When the Blue Moon Rises

Title: When the Blue Moon Rises, Part Four
Author: frk_werewolf
Fandom: Buffy the Vamprie Slayer
Time-Span: Early Season 4, pre-Veruca, pre-Anya
Pairing: Xander/Oz
Rating: R
Summary: A Blue Moon, a werewolf on the lose, and Xander's life will never be the same again.
Notes: Aengus is the Irish God of Love.

*

Part Four


Xander knew very well how to avoid someone. He was very good at it, in his opinion. Yet, Oz seemed to pop up everywhere. Xander was starting tink ink that someone was against him. He didn't want to talk to the werewolf. The whole ordeal was much more than he could handle.

Xander could deal with the idea of Oz not having control of the situation that occured. That was okay. Xander could still remember the feeling of his hyena possession, no matter how long ago it was. It was the fact that he was being forced into a relationship that he did not appreciate. He didn't want to mate with Oz. Sure, he liked the guy... He even had a small crush on him. But now he didn't know what to think about that. It was like he had no choice.

And Oz just kept appearing. Xander had a feeling he was trying to talk to him. But Oz wasn't much for conversation, so it tended to end with akward silences and Xander running off. And Xander knew that Oz followed him at a small distance. It was like he was keeping an eye on him. Xander didn't know what to think of that, though deep down he was plagued by a content feeling from it.

After several weeks of dodge and miss between Xander and Oz, the rest of the Scooby Gang was getting a little annoyed. Buffy was all for locking them into a closet together, but Giles insisted that was not the way to go. Willow didn't offer comment. She had been oddly quiet since the official break up between her and Oz. They had erupted into another fight when she found out about the pregnancy. It had only ended when Oz stormed out of the room. She had left both boys alone since then, absorbing herself in her studies instead of getting involved with everyone else.

"I'm telling you, Giles, I can't take this anymore!" Buffy exclaimed, slamming the door behind her.

"Meaning?" Giles raised an eyebrow at her frustration.

"Willow won't talk to anyone. Oz won't do anything but follow Xander around like some lost puppy." Buffy groaned and fell onto the couch in defeat. "And Xander is jumping at every little thing. The only time he seems slightly calm is when he knows Oz is behind him. Which I find really weird. Xander won't talk to him, won't give him a chance, yet he's relying on him for safety."

"Yes, well, their relationship is going to be a trail." Giles commented.

"That's a bit of an understatement." Buffy replied. "Still... I'm worried about Willow."

"She appears to be taking it better than I thought she would, I must admit." Giles told her. "Willow is a smart girl, I'm sure she won't act too harshly."

"I suppose..." Buffy trailed off. "I'm going to go patrol."

*

Willow tried to ignore the voice in the back of her head that told her she was doing the wrong thing. Her logic had long ago lock the door and was not coming back anytime sooo heo her rage and ache for revenge against people she normally would not do a thing to was taken over. The candles were lit and the circle cast. She couldn't bring herself to look out the window at the cresent moon. Closing her eyes, she lit the incense and began. "Aengus, heed my call."

Outside the cresent moon began to change with each word. Oblivious, Willow continued her spell. All the while a look of blood cast across the moon. Across town, Buffy dusted her third vampire under the moonlight. As an odd feeling ran down her spine, like liquid caught on fire, Buffy looked up at the sky. Frowning at the odd look of the moon, Buffy chose to stake her way back to Giles' apartment.

In the center of Sunnydale, Xander was trying to avoid looking at Oz as he browsed the movie store. Hoping to get away from the staring werewolf, Xander grabbed a random movie and made his way to the counter. It wasn't until he was outside and looking at his ticket that he realized he picked up a werewolf movie. Groaning in frustration, Xander quickened his pace home.

Behind him, Oz watched with unmoving eyes. He felt odd, while watching his mate hurry down the sidewalk. A sensation with covering his skin, making it crawl. Taking a brief second to look skyward, he was met by the bloodred moon. A frown appeared on his face and he rushed to catch up with Xander. They turned the corner and, as though they both had breathed in sleeping gas, fell to the ground unconscious.

*

"I didn't mean for this to happen!" Willow insisted, her voice rising with each word.

"But it did!" Giles said through gritted teeth, pointing at the two unconcious boayinaying together on his couch. "When will you learn to think before you attempt magic?"

"I'm sorry!" Willow replied. "It was just a simple spell."

"Simple spell? Love spells are not, by any means, simple!" Giles told her. He pulled off his glasses in a fury and began cleaning them to a point where they were likely to crack. "Don't you remember the spell Xander cast in high scool? Love is not something that can be forced. That is why it is known by any spellcaster not to use love spells. They are unpredictable. You can not cast a correct spell when a person's emotions are at stake!"

"I told you I was sorry!"

"Yes! You're sorry! Well that's not going to wake them up, now is it!" Giles yelled.

"Stop screaming at me!"

"Get out of here!" Giles pointed his glasses at the door. "I expect Buffy to bring me a copy of the spell you used tomorrow morning. Now get out of my sight."

Willow stood in the living room a second more, her lower lip trembling. Giles looked away from her gaze, his anger melting slightly at the sight of the redhead about to cry. In order to keep himself from looking at her, he focused instead of the two unconscious boys.

*

It was almost three days later when Giles had any clue as to why the two boys had fallen unconscious. Books littered the r anr and table. A pillow and blanket were thrown carelessly onto the couch. Oz and Xander had long ago been moved to Giles' bed. The Watcher had insisted on sleeping on the couch, but sleep never came. Instead, he spent all his time looking things up and overveiwing the spell.

Buffy was about to chain Giles down in order to get him to sleep when Giles stood up, in in hand, and a look of triumph on his face. Quickly, he made his way upstairs, Buffy at his heels. "Giles, what's up?"

"The spell Willow cast was to get Oz to fall back in love her and out of love with Xander." Giles explained. "But we are still within the Blue Moon's cycle. The moon acted as a blockade to the spell, sending Oz and Xander into unconsciousness instead of let the them succumb to the spell."

"Boy, that moon sure likes to do things to people. Make them into werewolves, make two guys fall in love, effect spells... Is there anything it doesn't do?" Buffy asked, releaved that nothing too dangerous was happening to her friends.

"It doesn't help in the battle against vampires, I'm afraid." Giles informed her.

"So, how do we wake them up?" Buffy asked, ignoring Giles' humor.

"Sadly, Willow has to." Giles sighed as he looked down at the bed. Xander was laying on his back, snoring. Oz, even in the unconscious world, was curled over Xander in an attempt to proteim. im. "She has to cast the counterspell. Thankfully it's pretty simple. Do me a favor and bring her over here? She's still ignoring me I'm afraid."

*

It was an odd feeling, waking up after three days of sleep. Xander could feel a body shifting against him. Something inside him felt comforted by the gentle scent radiating from the body. Scooting closer towards it, Xander refused to open his eyes. Oz on the other hand, did. He watched as Xander rolled closer. He was about to retaliate when he noticed Willow, Giles, and Buffy watching them.

"Oz?" Willow asked softly, standing up from her circle of candles.

"Willow... What happened?" Oz looked down at Xander, who had finally opened his chocolate eyes. "Xander, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Xander replied, his voice cracking from ill-use. "G-Man... Why are we on your bed?"

"There was an incident." Giles told them. They remained quiet while Giles explained the spell. Xander didn't look at Willow. He stared instead at the comforter, watching as Oz's hand gripped the fabric tightly to control his anger.

Xander didn't want to think about how crazy this had all been. The idea that Willow had cast that spell didn't effect him as much as he thought. He was happy to have gotten out of it without being attacked with an axe. Still, something was different. Xander couldn't explain it, but for some reason he was more relieved that Oz was okay than himself.Taking a deep breath, Xander let his eyes travel up Oz's arm and to his face. A pair of curious eyes stared back at him, filled with mild aggitation that was quickly fading.

Later on, Xander would never be able to explain why he did what he did. It was something that had plagued him in dreams up until that point. Xander knew that the others were watching them, but he didn't really care at that moment. Slowly, so that Oz could move away if he wanted, Xander leaned closer to him. When Oz moved to meet him, Xander closed his eyes.

It didn't last long, the gentle touch of lips upon lips. The sounds of footsteps on the stairs and Giles clearing his throat kept the kiss q. Pu. Pulling away, Xander knew his face was bright red. Giles stood at the door, polishing his glasses. Willow and Buffy were nowhere to be seen.

"I think it would be best if you didn't do that in front of Willow." Giles advised. "I do not want another problem at hand to deal with. Now come on, I'm sure your hungry."

"She'll get over it." Oz merely stated, before turning Xander's face and kissing him again.

*

end note: I've decided there will only be one more part to this. the next part will include the Rated R parts and an epilogue of sorts.