HTML> Title: Blood Pump Trade (1/1)
Author: Queena
E-mail: thessulah@aol.com
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Buffy and some friends go to a club to watch Oz play. Buffy runs into someone.
Disclaimer: All of the characters except Maymi and Taylor, belong to Joss. The other two idiots belong to me.
Author's Notes: This is the seventh in my "Blood Pump" series.

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"This place is great!"

"Yeah!" It's better than the Bronze anyway. Of course, that was just a little teen club in a tiny demon-infested town. This is an 18-and-over LA club. Of course, it's going to be better than the Bronze. Too bad I have to have this loser Under 21 stamp. Not that I'd drink anyway.

"Hey, is that him?!" Oh, yeah. There he is, looking all good and stuff.

"He's soooooo cute!"

"Hey! I'm standing right here! Can you see me?!" Typical man.

"Of course, I see you, baby!" Geez, someone get a hose. Even *I* would need a crowbar to pry those two apart and I have super powers. And she wonders why we don't hang more often. Because she's always attached to the face with him.

"Come dance with us!" Yeah, right.

"No thanks, three's a crowd! You guys go ahead! I'm going to go over to the bar!"

Damn, this music is loud. And it's hot in here. Maybe I should have worn something smaller. Of course, if I would have done that, then all I'd have on would be body paint. Oh, no! What if my dress is too skimpy? What if he thinks I look skanky? Wait, I'm being paranoid. Oz knows how I dress and he hasn't complained yet. Of course, he could be too nice to say anything. Enough, Buffy. No more worries. Enjoy yourself for once.

"What can I get you?!"

"Diet Coke, please!"

Sigh. He looks so cute tonight. He's gotta be the only man in LA brave enough to be seen in a New Kids on the Block t-shirt. Where does he find those funky shirts he wears anyway?

Oh, oh, he spotted me. Oh, oh, he smiled at me. I remember that smile. It's the smile that he used to save only for Willow, but now it's for me. His eyes on me like that makes me all fuzzy inside. And it makes my palms sweat. The attention is nice, but being stared at makes me sqirm. And squirming is not a sign of coolness. Oz never squirms. At least, I've never seen him squirm. Hmmmmm, I wonder if I can make Oz squirm.

"Buffy." Oh, god. I know that voice. But it can't be. It isn't. The club is so loud that my ears are playing tricks on me. I'm going to turn around and Angel is NOT going to be standing there. Ooooookay, maybe he is.

"Angel." Oh, god, but he looks good. Mmmm, it's been so long since I've seen him in leather. Granted, still no leather pants, but the jacket is nice. Kinda makes you nostalgic for the bad side of him. No strike that, that would be bad. Bad Buffy. And those eyes. NO! NO! I'm not going to think about it.

He said something. What did he say?

"What?!"

His lips are moving and still nothing comes out.

"What?!"

Jesus, speak up for once. You'd think raising his voice one octave higher was another sin he'd have to add to the long list. It won't kill him. Or anyone else, for that matter.

"I can't hear you! The music is too loud!" God, his lips. No, Buffy. Don't think about lips. Or hair. Or hands.

"I said, how are you?!" I was just groovy 'til you showed up. Now I'm antsy. And I can't stop looking at your hair. It's like I'm hypnotized.

"I'm good! What about you?!" And Cordy? I can's believe he's working with Cordelia.

"Good! Are here for Timber?!"

"Who?!"

"Timber! You know, the vampire rapist!"

I should have known he was here on business. All work, no play. As usual.

"Actually, I'm just here. I came to watch Oz's band play!" Nearly 250 years old and you'd think he wouldn't always look so confused.

"No! Oz! Band! Fun! Remember?! I sometimes like to do that!"

"Of course! I'm sorry! I....I have to go, then! Will you be around later?!" Why would he want to know that?

"I should be around for a while!"

"I'll see you a little later then!"

Whew! God, now it's *really* hot. Of all of the people I could run into it had to be Angel. It couldn't be Spike or somebody equally annoying. Nooooo, it just had to be Angel. Oh, and I just had to think about Spike, now I'm hot *and* jumpy. Someone up there must hate me.

"We're gonna take a fifteen minute break. Thank you, everybody. Ladies." Devon's got such an ego. He should be in the Guiness Book of World Records.

Oh, ooo, eek! He's headed this way. Okay.

"Oh my God! Buffy, they're really good!" Sheesh, go away Maymi. He's coming over here. Like I really need him to see me with you. Oooo, cattiness.

"Maymi!"

"Hey, Buffy!"

"Oz! Hey, you guys were great!"

"Well, we would have been if you hadn't made me miss three cords! I'm gonna hear about that later!" Huh?

"I made you miss three cords?! How did I do--Ow!" Damnit, Maymi! What the Hell was that for? Oh! Oh.

"Oh! Oz, this is Maymi!" There. Now you can go away.

"Nice to meet you! Can we talk for a few minutes, Buffy?!" Yes! Anything to get away from these two. And to be with you.

"Excuse me! Excuse me! Excuse me! Get the Hell out of my way, will you?! Hey, get your hand off of that!" Clock! "Take that, you punkass!"

Finally. But, brrrrrrr, it's kinda cold out here.

"Are you cold?" Wait a minute. I'm suddenly all warm inside.

"Not really." But if you wannn keep me warm....

"I wasn't sure you'd come." Yeah, right. He knew I'd come. How couldn't I?

"You knew I'd come."

"Maybe." Oh, yeah. Closer. "Why didn't you call me?"

I was too nervous. I didn't know what to say. What do you say to a guy who barely talks anyway? And do we even have anything in common? I guess I would know if I had called, but I didn't and I'm a bad little Slayer. Wanna punish me? "I said I'd call you, I didn't say when."

Closer. Closer. Very close. "Mmm, leaving me hanging?"

"Playing hard to get." Yummmm, he smells like chocolate. I wonder why he smells like chocolate. Maybe he's a junk food junkie. He's always gorging on candy. You wouldn't be able to tell with that smile. But maybe you would. It's not like you can see his teeth when he smiles. What if one day, he actually *really* smiles and I see his teeth and they’re half decayed? Ewwwww, no way! Oz has good dental hygene. He never has bad breath. And I'm rambling in my head. Damn! I really have to stop that. "Hey, where'd you go?" Oh, woah, hands on hips. *His* perfect, warm, skilled, guitar-playing hands on *my* hips. Only a thin rayon material between my skin and his hands. Shiver, tremble, shiver.

"I'm here." Right here with you. Gee, I hope you don't mind if I rest my hands right here on your chest. I knew you wouldn't. Oooo, firm. Small but firm.

"Buffy." Yeah? "Would you pull some crazy Jet Lei move on me if I kissed you?" Did he actually just ask that? Guys aren't supposed to ask before they kiss you, they're just supposed to do it. And then suffer whatever consequences that come. God, yes! Just kiss me, damnit.

"Uh...uh uh." Sigh. God, this feels nice. Soft lips. Warm lips. I could really just get lost in his kiss. Go to some place far from LA, far from duty and nagging Watchers. A place where it's just me and him. His kiss. Our kiss. So sweet. I haven't felt this kind of innocence in years. His tongue sliding across mine, tentative, almost scared. I'm scared too. But he tastes like chocolate. Hmmm, tastes like chocolate, smells like chocolate. Must be chocolate 'cause I want to eat him up. Never stop....

"Oz, man! Come on!" Damn you Devon. I hope your favorite parts are attacked by a vicious demon and used in a ping-pong game. And he makes you watch. "Buffy?! Holy shit! Ozman! Score!" Did that loud music permanantly damage his hearing or something. Like we can't hear him without him yelling. Vapid whore.

"I'll see you after the last set?" Like I'd leave. Uh, unless Giles pages me and I have to run off to foil some prophecy. Great, go away, Devon.

"Man, you and Buffy? When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me? Care to share? OW!"

"What?"

"You pinched me, you dick!"

"No, I didn't."

"Whatever, just hurry the fuck up." Pig. Good riddance.

"I'll see you after the last set?"

"Definitely."

"You comin' back in?"

"Yeah, in a minute." Yeah, I sure as hell need some fresh air.

What is it about him that makes me go all tingly whenever he touches me? And why was it him? My best friend's ex-boyfriend. Not exactly the Rebound Choice of Champions. I guess I just fell into him. There's something about him, he's a bit of an enigma. I've always had that problem where I have to solve all mysteries I come across. That still doesn't explain the sexual attraction. Maybe, without thinking about it, I was looking for the exact oppisite of Angel. Outwardly, anyway. As Willow once said, he too is taciturn. But he's not broody. Sometimes he has a sad look in his eyes, but never that heart-wrenching-angst-look. I never really noticed him in Sunnydale, but he *was* Willow's boyfriend. And Angel was always---

"Buffy." Angel.

"Hey." Speak of the devil.

"So....uh....Oz, huh?" Oh God, did he see that. What am I talking about? Of course, he did. Who would Angel be if he wasn't watching Buffy from the shadows? He'd be someone that wasn't Angel.

"Oz is....um...yeah, Oz." What can I really say to him? And why has my heart suddenly constricted in pain? I feel like this is it. We really are over. I'll never be able to love him fully ever again. Not that it would make much of a difference if I could. And this might be my chance to move on.

"He's a shocking choice.....but a good guy."

"Yeah, he is. He really is." And he's so much more than that.

"Well."

"Well."

"I should get going. If you're not patrolling, then someone has to do it." God, I don't want it to end like this. He can't just walk away. My heart feels like it's going to pound it's way out of my chest. There's a nasty thought. Ewww.

I can't just let him go without saying something to finalize it.

"Angel!" Fine, stop but don't turn back around. I'm used to talking to your back. Of course, I'm used to talking to myself, it doesn't make it any less uncomfortable. "You'll always be the first. That must count for something."

"It does, Buffy. I'll always have that."

Sigh. We're always watching each other walk away. As much as I want it to end, as much I need it, it might never do so. But that doesn't mean that I can't love another.

Well, time to go in and find Maymi before she lets Taylor impregnant her on the dance floor.
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