Author:
Beta: tx_cronopio.
Setting: BtVS S3 Post-"Lover's Walk."
Pairing: Giles/Oz.
Rating: R.
When he heard the soft knock on the door, he worried considering the lateness of the hour. Sunnydale hadn't been living up to its name - raining for the passed two days. He found a dripping wet boy on the other side of his door. "Come in. Come in." He ushered the boy inside and went to find towels to wrap around him.
"Sorry," the boy apologizes, "I couldn't think of anyone else." He seemed to feel bad for showing up. Like he should've been somewhere else, using someone else's towels.
"I don't mind." He walked to the kitchen to boil water for tea, then upstairs to his room for dry clothing.
The boy shivered under the towels. "Devon wasn't home. Figures."
"It's fine, Oz." He handed Oz a bundle of clothing. "They're going to be a little large."
Oz nodded and headed toward Giles' bathroom. When he came back, Giles handed him a cup of hot tea.
"You shouldn't be out late at night," Giles gave his standard warning.
"I know." Oz sipped the tea, feeling the liquid warm his body. He stood for a moment, eyes meeting Giles', peering over the mug. "Mind if I sleep on your couch?"
And Giles let Oz stay, covering him with soft blankets. One night became many. It wasn't as if Giles had many visitors, and no one asked why Oz arrived every day at school in Giles' car, instead of his own van.
One night as Oz sat there playing his guitar, Giles sat down the spoon he was stirring pasta with. "It sounds a little out of tune." He walked into the living room and plucked the guitar out of Oz's arms. His fingers strummed, listening, and went for the tuning knobs.
"Didn't know you played." Oz watched Giles' hands on his guitar.
"I used to play more often," he turned another knob, "now it's something I pick up once every couple of months." Strumming, he played a few lines of the Velvet Underground's "Who Loves the Sun."
"Nice." Oz nodded his head to the beat. "And goes well with the current weather."
"Yes, Buffy's been worrying; all this rain's a portent for something evil."
"Hellmouth. Evil happens." Oz ran his hand through his orange spikes. He hadn't dyed it since coming to Giles' home, and his brown roots were showing.
Giles nodded as he sat down the guitar. "Yes, that was my explanation." He stood and went back to his pasta.
The rain stopped before the full moon. Giles sat watching the werewolf on the third night. He was leery when Willow came to take over his shift. The girl felt bad for her transgression with Xander and was trying to make amends with Oz. But Giles stayed anyway, protective of Oz, and fell asleep at his desk.
"Hey." Oz placed his hand on Giles' shoulder, waking him. "You should've gone home."
Touching his hand to his mouth, Giles surreptiously checked for spittle. "You were rather lively. Besides I had research to do."
Oz handed him a cup of tea. Something he'd learned to do - perfected to make any Englishman proud. "You sure you're okay?"
"Just needed my morning cuppa." Giles sipped his tea. He smiled, trying to show Oz that everything was fine. Besides I wasn't the one awake almost all night." He'd never asked Oz if being the wolf made him tired in the morning.
"Mmm, Oz…class." Willow poked her head into the office.
"Yeah, I think I'm going to skip." Oz watched as Willow left without protest. He knew that her indiscretion with Xander had kept her quiet.
Giles yawned and continued to write. He was more tired than he thought. But it wasn't as if he didn't regularly stay up researching. Still, it became harder to do with each passing year.
Oz moved closer to Giles and laid his hand on the man's forehead. "You have a fever."
"Lovely." Giles shook his head.
With some pressure, Giles went home. He left a note on the library counter for Buffy, hoping that his Slayer would find it.
Oz helped him to his bed, tugging the sheets around him. He made Giles more tea and brought him Tylenol for his fever. Sitting on the edge of Giles' bed, Oz watched him sleep for several hours.
Groaning, Giles woke up. "Oz? Why are you still here?"
Reaching his hand out, Oz placed it on Giles' arm. "Making sure you're okay. After all, you took me in."
Giles smiled. It'd been a long time since he'd had a boy sitting on his bed and watching him sleep. Pulling himself up, he took more pills, downing them with water.
Oz insisted that Giles stay home another day even though he protested that he was well enough to work. He pulled a large blanket over both of them as they sat on the couch watching old movies on AMC. But neither of them paid attention to Ginger Rogers giving her affections to Fred Astaire.
"Thank you." Giles leaned back into the pillows. Oz had done so much for him. Not to mention that he calmed Wesley down, who had called in a panic when Giles failed to show up for another day. Apparently, asserting his power over the Slayers for one day on his own was too much. His hand laid on Oz's in appreciation and remembering another boy who a long time ago also got him out of responsibility and into a spot of trouble. A different kind of trouble than this one would, the one who'd been sleeping on his couch for several months.
With a small smile, Oz's fingers intertwined with Giles as the credits began to roll, and he clicked off the television. Turning toward Giles, he smiled. "This is nice."
Giles only nodded. He watched the boy's lips, longing to kiss them. But he couldn't; Oz was still in high school, granted that he was currently redoing his senior year. Too young and one of Buffy's friends, not to mention the existence of poor Willow who still wanted him back. Giles pulled his hand back. "I'm sorry, Oz." He moved to stand.
"Funny," Oz scooted toward Giles, "people usually call me Daniel when they really want to leave." Reaching up, his hand caressed the man's face.
"We can't do this." But Giles didn't shake off Oz's hand. "There are considerations."
"I don't care. Not like I haven't been with a guy. Plus, I like you. Which is pretty obvious." Oz leaned forward so their mouths almost touched.
Giles' eyes traveled to those lips again. "There will be consequences."
"Every relationship has them." Oz grinned. "We'll deal."
Tipping his head, Giles closed the gap between them. Lips tasted of Oz, lemon from the tea and something sweet and fresh. Feeling Oz's tongue pushing against his lips, he parted them and deepened their kiss. He groaned and continued to kiss Oz, losing himself in the moment.
Taking Giles' hand, Oz led him upstairs to the bedroom, undressing them. He smiled as Giles' body pressed into his, tumbling under his sheets.
While this was the first time he'd kissed Oz, been with Oz, it felt like another extension of their routine.
After they finished, Giles pulled Oz closer to him, holding him. He kissed the nape of his neck. "I'm feeling quite better."
"Good." Oz brought Giles' hand to his lips, kissing his fingers and snuggling into his arms. "Think we need a nap on our sick day." Sunlight crept through Giles' windows and onto the bed.