the um, fic things I promised.

[mimesere]

As I add them slowly *g*.  If there are any i's or s's missing, I apologize.  My keyboard is all wonky.

For ealgylden,

Wesley tastes of Earl Grey and marmalade in the morning, bright and sweet on Gunn's tongue when he leans over and kisses Wesley across the table.  When Gunn moves back a little, enough to see, Wesley's eyes are wide with surprise and he licks his lips and so, of course, Gunn has to do it again.  Lean in and fit himself to Wesley's mouth like he was born to be there. 

Gunn feels okay again, like he hasn't in what seems like forever.  Wesley just reaches up and wraps his fingers around Gunn's wrist, not moving Gunn's hand from where it's lying careful against his neck -- the scar makes Gunn's palm itch with remembered anger -- but just holding on.

"Charles," he says when he can, and it makes Gunn's stomach knot up.  Charles is for Fred and pancakes and syrup sweet, not for this place and this person, not for them and not anymore.   

"English," says Gunn back and Wesley makes a sound in his throat like he's happy or hurting, but either way it doesn't matter because Wesley moves around the table and damn near tackles Gunn to the floor.  Gunn lets him; he falls fast and hard and he doesn't really mind the hurt of it because this is him and Wesley all over.

"We'll be late," says Wesley while he's struggling impatiently with Gunn's shirt.  "We're supposed--"

"She'll understand," says Gunn.  And she will, because this is him and this is Wesley and this is love.



For glossing,

Oz came back to them with two slayers in tow. Xander wasn't sure how he'd found out about them being in Cleveland or how he'd found out about the slayer activation thing, but that was two less that him or Faith or Wood or, God help them all, Andrew had to go after and Xander wasn't really going to complain.

"Oz!" said Xander, and he was moving before he could think, catching Oz up in a hug and pounding him happily on the back. For a long second, Oz just stood there and it got almost awkward before Oz reached up and hugged him back. "Long time no see," said Xander, pushing Oz to arm's length and looking him over. "You look good."

"You look...piratical," said Oz, finally. The hell of it was that Xander forgot all about it in the rush of seeing Oz after more than two years of the occasional postcard and the even more occasional five second phone call. "It's a good look on you."

And just like that, it was like Oz had never left. Xander ushered them all inside and set the girls up in the spare room before leaving them to the mercy of the others. Oz followed them through the house like a ghost, flickering in the corner of Xander's eye as he drifted in and out of view. "Right through there is the bathroom," said Xander. "You all take turns cleaning it and it's first come, first serve on the hot water. I call it a test of your speed and fighting ability."

"What does Buffy call it?" asked Oz.

"Mean," said Xander. He didn't have to see it to know that Oz was smiling. "If you need anything, just ask and we'll tell you no, but in a nice way."

Oz shadowed him after the girls left until Xander found them a quiet corner all to their own after pulling rank by virtue of being *the* slayer's friend and also working the one-eyed-man angle for all it was worth. Luckily, the girls he chased away were new and innocent enough to feel bad about the patch.

"How'd you know we were here?" said Xander.

Oz shrugged. "Word gets around," he said. "How'd it happen?"

"Crazy guy. Big evil."

"Ouch," said Oz. No pity, no horror, no nothing in his voice except the sureness that having his eye popped would hurt. Freak. It was good to have him back.

Xander grinned. "Nah. I took it like a man."

Oz's smile was nothing like...well, a smile, but it was enough that Xander actually caught it. "Cried?"

"Like a baby," said Xander. And then, because he couldn't help himself: "We missed you."

"Yeah?" asked Oz. Xander nodded. Oz exhaled softly and half-smiled, his expression someplace between happy and relieved. "I missed you too."