Mwenzi

Mwenzi i
Pairing - Oz/Xander
Word count - 7869
Disclaimer - Not mine, don't sue
Summary - Oz and Xander run into each other in Africa, and things happen.
Author's notes - There are definitions and explanations for various terms used in the story at the end. My thanks to menomegirl and ely for beta duties. This was very roughly inspired by nwhepcat's story "The American Stranger," but it's slash, not gen or het.

With a sigh, Xander watched the latest slayer walk down the boarding tunnel to her flight. This one at least had some rudimentary English; she'd do fine in London. There were times that he wondered if he was doing the right thing, taking these girls away from their families, but sometimes - like this one - he had few doubts. The girl had already proven to be a sponge for knowledge, and her father had confided that there was no money for further schooling. Giles would see her desire and feed it.

His time under the African sun had darkened his skin at the same time that it had lightened his hair, burnishing it with red highlights. When he walked out of the airport, he no longer blinded himself with too-white skin. He was still noticeable as a mgeni ii , but at least now he couldn't be picked out at a mile.

Xander's time in Africa had been marked by change, lots of it. He'd been literally dropped here, with minimal support, and he'd had to learn to make do as best he could. He'd learned the language, though it was still a struggle to make himself understood. He learned how to read a trail, and how to keep from laying one. He'd learned how to survive in the space between cities. Not bad for a man who'd never left California before a sinkhole took his home.

During his weekly phone call with Giles, the older man had observed that Xander seemed - calmer, somehow. More centered. More mature, certainly. He would never have guessed that it was because Xander had pared his life down and eliminated a need to hide who he was, even from himself. From an acceptance of his own intelligence to admitting his ignorance about some things. From no longer hiding his heart to admitting his sexuality, at least to himself. Africa had been good for Xander, if not to him.

Going into the little café that he'd used as his headquarters while in Nairobi, he spread out his map of Kenya, debating which of half a dozen leads he should follow. Finally, he picked one about a girl who was claiming to have fought off a half dozen mashaitani iii with "funny faces." She was in Lodwar, about a two day drive north of Nairobi if the roads weren't too bad.

Starting to fold up the map, he nearly dropped it when he heard 'Xander?" in an American accent. Turning around, his mouth dropped open in shock as Oz dropped a pack at the table, a matching look of shock on his face.

"Oz?" He looked good, his hair bleached red-gold, his skin pink instead of Xander's dusky brown.

"Yeah, man, it's me. What the hell are you doing here?" Oz's voice was quiet, laid back, but his hug showed far more emotion, squeezing just a little too long, a little too hard. When he finally let go, Xander had to hold back a desire to grab him again, just for that feeling of family, of home.

Picking his map up and finishing folding it, he said, "That's a long story, Oz, and one not best discussed in public. I've got a room a nearby. Why don't we go there?"

Oz nodded silently and picked up his pack, standing back and waiting for Xander to lead the way. He didn't hesitate, just heading to the small hoteli iv , and then to his room.

Once they were both settled, Xander on the bed and Oz at the edge of the chair, looking like a bird about to take flight, he cast about for where to start. "Well, first off, did you hear what happened to Sunnydale?"

"Yeah, big hole. No more town. Went there about six months ago, but I only stayed a day. Couldn't stand looking at it. Did... everyone get out?"

But Xander heard what Oz didn't say. "Willow's fine. She's in Brazil right now, with Kennedy."

"Kennedy?"

So Xander had to explain. What happened to Tara, and Willow losing it. And then the potentials and the Bringers and the First. And then Caleb, only reluctantly mentioning him because thinking about him made the empty socket throb in protest.

By the time he ran down, Oz looked... well, actually, he looked like he always did. Relaxed, taking it all as it came. The only thing that gave that all wasn't right in the land of Oz was the tightening of his fists on his knee.

"So, you're here looking for Slayers?"

"Yeah. Found eleven so far but we figure there's got to be more. Besides, new ones get born every day. Tracking 'em all down would keep a hundred guys busy, but there's just me here in Africa. We have a couple of people in Europe, two in Asia, three in the States and one in South America, as well."

Oz started to ask another question and then checked himself. Xander just waited. Finally, Oz said, "Sorry. Just a lot to take in. After all the problems Buffy had with the council our senior year, it's just ironic that you work for them."

Xander just nodded. After a long moment of silence, he asked. "What are you doing here, anyway? Still looking for ways to..."

"Control myself? Yes and no. I think the wolf is as controlled it's going to be. Sometimes it's harder than others, though. But now I'm in the habit of traveling."

Nodding again, Xander grinned. "Yeah, I get that. I don't think I could go back to just living in one place again."

Oz just nodded.

"You got plans? Or, maybe, you could travel with me for a while. Have to admit that I wouldn't mind having someone with me who speaks English and knows his way around a trail."

With a shrug, Oz said, "Sure. Sounds good to me."

****

The next morning, Xander checked out and loaded his supplies in the Land Rover. Oz showed up just as the last bag was being tossed in the back. Xander had offered to arrange something for him at the hoteli, but Oz had turned him down flat, saying he was good for the night.

Throwing his pack in with the rest, Oz swung up into the passenger seat, and they set off to Lodwar.

While it wasn't that far on the map - only about three hundred miles or so - Xander had learned that distance was all relative in Africa. The first leg, from Nairobi to Kitale, was comparatively easy, the road all paved, though some parts were better than others. Oz made a good traveling companion, not feeling a need to fill up quiet time with pointless noise, but observant about the wildlife and vyengo v they passed, willing to take his turn behind the wheel. Xander knew better to than to trust how fast the trip was going, so he started looking for a place to set up camp long before dark.

Spotting a likely looking location, he discovered another advantage. Oz was an experienced camper, and between the two of them they had the campsite set up in about a third of the time it would have taken him by himself.

As darkness settled around them like a shroud, both of them relaxed in front of the fire, listening to the sounds of the night. Used to be, Xander would have been compelled to fill the silence with sound, but so much time by himself had taught him that there was little or no need for speech unless you actually had something to say.

Gradually, he drifted off to sleep, not even noticing that it was a full moon.

The sound of an animal snuffling around brought him out of his sleep, and for a moment he was disoriented. He'd taken few of his normal precautions against the wild, and he couldn't remember at first why. Then the steady sound of breathing penetrated, and he looked across the glowing coals at Oz.

Oz wasn't sleeping. He was... meditating? Sitting up, cross legged, and watching him made Xander's eye hurt. It almost looked as if you could see his body trying to change. Then the animal - a kima vi - sniffed at one of the packs again. Oz's eyes flew open, and he growled. The kima freaked out, running away as fast as his little legs and arms could take him, and Xander couldn't help but smile. He'd lost too many supplies to various animals to be very sentimental about them, and it was kind of nice to see one getting his comeuppance.

Oz's eyes flashed in the dark, as if waiting for Xander to say something. Instead, Xander turned over and went back to sleep.

****

The next morning, they broke camp after a quick breakfast of power bars, and then they were on their way again. The road today was much rougher, and their speed dropped accordingly. There were more people on and near the road as well, and Xander made good use of the Swahili that he'd picked up over the last year, gathering more gossip for the mill. Oz didn't say much, just listening and occasionally volunteering a word or two when Xander's grasp of the language faltered.

That night, they were offered the ukarimo vii of one of the vyengo, which they gratefully accepted. It wasn't much more than a small nyumba viii , but it had a door and they wouldn't have to worry about animals rifling their packs. Dinner was with one of the families, and then they both pled fatigue from the road and headed to where their bedrolls were already laid out.

As they settled in for the night, Xander kept catching Oz looking at him out of the corner of his eye. Finally, he turned and looked at him dead on. "Is something wrong?"

"No."

"Then what's up? You're usually not much with the staring at people until they flip on you."

Oz laughed. "I'm not used to people knowing what I am and still being willing to turn their back during a full moon. And I'm not used to being around people so much anymore."

'I know you, Oz. Know that you wouldn't be walking around during the full moon if you didn't think it was at least a safe bet that you could control yourself. Besides, I kinda miss being around people who know what Sunnyhell was like. Who I can talk about this stuff with and not have them look at me like I've spontaneously grown a second head or something. " Oz nodded knowingly. "Do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Do you miss being around people who know who you are - what you are - and care for you anyway?"

Oz looked thoughtful and didn't answer for so long that Xander thought he wasn't going to. But finally, he cocked his head to the side and said, "I miss being touched more. I can find people to talk to if I want to, but I'm always foreign no matter where I go, and that means that I'm, not untouchable, but something close. Or everyone wants to touch me, because I'm so different. No one wants to touch me for me."

"Yeah, I get that. After Caleb... well, after, no one wanted to touch me outside of the Scoobies. It was almost like it was contagious or something - don't touch the guy with the eyepatch, your eye might fall out too!"

Oz did that "looking wise" thing. Then, still silent, he simply held out his hand to Xander, who took it. For a long time, they just sat there, holding hands and looking at each other. Even that level of contact, though, after so long of no touching was enough to make Xander suddenly, achingly, hard. Oz sniffed hard, his glance sharpening, and that did more to remind him that Oz was a werewolf with a sharper sense of smell than anything else could have. Then the sounds of a child crying outside the hut broke the moment, and they pulled their hands back slowly. "I think... maybe we should talk, Oz. When we're not here."

Oz just nodded again and folded himself into a lotus position. Xander took the opportunity to lie down, wrapping his blanket around his shoulders. He didn't think he'd be able to sleep, but within seconds, he was gone.

****

The next morning, they were fed by another family, and then it was back into the Rover for the last stretch of the drive. At Kapenguria, they had to stop and wait for a police escort into Lodwar proper - civilians weren't allowed to make the drive unattended. ix It used to be that Xander would chafe under those kind of restrictions, but he'd relaxed since coming to Africa. Dua la kuku halimpati mwewe x .

While waiting for the escort to be ready, he finally took the time to turn to look at Oz, who quirked an eyebrow at him and pointed at one of the cops a few feet away. "It'll keep till tonight, yeah?"

Xander nodded and turned to face forward just as the small convoy started up. As many times as Xander had criss-crossed this area, he'd never figured out why some areas required escorts and others didn't - he'd felt less safe in Nairobi than he did in northern Kenya.

It took a few more hours, but finally they pulled up in Lodwar. Thanks to modern technology and Xander's satellite phone, he had reservations at the Nawoitorong Guest House xi , located right outside the city, and thanks to Giles' pull, they had one of the detached visitors' cottages. It only took a few minutes to offload their stuff, and then they were left sitting in a private cottage with nothing to do but look at each other.

"So, do you -"

"What do you -"

Oz sat back and waved for Xander to continue, but now he couldn't seem to make his tongue work. He tried to tell Oz to go ahead, but he seemed perfectly content to wait until Xander had his thoughts in order. "You know what happened, Oz. I could pretend that it didn't if you'd be more comfortable. I'm certainly not going to get pushy about anything - I'm enjoying having company far too much."

Tilting his head, Oz stared at him for a long moment. "What makes you think it was a problem?"

"Uh..." Now that he thought about it, Xander had to admit that Oz hadn't given him any reason to think that he was unhappy about what had happened. He'd just kind of assumed that Oz wouldn't want him getting a happy over having his hand held by another guy. "So it's not?"

"Nope."

"Uh... Why not?" Xander could have cheerfully removed his own tongue if it meant that he could take those words back.

But Oz just smiled.

****

Dinner was at the main compound and was absolutely delicious - not that Xander could identify most of it. He'd long since learned that when it came to food, he was probably better off not being able to recognize what he was eating. Fewer issues that way.

After their meal, Xander only stopped long enough to pick up some stakes and slide a long knife into his belt. Time to do his actual job. He hadn't gotten far before he felt a presence at his back, and he had to turn and smile. Oz had obviously made free with the weapons bag, and had the matching knife stuck through his own belt, as well as his own stakes.

For tonight, Xander stayed to relatively main thoroughfares. He didn't expect trouble on those, but they'd give him a good feel for the streets. Tomorrow night would be soon enough for the alleys, unless they heard a scream or something.

Like that one.

With instincts honed from being scoobies for years, both Xander and Oz ran towards the noise, finding two vampires playing with a young girl in the alley, shoving her back and forth between them. She was screaming and crying, and just as Xander and Oz ran to her rescue, one of the vamps gave into temptation and bit her, or tried to, anyway.

The sobbing girl suddenly became a duma xii , fighting, hissing and spitting. Both Oz and Xander pulled up short in surprise, but as the vampires recovered and started circling, they stepped up behind them and dusted them. While Xander was still coughing from the dust he'd inhaled, Oz had already stepped up to catch the tiny girl as she collapsed.

She was babbling before she hit the ground, going so fast that neither Xander nor Oz could pick out more than one word in five. "Sema pole, mtoto, pole... xiii " Oz murmured, arms still wrapped around her.

The girl sucked in huge gulps of air and then, very very carefully said, "You killed them."

Xander stepped forward. "Do you speak English, child?" The girl nodded, eyes wide. "My name is Xander and this is Oz. What's your name?"

"Aza. xiv "

"Aza. That's a lovely name. Those were mashaitani, and yes, we killed them. Where there's one, there's usually more, though. We should talk about it with you, but it's late. Can you talk now, or should you be going home?"

"I need to be home, Xander. My mother will be worried, I'm so late!" The girl was shaking and still had made no effort to get up, and Oz and Xander exchanged a worried glance.

"Can you stand, Aza? We will walk you home, if you want." That got the girl up, quickly.

"No, no... I'll be fine. I just need to go." And then she ran, like all the demons were coming from hell for her. Xander shook his head. Of course she thought that - he'd just told her that demons were real.

"Well, you found your girl, Xander." Oz leaned against the wall and relaxed, looking almost boneless.

"Nope, I don't think I did. The girl I was following was supposed to be older - that girl couldn't have been more than twelve. It's possible that the rumors aged her, but in my experience they work the other way, making them younger, not older."

"Oh, shit."

"Yeah."

****

Oz and Xander returned to their small cottage before dawn. By the time Xander got out of the shower, he found Oz already sprawled across one bed. Hesitating between the two beds, Xander debated asking if he could share Oz's bed, just for a little while, but he wasn't sure that that would be more than either of them were ready to handle. The decision was made more difficult when Oz turned on his side and shifted to one side of the bed. "If you want, Xander... there's room."

He didn't want to think too closely about why it was so tempting to crawl in with Oz. Instead, he chalked it up to touch hunger that had been reawakened by the close contact that he'd not had so long.

Shaking his head, he turned and climbed into the empty bed. For the next few hours, he wondered why he'd done that.

****

When they finally got back up, it was early afternoon. Dressing for the weather, Oz and Xander went out looking for more information. Using a rough mix of Swahili and English, as well as liberal amounts of money, Xander tried to track down the source of the rumors. By dinner time, he had a neighborhood and a vague description.

Dinner and a nap, and then it was full dark again. This time, Xander and Oz cut right across town to where various sources had pointed out the mchipukizi xv who was sana xvi hodari xvii . Finding a small tavern, both men ordered a local beer and sat quietly in a corner, listening carefully.

Just as Xander was about to give up for the evening, Oz laid one hand on his and tilted his head towards at the two men at the table next to them. Ignoring the thrill that ran through his body at Oz's touch, Xander struggled to focus on their words.

Their language was heavily accented with Turkana xviii , but he could make out that they were talking about someone's daughter - a girl who wouldn't obey, wouldn't listen. She'd been caught going out at night, but wouldn't tell who she'd been meeting. By the time the two men had stood up to leave, they had a name. Nadira xix .

With a name, the game changed. Xander slid out of the bar, followed by Oz. "So, now we go back and catch some sleep, so we can be back in the market early in the morning. That's when the girls tend to gather, and hopefully we'll be able to find this girl and follow her long enough to figure out where she lives. Then a nap, and spend the night hunting while we try to figure out how to get close enough to her for me to try to explain what she is."

Oz nodded and then asked as they slipped through the quiet streets. "What about Aza?"

"She's too young - I'll never be able to get close to her. I'm going to have to call Giles - hopefully, they'll have a trained slayer that they can get here and let her handle getting close enough to the family to get a feel for her. With luck, her family won't fight it too hard - the advantage of an area of the world where belief in demons and the like is pretty common."

Xander sighed. "Nadira is another matter. If she's older than sixteen, and her father believes that she's going out at night to meet a man, he may marry her off. There's no time to wait for a slayer or a regular watcher to get here for her."

As they approached the compound where their cottage was, Oz spoke up. "So tomorrow we find her and find a way to get her trust. No problem."

Xander looked doubtful, but he nodded and said, "Right. No problem."

****

This time, Xander took his shower first. As he and Oz passed in the door, Oz in his boxers and Xander with a towel wrapped around his waist, he had to admit to himself that it was at least in part because he didn't want the decision of where to sleep tonight.

He liked Oz. Well, he'd always liked Oz, but now he was honest enough with himself to admit that he wouldn't mind finding out if Oz was as open minded about sexuality as he was about everything else. Xander's own bisexuality was still more on the theoretical level anyway, and he wasn't sure that he could take that step without being more certain.

As he settled into bed, the bathroom door opened, letting out a swirl of steamy air. Oz came out, apparently not at all self conscious about the fact that he was completely naked. Xander found himself staring at his body, at his cock where it lay quiescent along one thigh when he sat on the edge of the bed to dig through his bag for a pair of shorts. When he finally dragged his eye away, it was to meet Oz's laughing smile. As he tried to stutter out some sort of explanation or something, he stood up and came over to the bed that Xander was lying on.

Sitting down next to him, Oz said, "It's cool, Xander. Cool to look, could even touch if you want. It's all good."

"I, uh, I'd like to. I just..." And then Oz was leaning over, slowly, like he was giving him time to say no or pull back. When he didn't, warm lips pressed softly against his, but only briefly.

"It's okay."

Xander made a small sound in his throat, somewhere between a moan and a chuckle. Without any conscious thought, his hands came up and wound themselves in Oz's hair, tugging him back down. "That offer to share a bed still open?"

Oz chuckled, his lips vibrating against Xander's. "Yeah, it's still open. Wanna move over?"

Clumsily, Xander shifted, but he didn't think to let go of Oz's hair, perforce pulling him along as well. With another chuckle, Oz went willingly, settling down so that he was lying on Xander's chest. For long minutes, they just kissed, going for gentle to passionate and back, but as Oz started to shift down Xander's body, he tensed up. Accepting that he was attracted to men in general and Oz in particular had been a lot - but to actually do something about it was even more and he wasn't sure he was ready for that.

Oz pulled back enough to look at his face, carefully, and then nodded, as if he understood whatever he saw there. Going back to that slow motion movement, he went back to kissing Xander as if they had all the time in the world.

The next time they stopped, it was because Xander stopped it. "Oz... I need..."

"I know what you need." And then Oz was moving, shifting so that their cocks were pressed together, just the material of their boxers separating them. Slowly, carefully, Oz started to thrust, rubbing them together, and Xander gasped. He'd never... Oh, god...

Gradually, both of them started moving faster, sweatslick skin moving against skin. As Xander got hotter, his hands sought out the waist of Oz's shorts, shoving them down, trying to get more contact. Oz took that as the permission it was, kneeling up long enough to shed them, help Xander slide out of his own, and this time when he laid back down, the feeling was a hundred times more intense.

He was gasping, sucking in air between kisses like a drug. Then Oz shifted again, so that his cock was sliding in that spot where leg meets body, so his own cock was tucked up against Xander, and that's all it took. With a soft cry, Xander spilled between them, and Oz thrust once, twice more, and followed after him with a cry of his own.

By the time Xander had caught his breath, Oz had already padded to the bathroom, returning with a damp washcloth. Wiping them both off, Oz climbed back into the bed with him, only pausing long enough to say, "Okay?" Still a little in shock, all Xander could do was nod. Oz got comfortable, and before Xander could think what he wanted to say, they were both asleep.

****

The next morning started a routine of frustration. Oz and Xander would spend the mornings in the marketplace, listening for Nadira's or Aza's names, or indications of areas of high risk for vampires. Afternoons were spent catching naps, and then nights spent chasing down any rumors heard in the morning. While they managed to kill a bunch of vamps, after three days, they still were no closer to finding their girls.

Additionally, Xander was beyond confused about the situation with Oz. They were sleeping together, but just sleeping - Oz hadn't made any overture to do anything further, and he was too confused to do it himself.

When the alarm went off on the fourth morning, Xander was tempted to just turn it off and go back to bed. Maybe see if Oz would be up for a repeat of the other night. But some little niggling voice demanded that he not do that, and with a sigh he pulled himself out of bed.

Oz was already up, sitting on the other bed, meditating, but as Xander pulled on a tee and laced up his boots, he gave a visible all over body shake and stretch. "Hey. About ready to go?"

"Yeah."

Together, they headed to the market. At this point, they knew the gathering places for all the teenage girls, so it was a shock to hear "Nadira! Nadira! There they are!" in Aza's high, clear English before they'd even gotten to the market proper.

Turning, they saw the young slayer holding an older girl's hand and dragging her bodily towards them. Cautiously, Xander said, "Hi there."

Aza, on the other hand, showed no such concern. "Mr. Xander. Mr. Oz. Tell my sister about the mashaitani! She's seen them too, but she still doesn't think they're real!"

Well. No Sunnydale denial here, that was for sure.

"They are real, Aza. As real as we are. And a lot more dangerous - you haven't gone looking for them, have you?"

She gave him a look of disdain that needed no translation - he'd seen it many times on Dawn's face. He could practically hear the California inflected, "Do I look like a moron?"

Nadira looked at them with hope in her eyes - and some despair. "They're real?" Her English was more heavily accented than her sister's. "What about the..." She looked frustrated as she groped for the words. "Ndoto... xx "

"Dreams?" Oz asked.

"Yes! Dreams! Are they real too?" Nadira looked fearful, and Xander felt his heart break. He only knew about the dreams from Buffy, but he knew how scary and painful they could be. And here he was going to have to tell this lovely young woman that she was dreaming about real monsters and that her destiny was to fight them.

"Yes, Nadira. They're real, too. Do you think - could we possibly go to your house? We need to talk to your father and both of you."

Xander was getting a little worried. The poor girl was almost visibly wilting as he told her that her greatest fears were true. If she didn't find the bravery that everyone talked about, she'd never survive as a slayer. Then, as he watched, she gave herself a visible shake and drew herself up to her full height - which rivaled his. "Of course. Would you follow me?"

Without another word, Nadira turned and started walking away, acting for all the world like she led two white men to her home every day of the week, still holding Aza by the hand.

Oz and Xander hurried after her, exchanging looks as Xander, at least, tried to figure out what he was going to say to her father. He hated this part.

****

One very long conversation with the girls' father later, and Xander had found out a few things.

The old legends were still remembered here.

Slayers were known.

And the girls' father was extremely proud to have not one but two in his house.

He had been full of questions. Could the girls stay here and get trained? Did they have to go to England? What was a "Watcher?" Would both girls have one? Did they have to be split up or could they work together?

Xander didn't know the answers to most of his question - as far as he knew, this situation was completely unprecedented. The only thing he could do was assure the man that he wasn't going to force the girls to leave if they didn't want to go, and that he'd start showing both girls about slaying that night, until a real Watcher could get there.

As the father showed them out, Xander looked at Oz, bemused. That had gone a lot easier than he had expected. He hoped that didn't mean everything else was going to be more difficult to compensate.

Oz smiled at him and sidled up closer. "Shall we go take a nap, Mister Xander?"

He couldn't help but grin. Then again, easy sometimes just meant easy. "Sure, Mister Oz."

****

The room was pleasant after the heat of the day, and stripping off hot and sweaty clothes for a cool shower felt even better. Xander came out of the bathroom to find Oz putting down the last of the shades, and adjusting one of the fans so it blew directly over the bed.

He was also naked.

Blushing, Xander dropped his towel, and stood there as well, just looking at Oz for long minutes, who stood unselfconsciously, letting him look freely.

Then there was a sound, a movement, and both of them were flowing together, hard and fast. Mouths seeking each other out, hands touching skin softly and gently. This time, when Oz's hand started trailing a slow path of fire down his chest and stomach, Xander swallowed hard but held his ground, wanting... needing to feel.... Oz's hand wrapped around his cock, stroking gently. Oh, god, that...

Wrapping his own hand around Oz's cock, so that he didn't think that Xander wanted him to let go, he stepped slowly back, pausing only when he felt the bed against his thighs. Then he moved his hand, and turned the two of them so that he could press Oz back into the soft mattress, holding his weight off the smaller man on knees and elbows.

Ignoring the blush that he was sure was staining his cheeks, he asked, "Can I... Can I try something, Oz?"

"As long as it doesn't involve throwing hummus at me, sure."

For a moment, Xander was puzzled, and then when he remembered that long ago suggestion to attack the mayor with hummus he couldn't help but laugh. In a second, Oz joined in, and the tension... wasn't broken so much as changed to something that carried less pressure.

When they both finally calmed, Xander started kissing a slow path down Oz's chest, tracing out the muscle and bone till he found a nipple. Licking it softly, he was rewarded by a soft gasp, and when he sucked it into his mouth, Oz's hands came up to tangle themselves in his hair.

For a long time, he just alternated between Oz's nipples, licking them and biting gently. Oz didn't push him for anything more and Xander was grateful, sure that he realized that he was trying to build up his courage. Eventually, though, the tension thrumming through Oz's body couldn't be ignored any longer, and Xander began moving further down.

When he reached Oz's cock, he was almost... surprised, and he was certainly unsure of what exactly he should do with the hard on in front of him. He started by wrapping his hand around it and giving a tentative tug, which made Oz moan loudly, and when Xander hesitantly ran his tongue over the large vein, it caused a soft cry.

He was more than a little doubtful that he was going to be able to figure out what to do here - he had no idea how Anya used to do this so confidently. Well, time to see if he could remember what felt good when it was done to him. Licks and kisses and sucking on the head - all in there.

Finally, Oz tightened his hands in Xander's hair. "Xander... can't stand much more of this. Too fucking good, man - you're killing me, here." When Xander struggled to lower his head, Oz changed his grip. "Let me... let me guide you?"

Xander nodded, and took Oz back into his mouth, holding in place as Oz's hands urged him to do. Slowly, Oz began thrusting up, slow, shallow thrusts that none-the-less went deeper than Xander was expecting. Still, it felt good, and Xander moaned. For a brief second, Oz froze, and then started moving again, much faster.

"Xander - gonna.... Gonna come - you don't want it, pull back now."

Xander stubbornly hung on, and with a wordless cry, Oz came. Xander swallowed as much of it as he could, choking a bit, but it didn't taste bad - just a bit bitter and musky.

With a smile and a feeling of accomplishment, he slowly kissed his way back up Oz's body to his mouth. Lazily, he rubbed against his thigh as their mouths met, and just as he thought that he could get off just like this, Oz spoke. "You could fuck me, if you want."

That pulled Xander up short. "I could?"

"Sure. If you want."

Kissing him again, hard, Xander pulled back to look closely at Oz's face. "I want. I very much want. But only if you want it too, you know."

Oz laughed, a soft chuckle. "I've wanted since I ran into you in that café. I still want. Hell, look in my bag if you don't believe me."

Cocking his head, Xander studied him for a minute, then stood up and quietly went to where Oz's pack sat. Bringing it back to the bed, he handed it to him. Oz promptly opened one pocket and pulled out a small bag containing a tube of what was clearly lubricant and a box of condoms. "Picked these up that last night in Nairobi. Hoped we'd get to use them at some point."

Taking the bag, Xander leaned forward and kissed him again. "I think I may just love you."

Then, as he realized what he said, he pulled back and stammered. "Not in that way, of course, because I don't -"

But Oz just waved him off. "I know what you mean. You ever done this before? I mean this, not just regular sex."

"Yeah, with An - I mean, with girls. Not much different, right?"

"Right, but, well... you'll see if you decide you want to take a turn."

"Okay," and then Xander was urging Oz onto his back, and opening the tube of slick. Applying a thick layer to his fingers, he gently pressed one to Oz's tight entrance. As it slid inside, he leaned down to kiss Oz's mouth, to lose himself in tongue and lips and taste.

When Oz was relaxed and moaning softly, Xander added another finger. As he did so, he brushed... something... inside him that made Oz gasp and jerk. Xander froze, afraid that he'd hurt him, but Oz grabbed his arm and said, "No... that's good. Very very good... Do that again."

With a nod, he focused his fingers right on that spot, rubbing gently, watching in amazement as Oz shook and moaned in his arms and his cock grew hard again. "Now, Xander. Fuck me now..." Slowly, Xander slipped his fingers free of Oz's body, and shifted so he was kneeling between his legs. Tearing open the condom package, he rolled it on, and added slick. Oz lifted one leg against Xander's shoulder and wrapped the other around his waist as Xander carefully lined his cock up. Pushing gently, he sighed as he was surrounded by heat and slick and tight.

Once he was buried inside Oz, he rested his weight on his fists, waiting for Oz to adjust. It was only a matter of moments, but then Oz opened his eyes and gave Xander that open smile. Taking that for permission, Xander started moving slowly, wanting to make this feeling last.

But the demands of his body couldn't be postponed forever, and he had to start moving faster, harder. Oz took everything he was handing him and gave it right back, till the only sounds in the room were their moans and the slap of skin on skin. And when Oz took his own cock in his fist, stroking himself in time to Xander's thrusts, the last of his control snapped.

His hips surged forward, all rhythm forgotten. And when Oz cried out, his back arching, filling the space between them with wet warmth, Xander followed after.

When Xander regained control of his muscles, he was collapsed on top of Oz, who was pushing at his shoulder, trying to get him to move. "Oh! Sorry." With a groan, he pulled out of Oz and pushed himself to his feet. Stumbling to the bathroom, he got rid of the condom and grabbed a washcloth.

Going back to the bed, he helped Oz clean up, and then practically fell next to him, pulling him into a rough embrace, and then he was asleep before either of them could say anything.

****

That evening, Xander and Oz arrived at the girls' house just as the sun set. After distributing the weapons that they brought - stakes and knives - they took the girls out hunting.

When they found a small nest of vamps, surprisingly it was Aza who threw herself into the battle with a joy and a recklessness that reminded Xander of Faith. Nadira held back until one of the vamps managed to get a grip on Aza's arm, and then she turned into a whirling dervish in defense of her sister.

By the end of the night, both girls were fighting freely and chattering away, much more confident and relaxed. Xander had made several notes to pass on to Giles, and smiling, he returned the girls, tired but happy, to their home.

****

For the next four days, that became their routine. Nights were spent with the girls, showing them how to fight vampires and the occasional other demons. Mornings were spent sleeping, and afternoons, when the heat was at its most intense, Oz and Xander spent leisurely exploring each other's bodies. Some things that Xander tried didn't work, and others occasioned laughter from both of them, but more and more all that could be heard during these times were moans and sighs at how good it all felt.

Xander never offered to let Oz fuck him, though. The thought still made him nervous, and Oz never asked.

Finally, a Watcher arrived from the council to take over Aza and Nadira's training, and after the introduction and tearful farewells, Oz and Xander returned to their lodging to try to figure out their next plan of action.

"The best rumors I've heard are actually in Tanzania," Oz said. "Down in the capital city of Dar Es Salaam."

Xander nodded absently, looking at the map. "Too far to drive, though. Would require us to fly down. Could leave the rover here with the girls and their Watcher. Giles would pay for a charter flight to Nairobi, and from there a regular flight to Tanzania."

For the first time in the conversation, Xander looked at him. "That is, if you want to go with me?"

There was a long moment of silence, and Xander cursed his big mouth. While he thought they worked together really well, why would Oz want to go with him? He was used to being on his own, and there was no reason to think that he'd want to give that up to answer to the council.

But then Oz nodded, a happy smile on his face, and Xander let out the breath he didn't realize that he was holding. "It'll take a day or two for Giles to set up all of that, won't it?" Xander nodded, and Oz continued, "Well, we've got a bit of time to burn then, and no responsibilities. Shall we just relax for a bit?"

With a nod and grin of his own, Xander was a little surprised when Oz tackled him to the bed. He'd gotten so used to Oz letting him be the aggressive one, that he'd started to think that Oz would never be that forceful.

The tackle turned into a playful wrestling match, one that Xander didn't care if he lost. Oz might have been a lot smaller, but he was much stronger than he looked. Pinned to the bed, he arched his back, feeling where hard cocks rubbed together through their clothing.

"You've got me. Whatever will you do with me now?" he asked playfully.

"I thought I might fuck you. You good with that?"

And with that, the tension in the room ratcheted up. "I've... I've never done that. But I want to try."

Oz chuckled, a dry sound. "Just relax. It's all good." Shifting so that he was stretched along Xander's side, he kissed him. "That's the most important thing in trying new stuff. Just relax, and it'll all be fine."

Xander took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and letting some of the tension go with it. Oz studied his face for a long moment and then kissed him again.

For a long time, that's all there was, lips and teeth and tongues tangling together in a dance. Gradually, Oz's hands started moving over Xander, undoing a button there, unzipping his pants here, and then Oz's comforting weight disappeared. Before he could panic, Oz was back, naked, slick skin pressed against him.

Then Oz seemed to set out to drive Xander out of his mind. Featherlight touches that didn't satisfy, kisses so light that he wasn't sure they actually touched skin. Teasing and tasting. By the time Oz slid between his legs and laid soft kisses where thigh met body, he was twisting and sobbing with need. But instead of the warm wet of Oz's mouth on his cock, he urged him to spread his legs wider, tip his hips up.

When Oz dropped down, licking and sucking at his balls, he gasped and whimpered, and then he went even further back. On the first touch of a tongue to his entrance, Xander tensed like someone had just run an electric current through his body. "Do that... do that again."

And Oz did. Xander had no idea what exactly Oz was doing, but as his slick tongue pressed into him, he had to admit that it was fucking good, whatever it was. His breath was coming in huge sobbing gasps, and he was harder than he could ever remember being by the time Oz finally pulled back and crawled up his body. Even when he opened the slick and ran light fingers down, Xander was too lost in pleasure to tense up.

The first press of fingers into his entrance brought him back down with a thump. It didn't hurt, not exactly, but it was distinctly odd, a feeling of fullness where he hadn't felt it before. Then Oz's clever fingers pressed, and Xander felt as if fireworks had gone off in his head. "Oh, holy fuck, Oz!"

He could feel Oz's smile against his skin. "Yeah. Told you that it was different for guys."

Oz was slow and gentle, waiting until Xander's body relaxed before attempting to push him again, and by the time three fingers were moving inside of him, Xander was ready to beg. But Oz didn't make him do that, just pulled his fingers free and urged Xander to turn on his side.

As the broad blunt head of Oz's cock pressed against Xander, he held his breath. But Oz kissed the back of his neck and said, "Breathe, Xander." And as he let it out, Oz slid into him.

It didn't hurt. It was weird, but it didn't hurt. Then Oz's cock slid over that spot that had felt so good before, and this was even more intense. When Oz's hand wrapped around his cock, Xander said, "Oh, god. Not gonna last..."

Oz just said, "I know," and then there were no more words, just the feel of Oz moving inside of him, and gentle fingers stroking over his cock. With a gasp and a cry, Xander came, hard, only to be echoed a moment later by Oz.

When Oz had pulled out and cleaned them both up, Xander turned gingerly onto his back, pulling Oz into a rough embrace. "Have I mentioned lately how glad I am that I ran into you?"

And Oz just smiled.
i Swahili - friend, lover, companion
ii Swahili - foreigner
iii Swahili - demons
iv Swahili - hotel
v Swahili - village
vi Swahili - a small black monkey
vii Swahili - hospitality
viii Swahili - small clay house
ix This is true - the road requires a police escort that runs twice a day. Apparently northern Kenya is beset with intertribal conflict that sometimes spreads onto the road. See http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1151.html and http://www.netherlands-embassy.or.ke/en/consulate/travel_advice.html.
x Swahili proverb - literally "A chicken's prayer doesn't affect a hawk." Those in power don't listen to those with none.
xi This is part of the Turkana Women's Conference Centre, a co-operative which rehabilitates and cares for widows, single mothers and drought victims. Starting with four women in 1984 who began baking bread, it currently employs over 35 and uses the money generated to educate Turkana women about basic issues such as health and hygiene. Solar-powered lighting is supplemented by kerosene lamps, there are good showers, they still bake their own bread, and serve occasionally excellent food. The rooms in the main compound are spotless and have great mosquito nets, but lack privacy and can be noisy; better but more expensive are the three stand-alone cottages. Male tourists can stay as well as women. http://www.eztrip.com/dg_viewLocation_formId-97671.html
xii Swahili - cheetah
xiii Swahili - "Speak slowly, child. Slowly..."
xiv Swahili name meaning "powerful"
xv Swahili - handsome young woman
xvi Swahili - very
xvii Swahili - strong, brave
xviii Regional tribe found around the Lodwar and Lake Turkana regions of Kenya
xix Swahili name meaning "unusual"
xx Swahili - dream