Title: Sunburn (1/1)
Author: Queena
E-mail: thessulah@aol.com
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Oz has a sunburn. What did you think it would be supertan Buffy or something?
Disclaimer: Joss owns the characters. Not me.
Author's Notes: I went to a concert yesterday in 90 degree weather and my mom is so cheap that she even buys store brand sunscreen. So, I decided that if I must suffer, so must Oz.
Dedication: To Ivy, because I thought her story rocked muchly.
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"Yikes!!"

"What?!" Buffy asked, concern lacing her voice. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No. 'S cold," Oz said in a pouty voice.

"Don't be such a baby," she said, her concern quickly fading into annoyance as she squirted some more of the bright green aloe goop into her hand and started smoothing it over Oz's bright red back, the skin heated under her palm.

"Sorry."

"You should have excepted the sunscreen that Xander offered you," she said, running her hands up to his beet red shoulders.

"I had my own."

"Yeah, but ShopCo brand sunscreen isn't exactly what I'd call reliable."

"Well, I saved a buck." Oz couldn't see it when Buffy rolled her eyes, as she worked her way down his scortching arms. Oz groaned as she worked the soothing gel into his enflamed skin and fell forward, his cheek rested against the arm of her sofa.

"And I can't believe that you let poor Willow use that stuff when Xander was more than happy to share with her. But, noooooooo, she just had to use yours instead. I love her, but that girl sure knows how to hold a grudge. Roll over," Buffy said, done with his back and ready to medicate his front.

With a few grunts of discomfort, Oz managed to get himself rolled over onto his back. With the back of his head rested on the arm of the sofa, he braced his hands against the cushions and managed to take a good amount of weight off of his sunburn.

With a couple of little squirts on her fingertips, Buffy began smoothing it over Oz's red forehead, moving down the bridge of his nose and over his cheeks. Oz closed his eyes and enjoyed the cooling feel of her healie stuff. "Buffy," he said in a muffled voice.

"Yeah?"

"What did you mean, about Willow holding a grudge?"

He cracked his lids when she pulled her hands away and they didn't return immediately. She had an uncomfortable look on her face and she shifted so that their thighs were no longer touching. "Buffy," he urged.

"I don't know, Oz. You know that there is still bad blood between Xander and Willow. I don't really think that we should talk about it," she said, snapping the cap of her gel shut to emphasize.

"Um," Oz said and she looked down at him. Pointing at his chest, he said, "You missed a spot."

Buffy gave him a tight smile and flipped the cap open again, squirting a large amount of aloe into the palm of her hand and slapping it down into the hollow between his pectorials. Oz jumped a bit, accidently pressing himself further into her palm. "So," he began, "just out of curiousity, why isn't it okay for us to talk about it? I mean, we're friends, right?"

"Of course, we are, but....." Buffy trailed off, thinking as she began idly drawing circles in the green goop on his chest. "...It's just that, Willow is my best friend and you're her boyfriend. And if we started talking about the relationship between her and Xander, I wouldn't stop until my opinion was fully out. And I'd say some stuff that you wouldn't like and you'd leave here feeling not entirely secure in your relationship with Willow for no good reason. And I just don't want that on my head."

Oz was silent for a long time and it was obviously starting to make Buffy feel uncomfortable. She was just about to say something when she was cut off by Oz. "I understand." Buffy sighed in relief and resumed her care of him.

Leaning in with both hands, Buffy ran the medicated gel over Oz's abdomen and up over his pecs. Oz hissed and pressed up a bit, causing Buffy to pull back in worry. "Did I hurt you?" she asked.

Oz shook his head and eased back down again. "No, it's just that...." he trailed off, seeming to blush an even deeper red. "Well....." he grinned a little. "My nipples are really sensitive."

Buffy's eyebrows shot up in surprise before a mischevious glint entered her eye. "Is that so?" she asked before raking her fingernails over his nipples, very lightly, so as not to irritate his burn. Oz clenched his teeth, quickly bringing his hands up to wrap around her wrists. He didn't move her hands, though. He kept them there.

Buffy's little smile fell, when she looked down into his eyes. His lids were just barely parted, the dark green color peaking out beneath his soft lashes. The look there was what really froze her. He seemed to be daring her. To do what, she didn't know. Usually, Buffy was unable to stand down from a dare, but she knew that for the sake of her best friend, that was what she had better do. Especially since she was all too aware of the feel of Oz's muscled chest under her hands and his hard thigh pressing closely to hers.

Swallowing back a lump in her throat, Buffy easily pulled her wrists from Oz's grasp. She stood from her spot on the edge of the couch, her movement seeming to snap Oz out of some kind of daze. "All done," she said, trying to sound light-hearted, but it came out more disappointedly.

Oz stared up at her for a moment, then with a short nod, he carefully pushed himself into a sitting postion and stood also. The two stood there for a moment, each avoiding the others gaze. "Here," Buffy said quickly and pushed the bottle of aloe at Oz. "You can keep this."

Oz took the aloe from her. "Thanks," he said and shifted his feet again.

"It's just that I wouldn't want you to go out and buy some cheap store brand stuff and end up suffering more than you should," Buffy added with a little smile. Oz laughed, causing a small giggle to come from her. The shared laugh took away some of the uncomfortableness.

"I'll see ya later," she said.

"Yeah. Bye," Oz said and headed towards the front door. Buffy watched him go until something caught her attention.

Quickly, Buffy scooped Oz's tank top up and called to him, "Oz, wait!" Quickly she made her way into the foyer where he was waiting in the open doorway, a questioning glint in his eye. "Don't forget your shirt." Oz accepted the shirt fromm her with a smile. For a moment he seemed to be pondering something, he threw a look to his parked van in front of her house, then looked back at her. He seemed to shrug a bit, not visibly of course, and leaned over to wrap her in a hug.

Buffy tensed for a second, but it didn't take long before she leaned into the hug. "Thanks, Buff. You're a good friend."

Rubbing her hands along his sides (since they were the only part of him that had survived the sun), Buffy chuckled. "Why? Cuz I didn't keep you shirt for my very own? Please, Oz," she said, and pulled back.

Oz smiled. "Later."

"Bye," she said, tucking her hair behind her ear and watching as he trotted down the stairs of her porch and waiting until he'd hopped into his van before finally closing the door and leaning back against it. Wow, she'd never known how much a crush on your best friend's boyfriend would suck.
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The End