Name: Sex and the Vampire VII- Butting In
Author: VoceAngelo AKA Joey or Jovi 
Email: VoceAngelo@aol.com
Rating: PG-15
Summary: The boys are back for more in part whatever 
of Sex and the Vamp.  Gunn and Graham do some butting 
in.
Disclaimer: They belong to Joss Whedon, Darren Starr, 
and everyone else.  I make bellybutton lint off of 
this.
Warnings: Sex is alluded to.  Not described in detail.
Notes: Gimme feedback, kittens!  This has been sitting 
in my Buffy book for so long now.  I'm sorry for 
making y'all wait.  But, here you go.  I hope you like it!  
To Susie, Sammy and Jo.  Because you have never, ever 
steered me the wrong way and I love you all for that.  
Y'all be mah bitches!


Whether we went to Thai Wok or Bowery Bar, it seemed 
Gunn had made himself number five in our little 
foursome.  He was with Oz constantly.  Oz, who had this 
perpetual dreamy look o his face as of late, didn't seem to 
mind.  The rest of us? well, we kind of did.  So one 
day, we forced Oz to leave the ball and chain behind 
and go to a restaurant with us.  Wesley began.

"Something is different about you, Oz."
Oz said, "Huh?"
Giles said, "Please Oz, do pay attention.  We are 
serious."
I piped right in, "Yes, sweetie, and wipe that 'I'm so 
in love' look off your face for a few precious 
seconds."
"I do not have that 'I'm so in love' look on my face!"
Wesley looked at Oz and said rather harshly, "Yes, you 
do.  I think we should go to the Pines this weekend 
and forget about boyfriends."
Then, I got defensive, "Umm, forget about boyfriends?  
I don't walk around with that face on?!"
Oz said, "What face?"
"And furthermore, I can't.  I've got plans with my boy 
this weekend."
I lit a cigarette.  Giles said, "The two of you are 
going to drive us up the wall.  If it's not my boyfriend 
did this or that, then, it's he's so cute"
Oz said jokingly, "Jealous much?"
Wesley gave us both a hardened look.  "Damn it, yes.  
And we have every right to be."
Oz and I said in unison, "No, you really don't."
Giles said, "God, I hate this monogamy crap."
Wes glared at Giles, "Yes.  You've proved that many 
times before."
"Wesley, when did this become about us?"
"The moment you mentioned monogamy, Mr. Giles."
Oz raised his voice, "Please!  Please, ladies!  Let's 
not get hostile.  I will tell Gunn to give me more 
breathing room. Xander, you have to be around more.  Wes, 
Giles, you two have to get over yourselves.  There?  
Now, let' s shut up and enjoy each other's company.  
Agreed?"
After that entire rant, Oz sat back, smiled and sipped 
his drink.
"I need a cigarette," I said.
Giles said, "While you're down there, could you give 
me one as well?"
"You know," Wesley said, "That is a deplorable habit."
"Well, may it never be said that I'm a quitter," I 
said.
Giles said, "I don't do it enough for it to be habit 
forming."

As we chatted, Oz sat back again and viewed his 
handiwork.  He was a little annoyed that we brought him out 
to tell him to leave the boyfriend at home, but he 
understood.  It seemed that all of our present 
relationships were butting in to our core relationships with 
each other.  We had to break the news to our respective 
love interests.

I was running up the block to my apartment because all 
the appletinis I drank really caught up to me.  I had 
to pee badly.  And whom do I see in the front of my 
building but my wonderful, gorgeous Graham waiting there 
with a bushel full of daisies in his hand.
"Pookie!"
"Dude!  There you are!"
"And here I go.  I gotta pee!"
I grabbed him by the hand and dragged him to me 
apartment.

After relieving myself with a resounding AH, I washed 
my hands and Graham called me from the kitchen, "Dude, 
do you have a vase for these?"
"Bottom cabinet.  Left of the sink."  I felt like 
wife.
I walked out of the bathroom, greeted by my grinning 
boyfriend, "Feel better?"
"Much.  Listen, we have to talk."
"Uh oh.  This is serious."
"OK.  Deep breath, Xander.  I? um, can't? ai ai ai? I 
have to start spending more time with my friends."
Graham looked at me funny.  Not in the HA HA kind of 
way either.
"You're leaving me for your friends?"  Now, he was 
smiling.
"No, no, no!  I've just been hearing it from Giles and 
Wesley.  Well, specifically today about Oz and 
myself."
"Hey.  Who am I to judge?" He smiled even broader.  
Damn, what a weirdo Graham could be sometimes.  God, I 
needed a cigarette.
"Graham, please."
"Oh no, it's fine.  I'm going now, dude."
He kissed me softly and walked out of my apartment 
half-smiling.  So, OK.  I thought he took it really well.  
He didn't look into it or anything.  Thank Goddess.  I 
was supposed to feel better, right?  More time with 
friends, right?

Then, why did I feel so awful?

Oz called Gunn at work.  He didn't take it quite so 
well.
"Charles Gunn III."
"Hey there."
"Hey, Ozzie.  Wait, something's wrong."
"How do you know?"
"I can hear it in your voice."
"Well, Gunn, to be quite frank? I have to start seeing 
my friends? alone."
"What are you saying?"
"Well, please don't take this the wrong way, but, it's 
always been just the four of us.  Giles and Wes feel 
like you're taking me away from them."
"So, you're dumping me for your friends."
"No, no, no!"
"And because they don't like me?"
"I never said that!!!"
"You didn't have to!!!"
"Please, Gunn, let's not do this."
"No, you have to do this.  Your friends or me."
"That's not fair!  An ultimatum?!  We started seeing 
each other a little over a month ago, and now we're 
giving each other ultimatums?  I'm just asking for a 
little bit of space."
"Take all the space you want!  You call me when you're 
ready to let me share the sandbox with you and your 
friends."
"Gunn, don't do this."
"I have to."
"Please, Gunn, I?"
"You know, I know for a fact that you are something 
special? it's just? I just? I've gotta go.  I'll call 
you later."
Gunn hung up.  Oz kind of stood in his kitchen with 
the phone in his hand.  He let a single tear escape his 
eye.  It felt as if someone had knocked the wind out 
of his tiny-framed body.  That's when he realized it 
for himself.  He had fallen for Gunn? fallen hard.
My phone rang and my machine picked up, "Hi, It's 
Xander.  I'm shoe shopping.  Leave a message.  BEEP!"
"Xander?  I told Gunn."
I picked up and said, "Oz?"
Then, Daniel Louis Osbourne did something I have never 
ever heard him do in all five years of knowing him.  
He started to cry.
"Oz, I'll be at your place in two seconds."

Wes and Giles were in Giles' apartment.  Wesley said, 
"I just have to pick up the plans for the Monroe 
account in the study."
Giles nodded and sat on his couch.  
"Rupert?" Wesley called from Giles study.
"Yes, Wesley?"
"Do you think we were a tad harsh with Oz and Xander 
today?"  He walked out of the study with three manila 
folders and a briefcase.
"Maybe a little, but really, Wesley, if Oz is going to 
play house with Mr. Gunn, then let it happen 
elsewhere.  I'm in no mood to see attractive people in fun, 
rewarding relationships while you and I who are every bit 
as successful and attractive seem to be perpetually 
single."
"Well, we are.  I was just concerned for Oz.  And yes, 
I admit that I am a bit envious of both Xander's and 
Oz's relationships.  I wish I could have had that with 
you."
Wesley placed the files down on the coffee table and 
held Giles' chin in his delicate hand.  "You know, 
Rupert, this the most handsome I've ever seen you."
"What do you mean?"
Wes got on his knees in front of Giles and lazily 
draped his arms across his lap.
"I just mean that this is a face you should wear more 
often.  It's truly the most attractive one."
"You really think so?"
"Yes, I do.  I also think that maybe Mr. Right is 
coming soon."
Giles kissed Wesley softly on the forehead and said, 
"Thank you, Mr. Wyndham-Price."
"Don't mention it, Mr. Giles."
"OK.  Let's not be late for this meeting."
"Right behind you."

Meanwhile, I was at Oz's place in two seconds flat.  I 
brought him into a tight embrace while he sniffled 
quietly into my arms.  
"He read into it too much.  He completely took it the 
wrong way."
"Why the tears, sweetie."
"I?I?I think I'm falling in love with him."  I held Oz 
a little closer.
"How did Graham take it?"
"He laughed.  I think he's going to show up at my 
house tonight to bitch me out."
"Do you love him too?"
"No, but I care for him a lot.  I'm in deep like"
Oz started to laugh.
"I knew you could make me feel better."
"That's what I'm here for."

I went home again to finish my article.  Were my three 
best friends so important to me that I would be 
willing to give up Graham?  Then, I thought, yes!  
Absolutely.  Graham is a wonderful guy, but Wes, Giles and Oz 
are the ones that pick up the pieces of my life when 
I'm going through something whether it's a bad breakup 
or a bad hair day.

Then, there was Graham (of all people) back on my 
stoop.  He was more serious than usual.  This did not look 
for my team.

"Hey stranger.  That's the second time I've found you 
on my stoop."
"Hey, dude.  Can we talk?"
My face softened, "Um, Sure.  Come upstairs."
I dropped my stuff on my chair and faced him with my 
best beaten puppy look.
"So, what's up?"
"Well? I? uh? this? uh? this is really hard to say."
Shit!  Damn!  Motherfucker!  He was breaking up with 
me.  Please, God, say he's not breaking up with me."
"Spit it out, Graham."
"I'm falling in love with you."
And wow.  I really, really, REALLY did NOT know how to 
respond to that.
"Oh my God, Gray."
I pulled him into a hug, and I started kissing his 
face and neck.
"Xander, please.  Just a sec.  I'm not finished."
He pulled me away from him and looked straight into my 
eyes.  I saw that it was not some puppy love thing.  
This was 'I want to marry you' kind of love.
"If you need your space, you've gotta let me know.  I 
know I take up a lot of your time, but?"
"Gray, I didn't mean it like that."
"Please, I gotta say this.  But, I take up your time 
so much because I feel like you've consumed me, dude.  
I know you don't exactly love me, but I sure as hell 
wanna prove to you that I do.  So, if you need your 
space, I'm more than willing to give it you."

Then, I thought to myself, "Why the hell can't I be 
that on point?!"

"Gray, I don't want not to see you all time.  I just 
think it's healthy to spend some time apart.  And, 
sweetie, you're wonderful to me.  I don't want to lose 
that.  OK?"
"Yeah.  It's just.  It takes a lot for me to be that 
open with my feelings.  I've never been in love with 
someone before."
"I knew you were a big softie underneath all that 
bulk."
Graham laughed.  "Come on, Canadian man.  Let's get 
nekkid!"
Graham laughed again and said, "That's why I love 
you."

Gunn went to Oz's house that night while Oz had a 
gallon tub of Rocky Road in front of him and the 
television on some inane Must See TV show.  Gunn knocked 
softly.  Oz got up and grunted out a resounding, "What?"
"Is that the way you greet all of your boyfriends?"
Oz's heart dropped into the pit of his stomach.  All 
of a sudden Rocky Road felt like Rocky Acid.  He opened 
the door, his face stoic.  Gunn wrapped his arms 
around Oz's much smaller body.  Oz broke and started to cry 
softly responding with soft, tiny, half-mouthed moans.  
Gunn lifted Oz into his arms and let himself in.
Oz mumbled, "I missed you."
"Me too."
"Why did we fight again?"
"You wanted your space.  KISS"
"No, I was just trying to be me; letting everyone 
dictate what I have to do."
"Who's telling you to do this right now?  KISS"
"Only me.  KISS"
"I shouldn't have blown up at you like that earlier.  
KISS"
"I shouldn't have listened to my friends.  KISS"
"I'm sorry."
"Me too.  KISS"
"I'm falling for you, Oz."
"Me too."
"Make love to me, Oz."
"Only if you make love to me too, Gunn."
"With pleasure."

Much sappiness later, Oz and Gunn were lying in his 
bed, cuddling and talking in their post-coital glow, 
when the phone rang.  Oz picked up, "This better be good.  
I've got a hottie in my bed right now."
Gunn gave him a playful slap on the ass.
"Oz, it's Wesley."
"Oh.  If it isn't one half of the gruesome twosome 
that merits a bitching of the highest order courtesy of 
moi?"
"Oz, we're sorry."
"Oh.  Well, shit.  You weren't supposed to apologize."
"Yes.  We have to.  We were completely out of place.  
It's just hard to see your two closest friends in a 
relationship with sweet men? men you could quite 
possibly have a real future with.  Yes, we were harsh.  Yes, 
we were jealous.  Yes, we were wrong.  We want to make 
it up to Gunn and you and Xander and Graham."
"Drinks?"
"Done.  Rupert is paying."
Oz heard another distinct British accent in the 
background say, "I am NOT!"
They started to giggle.
"Are you accepting the invitation?"
"Yes, on one condition.  You must get Gunn very, very 
trashed."
Gunn smiled and said, "Alcohol."
Oz said, "Yes, baby.  Alcohol."
"We're going this quaint little place way uptown 
called Bleu.  We'll meet you up there."
"You call fifty bucks for a slab of salmon and some 
wild rice quaint?!"
"But of course, my dear Oz."
"Gunn, this place puts umbrellas in their drinks."
"All right!"  Gunn said.
Wes said, "I'll call Xander."

Well, the six of us had a wonderfully inebriated 
evening, with a lot of hugs and kisses and profuse 
apologizing on all parts.  So, yes, boys and girls, there is a 
lesson to be learned from this.  Friends have their 
place within your lives.  Boyfriends have their place in 
your lives as well.  Sometimes they mix, and sometimes 
they do not.  And even if they don't mix, all that's 
important is that they love you for you, and not 
anything or anyone else.