him.
"I've been in town for a few weeks, actually, just not in here. I'm looking for somebody."
"You are, are you? You're the Irish half-breed walking around with some full-blooded human looking for the English guy."
"You catch on pretty quick. So you know the English guy?"
"Know him? He came in here last week."
"Know where he is now?"
"Couldn't say."
"If I gave you cash, could you say then?"
"You don't have cash."
"Word travels fast."
"Where's the kid? You lost him?"
"Hanging out with humans compromises my integrity."
"I hear you." The bartender poured him a glass. "This English guy, maybe he rides a motorcycle. And maybe he wiped it out one night. And maybe he was in the hospital. Whether he made it out or not, I couldn't say."
"He's dead?" Doyle asked. "Tell me he's not dead. This is a matter of world life and death. Just tell me he's not dead."
"Couldn't say."
"Do you know who could?"
"Guy sitting in the corner over there with the horns. Maybe he knows."
"Thanks." Doyle, shaken but trying not to show it, went to the corner. "Hey. Mind if I have a seat?"
"Who's asking."
"I'm looking for the English guy. Wiped out his bike, dresses in leather, hunts demons."
"English guy, yeah," the demon grunted. "Met him."
"You know where I can find him?"
"He'll be in."
"In here?"
"He was in before, asking about an Oscari demon. He's a weird one, that English guy."
"How so?"
"He came into a demon bar asking about information on a demon he wanted to kill."
"That has to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard."
"Only reason we haven't killed him yet is that...he doesn't do a bad job."
"What do you mean?"
"You know. He kills the demon's demons, the really bad ones. Leaves the regular guys alone. He lets us be."
"So he's a complete fool, but he's smart."
"That's about it."
"So you think he'll be back for more information?"
"I hear he's looking for Silas Warren's Kilrath demon."
"There's a Kilrath demon around here?"
"It'll probably kill him. So you're lucky you came around today, because by tomorrow he'll be dead."
"Thanks." Doyle left, got Xander, and hid in the opposite corner just in the nook behind the door so that they could see who came in before being spotted. He told Xander what he'd learned.
Angel had watched Spike talking with Chrissy. He'd done all of the human interaction so far, but then Spike had taken a turn, flirting with the motel owner's daughter. A slice of jealousy had shot through Angel for all of the people who'd flirted with Spike, who'd touched Spike, who'd tasted Spike, since he'd last done so himself. Spike was his. Always had been. Right from the start. Spike was his.
The down side to that was: he was Spike's. Always had been. Right from the start.
Drusilla, Hell, his various incarnations, Spike's evil past and ambiguous present, nothing could change the fundamental truth: he was Spike's, and Spike was his. Dublin, London, Sunnydale, or L.A., it didn't matter. Spike, William the Bloody, Angel, Angelus, soul, no soul, good, evil, it made no difference. Drusilla, Buffy, Darla, no one could compare. No one.
When he'd turned that last time, when he'd become Angelus after making love with Buffy, he hadn't been himself. The Angelus he'd been in that time had not been the same Angelus of old. For the old Angelus, Spike was a lover, friend, rival; companion and competition, brother and childe. In the past they'd loved and fought and strove and hated and feasted and played, and they'd needed no one but each other, nothing but each other and the blood running hot in the streets. When he'd turned again, he'd been nothing like his former self. He'd completely disregarded Spike. Discounted Spike. It had been a horrid mistake in many ways, and it had shattered the tiny fibers that remained of their old relationship. As long as he'd had his soul and Spike was Spike, something had remained of their old relationship, some small spark that existed because they knew that they were on opposite sides due to a circumstance, due to a curse, not by choice. Never by choice. But when he'd turned and still antagonized Spike, when he'd turned and dismissed Spike, that spark had died. Fast.
And now, now they were left with nothing between them yet everything between them, a yawning chasm which he couldn't begin to cross.
Now he had his soul again, and Spike was still Spike, neutered or not. The once-powerful duo had been reduced to...this. And now Angel saw that they could choose to be together. He could be with Spike if he wanted to be. But he couldn't. He didn't know how to get there.
And now they were in North Dakota, along the Canadian border. The full moon had been just last week, so quite possibly someone had seen or heard something unusual to help to lead them to Oz.
"Sex," Buffy repeated. "Sex."
"Sex," Riley assured her.
"First of all, we're not telling Willow," Buffy said. "Not until we're absolutely sure. She isn't expecting Oz to come and sweep her off her feet, but we still don't need to tell her that he's coming here to have sex with Wesley - - ick ick ick ick!"
"Was the ick for the sex or the Oz or the Wesley part of it?" Riley asked.
"The sex with Wesley part - - ick ick ick," Buffy said, shuddering.
"I really have to meet this guy," Riley said.
"We're not sure that it's sex," Giles told Buffy. "There may be something more mystical at work. Perhaps when we bring them together, it will become apparent."
"Perhaps you need to work on your gibberish," Buffy said.
"May I ask why it is that I am the only one who can read it?" Giles asked.
"Because you're the Watcher-trained academic book guy," Buffy said. "We're the physical force team. Can Oz and Wesley have sex? I mean, are they - - I know that Oz is open and liberal, but that doesn't mean that he's open to every experience. And Wesley's sort of fitting some stereotypes, but I don't see that as making him necessarily gay."
"I doubt highly that The Powers That Be or whoever gave us this spell would go to all of the trouble to doing whatever this is while overlooking a key element such as that one," Giles said. "I'm afraid that we'll have to wait and have faith."
"So Riley's bisexual, and Angel and Spike might be, and Oz and Wesley might be," Buffy said. "I'm going to have to talk to Xander when he gets back."
Riley coughed.
"Yes, well, it has come to my attention," Giles said, "not that you have any interest in knowing such a thing, but just for the record, it is... I happen to be somewhat bisexual myself."
Buffy sat.
"For the record," Giles said.
"It was a long time ago," Riley told Buffy. "Back in his misspent youth."
"I really didn't want to know," Buffy said. "Wait, are you bi or you just...ick ick ick ick double triple ick!"
"I am bisexual," Giles said. "I simply have devoted myself to the female gender save one experience."
"So you're bi but you're not practicing," Buffy said. "You only sort of like men?"
"He doesn't like me," Riley said.
"Gross! Riley, you were with me. You can't - - Giles is like my father! If my father drank tea and spent any time with me whatsoever."
"I'm just saying, he doesn't like me," Riley said.
"What, you asked?" Buffy asked.
"I asked," Riley said. "I got the 'you're a very nice young man but' speech."
"Giles, that is so tacky," Buffy said.
"You called me Rupert," Giles said.
"Nobody ever calls him that," Buffy said.
"No one ever calls me that," Giles said. "It was nice. Thank you."
"Kiss me?" Riley suggested.
"I'm going to go out and do some slaying. Then I'll call Ricki Lake so we can go on for next week's episode of 'My Former Watcher Stole My Ex-Boyfriend.'"
"You're okay, aren't you?" Riley asked her. "Whether I get the 'you're a nice man but' speech again or not?"
"I'm fine," Buffy said. "Giles, let me give you some advice. Make up your mind what you're going to do first, and then kiss him. Because if he touches you, you will be incapable of saying no." Buffy left.
"I'm not really that good," Riley said.
"If I agree, I'll sound insulting. If I disagree, I'll sound as though I'm flirting with you, and I don't flirt."
"I think that you flirt, it's just sincere flirting."
"Sincere flirting?"
"Want to flirt with me?"
"I'd rather not."
"Are you attracted to me at all or are you trying not to embarrass yourself by throwing me out the door?"
"Riley, you're Buffy's former boyfriend. I cannot date someone who dated Buffy."
"If you want someone who understands this fight, who's on the inside, on the good side, in the trenches, you got me. I'm an insider. I'm a part of this group."
"You are," Giles agreed.
"Buffy thinks I'm perfect. And you know that she'd never let you be with anyone who wasn't. So you'd better take me."
A tall, slender man strode into the demon bar. He was dressed in black leather and carried a crossbow.
"Oh my god," Xander said.
Wesley spun. "Xander?"
"It's Wesley," Xander said. "Wesley in leather with stubble. I am so disturbed."
"I don't know how he looks starched and buttoned, but the leather and stubble looks really good," Doyle said.
"Xander, what are you doing here?" Wesley asked. "You shouldn't be here. There are very dangerous demons lurking about."
"You're a rogue demon hunter," Xander said.
"Yes. And I've come to-"
"We have to talk to you," Doyle said. "It's about saving the world. Is there someplace we could go that's not filled with eavesdroppers?"
"I'm afraid that I haven't time," Wesley said. "You see, there's a-"
"Did you not catch the words 'saving the world?'" Xander asked.
"All right, but only a few minutes," Wesley said. "Come with me."
The three of them walked across the street and down another alley and into a small garage. Doyle said, "I'm Doyle. I work with Angel in Los Angeles. Giles called me and Angel in for help."
"Buffy killed a demon and then we found out that he's done an Alkazanian raiding spell," Xander said. "So we have to unspell the spell."
"We think that we have the correct spell," Doyle said. "But we need you for it."
"What do you want me to do?" Wesley asked.
"Come back to Sunnydale with us," Xander said.
"Oh, no. I'm needed here. I have work to do."
"You can kill demons in Sunnydale," Xander said. "Believe me, there are plenty left for you."
"I have embarked on a new life," Wesley said. "I cannot-"
"We're going to have a whole new life if the Alkazanian raiding spell works, too," Xander said.
"You're sure that you need me?" Wesley asked.
"It's a long story. We'll tell you on the way," Doyle said.
"I'd rather hear it now," Wesley said.
"Okay. We have the spell," Xander said, "and it's sort of hard to understand, but it talks about sending two sets of two guys out to search for two guys. Doyle and I are two of the guys sent to look, and you're the guy we're trying to find. Angel and Spike are the other two, and they're looking for Oz."
"Oz," Wesley said. "Angel and Spike?"
"It's a whole big thing," Xander said. "Wanderers and interpersonal relationships and low self-esteem."
"We need to take you to Sunnydale and...reacquaint you with Oz," Doyle said. "Then we'll all be happy and safe again."
"It seems rather unusual," Wesley said.
"And what about our lives isn't unusual?" Xander asked.
"Par for the course with this group," Doyle said.
"Yes, well, I can't argue with you there, can I?" Wesley said. "All right. If I can be of any assistance, I will return with you to Sunnydale. We'll be off at once."
Doyle watched Wesley walk through the door. "I like him."
"You like him," Xander repeated.
Doyle tossed Xander a grin. "Relax." He pressed a quick kiss to Xander's lips. "Let's go show Giles what we found."
Angel rolled to his stomach in the motel bed. "Spike."
Spike grunted from the other bed, burrowed under the covers, back to Angel. It was full daylight outside; they'd pulled the heavy drapes, locked the door, and hung the "Do Not Disturb" sign.
"I know you're awake."
"By my deep even breathing?" Spike asked sarcastically from the haven of his blankets.
Angel got out of his bed and sat on Spike's. "We're going to find Oz soon, and then we'll go back to Sunnydale, and then... This may be our last chance to be alone, together, away from everyone else."
"Good."
"There are things that I want to say to you."
"Nothing I want to hear, I'll wager."
"I'm in love with you. I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?"
"How I've treated you. When I turned last time, that wasn't me. I would never dismiss you like that. I know better. And I don't want to-"
"Angel, shut up."
"I don't know anyone as interesting as you are. I don't know anyone as sexy. And I can't think of anyone half as-"
Spike rolled to his back, looking up at Angel. "Shut up."
"-beautiful," Angel finished, gazing down at Spike.
"Bloody shirtlifter," Spike muttered, rolling away from Angel again, pulling the covers over his head.
"My obsession with Drusilla, my drama with Buffy, they can't compare with you. You were everything to me. I love you differently now, because I'm not Angelus anymore. I am in love with you. I needed to tell you."
"You told me. Now fuck off."
"What's the word?" Buffy asked, entering Giles' home with Riley.
"Ah, yes. Well, Xander and Doyle have located Wesley and are flying in tonight. Willow and I will pick them up at the airport. Wesley doesn't know yet what this spell may entail."
"He doesn't know that he has to have sex with Oz," Buffy translated. "We are going to tell them, right?"
"Once both Wesley and Oz are present and the spell's meaning is clear, yes," Giles said. "There's no need to alarm then this early."
"Should we, I don't know, buy condoms or something?"
"Doyle has assured me that he has all necessary items," Giles said.
"Dare I ask?"
"Doyle and Xander may be involved," Giles said. "Doyle hinted as much but didn't tell me anything outright."
"Is Jonathan the only straight man left in this town? Oh, well, there's always Parker," Buffy said. "God, I should become a lesbian."
That evening in the airport, outside of the baggage claim area, Xander hurried over to Willow and Giles. "When can we send him back to D.C.?"
"You're not getting along with Wesley?" Willow asked.
"He's flirting with my boyfriend."
"Oh. Well. I see."
"And Doyle's flirting back," Xander said. "If I hear one more accent I'll scream." Giles kept his mouth shut. "Take me home," Xander said, "and leave them here."
"Oh, look, there they are," Willow said. "Giles, why don't you help Wesley and Doyle while I take Xander to the car?" She smiled at Giles and hooked her arm through Xander's, bearing him to the exit. "Doyle's your boyfriend? What happened? Did he kiss you first or did you kiss him? Is he nice?"
"He's great," Xander said, "when he's flirting with me."
"Are you sure that they were flirting? Maybe they're just being friendly. Maybe it didn't mean anything. Does Doyle have a last name?"
"That is his last name."
"Oh."
"Xander." Doyle hurried up behind them. "Don't run off like that. Hi, Willow."
"We're having some alone time," Xander said.
"I hear you and Wesley hit it off," Willow said cheerily to Doyle, then gave him a pointed look.
Doyle frowned in confusion. She widened her eyes. He blinked and nodded. "Right. That. I was trying to figure him out - - I mean, we're asking him to have sex with a guy, we need to know if he's gay or bi or straight."
"So you were flirting in the interest of saving the world," Xander said.
"Yeah," Doyle said, "kind of."
"Is he straight?" Willow asked.
"I think he is," Doyle said. "Or else he's just not interested in me."
"Which is highly likely," Xander said.
"But if Wesley's straight," Willow said, "what are we going to do?"
"Either we picked up the wrong guy or my gaydar's off or we're reading the gibberish wrong or The Powers That Be have something else in mind," Doyle said. "I'd advise a little wait and see, except that the clock's ticking on this one, isn't it?"
"I hope that Angel and Spike bring Oz soon," Willow said, worried. "We have to figure this out, because if we've gone wrong somewhere we need time to fix it."
Angel knocked at the sky blue shack. Spike was picking paint chips from the doorframe.
A young woman opened the door. "Hello."
"Hi," Angel said. "We're looking for a friend."
"Short guy, red hair," Spike said.
"Oz," she said. "Wait here, please." She turned away and called, "Oz!"
The teen ambled into view. "Angel. Spike." He seemed surprised. Angel didn't blame him. "Thanks, Marge." The woman nodded and disappeared farther into the shack. "Trouble?" Oz guessed. "Are you good or evil?"
"I'm good, he's evil," Angel said. "We need you back in Sunnydale. We're trying to save the world."
"And you came all this way just to get me?" Oz asked. "Guess I'd better come with you. Let me grab my stuff and we can go."
"I think that of all of these miserable mortals that you've started to drag along with you, he's the least offensive," Spike said to Angel. "He's the only one with any sense."
Oz came back with a guitar case and duffel bag. "We can take Jack's van. I'll drive. What's the problem this time?"
"It's a long story," Angel said. "I'd rather let Giles tell you."
"It must be pretty bad."
"Why do you say that?" Angel asked.
"Not only did you come all this way to find me, but Spike's here." Oz started the van as Angel got in beside him and Spike stretched out in the back. "You need me specifically? Is it a werewolf thing?"
"It's an Oz thing," Angel said. "We think."
"Should be interesting."
"More than usual," Spike admitted from the backseat.
"You haven't threatened bodily harm yet," Oz said. "Is Giles blackmailing you?"
"Spike's been neutered," Angel said. "The Initiative put a chip in his head. He can't harm anyone, only evil demons."
"The Initiative," Oz said. "Oh, those commando guys."
"You know about them?" Angel asked.
"I've heard some. Buffy's new boyfriend's in charge?"
"New ex-boyfriend."
"Really," Spike murmured. "There's your big chance, Angel. You can slip in while she's still warm."
"Be quiet and go to sleep," Angel said.
"Yes, Daddy."
"I hate him."
"I thought you loved me."
"I don't."
"You said that you did."
"I was wrong."
"Too bad. I would've let you shag me."
"You're right, this is more interesting than usual," Oz said.
Riley leaned against Giles' kitchen counter. "Take your time."
"Why?" Giles asked, stirring the soup.
"Xander and Doyle are busy."
"Busy with what?"
"Each other."
"Oh." Giles stirred some more.
"I could tell them to stop."
"I wouldn't recommend it."
"You've tried?"
"Numerous times. It doesn't seem to do any good."
"What if we cursed them?" Wesley asked. "Simply to get them to take a break?"
"It turns out that half-Brachen males don't take curses well," Giles said.
"We could take care of that," Wesley said.
"How?" Riley asked.
"Castrate him," Wesley said.
Riley was still laughing when Spike wandered into the kitchen. "Got blood?"
"You're here!" Giles said. "You're here."
"I'm here," Spike agreed with a frown.
"And Angel?"
"I left him out in the noonday sun and he went up like a - - he's in the living room," Spike said, "talking with that half-breed."
"And...Oz?"
"Yeah, we brought him with us. Don't you have anything to eat?"
"Spike, you must take Oz from here," Giles said. "We cannot let Wesley and Oz see each other without the proper preparations. Please, take him to Buffy's home. Buffy's mother has agreed to let Oz stay with her for a few days."
"He shouldn't be any trouble," Spike said, "as housepets go. He's small and quiet and he only sheds three nights a month."
"I'm not to see Oz, then?" Wesley asked.
"Is that what the gibberish says, or are you just guessing?" Spike asked Giles.
"Please, go," Giles told Spike. "We're only taking precautions."
"Guessing," Spike said, and left the kitchen.
Giles, irritated, left Wesley to tend the soup and went to find the sheet of gibberish. He read over it time and again, trying to puzzle out the meanings. Some phrases stayed consistent to him, while others were interpreted variably with each reading.
Riley stood at his side. "How's it coming?"
"I am both annoyed and frustrated." Giles removed his glasses and set aside the page. "I don't know what we're to do now."
"Maybe we should stop worrying over it and just go ahead and do it. Introduce them to each other. Put them in the same room."
"And if that turns out to be the incorrect procedure and the spell comes to pass-"
"We can't sit around waiting for a sign," Riley said. "Sometimes we just have to act." He pressed his lips to Giles'. "Sometimes you just go for it and to hell with the consequences." He kissed Giles again.
Giles pushed Riley away. "I know what we need to do."
"You do?"
Giles kissed him. "Yes. I'll gather everyone here. Find me a furniture store."
"A furniture store?"
Tara, Willow, and Giles sat in a candlelit circle on the cold cement floor in the abandoned mansion. Buffy was waiting at one door, Riley at another. Tara began the incantation slowly. Willow and Giles intoned together as a sort of chorus after each set of phrases. There was a fourposter queen-sized bed present, draped in white silk and strewn with rose petals. When Tara came to the proper point in the spell, Buffy opened her door and Xander and Doyle came out, hand-in-hand. The two of them walked to stand beside the bed, faced each other, and kissed slowly, deeply. Doyle eased away from the kiss and led Xander from the mansion. Tara picked up the incantation again. This time Riley opened his door for the entrance of Angel and Spike. Angel laced his fingers with Spike's and led Spike to the bed. Angel's free hand came to Spike's jaw and tilted Spike to him, leaning in, brushing his lips over Spike's, settling in, opening Spike's mouth for his tongue. Spike allowed the kiss, flirted with Angel's tongue, then abruptly broke the kiss and turned away, leading Angel out again.
Tara once again began to speak. Buffy opened her door; out came Wesley. He was dressed neatly in belted slacks and a long-sleeved button-down shirt. He looked bewildered but, as per his strict instructions, remained silent.
Tara continued to speak. When she fell silent, Riley opened the door once more. Oz stepped out, looking around with curiosity. He wore his usual attire: jeans, T-shirt, black nail polish, thumb ring, spiked hair. He saw Wesley.
Their eyes met. Wesley's lips parted. Oz's nostrils flared.
The bed was between them. Oz stepped out of his shoes and pulled off his socks. Wesley did the same. Oz pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it.
Riley, Buffy, Giles, Willow, and Tara headed for the door.
Wesley, in an uncharacteristically careless display, dropped his glasses. He unbuttoned his shirt and cuffs hastily, then stripped out of his white tank undershirt. Hands went to belt and fly. The other five left, closing the door. Wesley and Oz, oblivious, once entirely naked approached the bed from opposing sides. They crawled onto it and met in the middle: first mouths, then hands, then bodies.
Wesley lowered Oz onto his back, sucking Oz's tongue into his mouth. Oz's hands slid back over Wesley's short dark hair, massaged quickly down Wesley's back, ran down into Wesley's groin, fisting and pulling. Wesley made a hot, desperate sound into Oz's mouth and spread Oz's thighs with two hands. Oz's knees came to Oz's chest; Oz arched and stretched, and Oz's legs went over Wesley's shoulders. His hand went back between Oz's legs, fingers pressing. The way was sweet and slick. Oz growled softly with pleasure, rubbing a thumb over the head of Wesley's cock. Wesley pulled away Oz's hand, twining their fingers, palm to palm, setting their hands beside Oz's head on the bed. He pushed forward, gave a thrust, and his cockhead popped inside of Oz's body. Oz arched and twisted; Wesley pressed onward, pushing into Oz until he was seated deep.
When Riley opened the door and entered the mansion again, he found Wesley and Oz lying asleep, naked, curled up together beneath the sheet. They looked like romantic, peaceful lovers. He went over to stand by the bed and put a hand on Wesley's shoulder. "Hey. Hey, guys, wake up."
Wesley's blue eyes opened. Blinked. Blinked.
Oz snuggled closer.
Wesley looked down at the top of Oz's head. He frowned. His eyes widened.
Riley backed up a little.
Wesley's hand slowly, fingers trembling, pet down the back of Oz's head, skated from nape to the small of Oz's back. Then Wesley smiled, arm tightening around Oz's waist.
Oz stirred, raised his head. Wesley kissed him tenderly. Tenderness turned to steadily mounting passion and Riley left the room.
"Did we save the world?" Buffy asked anxiously.
Riley closed the door. "Looks like it."
"Well, that was my good deed to this century," Spike said, and yawned. "I'm going to bed. Come on, Angel, I'll let you tuck me in." Angel looked startled. Doyle gave him a push as Spike started off; Angel followed quickly.
"Who says romance is dead?" Buffy asked.
"Well, they're dead," Willow said, "does that count?"
"As long as Angel's in town, I might as well stay," Doyle said. "It's my job, after all."
"You can stay at my place," Xander said.
"And suddenly Xander's parents' basement becomes an underground lair of seduction," Buffy said. "Have a nice time, Xan."
"I will," Xander said, and walked off with Doyle.
"As long as the party's breaking up, Tara and I were going to go, um, do some important wiccan stuff," Willow said. "We'll see you tomorrow."
Buffy watched them go, then looked from Giles to Riley. "Oh, go ahead, leave me, go off and make out or something, that's fine."
"Thanks for being understanding," Riley said.
Alone, Buffy sighed.
"That's just great." She pouted. "Anya has Jonathan.
Who's left for me, Parker?" She pouted some more, then paused.
"I wonder where Faith is."