RockStarPeach

Okay, so this fic is for ladyvirgo1956, who put up a bunny for a Wes/Oz, wolfy help type fic over at rogue_slasher'

Title:  Humanity by Proxy

Rating:  Adult

Pairing:  Wes/Oz

Summary:  Oz needs help with his wolf.  Wes is there. 

 

 

Oz wandered into the library after classes that he didn’t bother attending ended for the day, and bent to place a quick kiss on Willow’s check before sitting down in the chair next to her.  She didn’t bother looking up from the book she was reading but smiled and blushed at the gesture, snaking her hand out to give his a squeeze as he passed.

 

Xander, Buffy, Willow, Giles and Wesley were seated around the large reading table already engrossed in researching the demon that Buffy and Faith encountered on patrol the other night.  Faith, of course was nowhere to be seen.  Neither was Angel, and it was really too bad, because that’s who Oz had come here to see.  Well, he thought with a smile and another glance at the sweet little red head next to him, Willow too, of course.

 

“Angel around?” he asked, picking up a book from the table in front of him and opening it up on his lap, beginning to read.

 

Buffy and Willow looked up, curious, wondering what Oz wanted with Angel, but it was Giles who answered.  “Uh, no,” he murmured distractedly, barely glancing up from his own text.  “He’s out of town.  Something about some personal business he had to take care of, though I’m sure it could have waited,” he grumbled.  “We could really do with his help on this demon situation.”

 

Oz nodded, and everyone fell silent once again, continuing their research.  Several minutes later, and having done no actual reading, Oz removed his thumb nail from his mouth for perusal and spoke to no one in particular, asking, “anybody know when he’s coming back?”

 

About a week ago Angel had mentioned to Oz that he had heard about something that could help him with his wolf during the full moon.  Oz wasn’t sure what form this help would take, spell, tea ceremony, ritual killing of a donkey, energy drink, or what the help would actually be, but the full moon was in two days, making tomorrow his first wolfy night of the cycle, and he was curious.

 

“Few days, he said,” Buffy answered this time, pouting slightly and pushing a piece of paper around on the desk with her pencil.  She obviously wasn’t very happy about him being gone.

 

“Huh,” Oz commented, rather enthusiastically for him, and went back to pretending to read.

 

“Is there any particular reason you want to see Angel?” Wes asked him.  “Is there some sort of danger we should all be aware of?”  Of course Wes would think that absolutely everything that happened in the world involved dangers of some sort; demons or the apocalypse.  He would never think that one friend may be asking about another friend, just because they wanted to talk. 

 

Sure, Wes didn’t know them well enough yet to know that they weren’t friends, not really, and Oz would never ask after Angel unless there was something wrong, but everyone else did.  They all looked at him expectantly, and he was unsure of what to tell them.

 

He didn’t want to mention anything about what Angel had told him.  Not until he was sure what exactly was going to happen to him, and if whatever Angel had planned would work.  Willow would worry, and Giles would warn him against messing with powers he didn’t understand, and Buffy would demand to know every detail, and Xander, well Xander would probably just laugh and say ‘cool’.

 

But he wasn’t ready to handle any concerns and warnings and questions just yet, so he deflected.  “No.  Didn’t see him here and… yeah, like Giles said, we could use him.”

 

Every seemed to accept that and went back to their books.  Everyone expect for Willow.  She scrunched up her face in that cute little concerned way of hers, and played her fingers lightly over top of Oz’s on his knee.  “Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked quietly.

 

“Yeah, fine.  Promise,” he told her with what he hoped was a convincing smile.

 

***

 

Two hours later Giles had identified their demon in one of his musty old books and after figuring out that they travelled in pairs and could be killed decapitation, Buffy was sent out to find Faith, and to patrol.

 

Xander, Willow and Oz, were planning to head to the Bronze with a promise from Buffy that she would meet them later, but Wesley’s uncertain voice stopped them on the way out the door.  “Um… Oz?  If you have a moment, actually, I’d like a word with you.”

 

The three looked at him for an explanation as to why he wanted to talk with Oz, so he continued.  “It’s about *ahem* your wolf.  It’s fascinating, really, and I’ve never had the chance before to… and I’d like to ask you a few questions.  If that’s okay.”

 

“For God’s sake Wesley,” Giles groused from his office, having overheard the exchange and wishing his replacement would just shut up.

 

“So you want to what?  Use Oz as a research subject?  Write about him in one of your creepy journals?” Willow asked, incredulous.

 

“Yes,” Wesley answered, unapologetic.  “Where do you think the information for all these books comes from?” he asked gesturing around them at the table and floor.  “The books we all use to fight evil and save lives everyday?”

 

“It’s alright guys,” Oz told his friends when he felt them bristle behind him.  “I’ll talk to him.  He’s right.  It’ll help.”

 

Wesley nodded and went to get a notebook and a pen from the table, and sat down, waiting for Oz to join him.  Oz said goodbye to Willow and Xander and was going to the table to sit down when Giles came out of his office.

 

“I was just heading home,” he told both the men left in the library.  “Unless you’d prefer I stay,” he offered Oz.  “I don’t mind.”

 

“Nah, It’s cool,” Oz politely refused and with a small smile Giles left.

 

Oz had only just sat down, not even reclined as far as the chair would allow when Wesley spoke.  “You lied.”

 

“I probably did.  But to be fair, I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

 

“You weren’t just curious about Angel.  You wanted him for something specific.”

 

Oz narrowed his eyes slightly and said, “What did you want to ask me about the wolf?”

 

Wesley put down his notepad and smiled.  “I lied too.  I don’t want to interview you, Oz.  But I do want to talk about your wolf.  At least,” he continued, becoming slightly uncertain, “I think I do.”

 

Oz picked up a leftover donut from the table and started to munch on it.

 

“That is what you wanted to talk to Angel about, isn’t it?  Your wolf?  You think he can help you somehow.”

 

“How did you…”

 

“I’d like to help too, Oz, if I can.  And if Angel isn’t here, perhaps I can fill in.”

 

Oz was sceptical.  “How?  And how do you even know about what Angel was going to help me with?”

 

Wesley looked a bit sheepish at that, and ducked his head a little.  “I don’t.  Not exactly.  But he was here once last week to borrow a book.  He had brought some personal research he was working on with him, and I… peaked at it while he was distracted with Buffy.”

 

Oz opened his mouth, but Wes stopped him from responding.  “Before you go lecturing me on respecting his privacy, let me say that I don’t care.  He is a vampire, and I do not trust him.  I merely wanted to see for myself that whatever he was looking into couldn’t me used in some sort of nefarious scheme.”

 

Nefarious scheme?  Seriously?  Did people actually say shit like that?  Oz mentally got back on track, curiosity getting the better of him.  “And?  What was the research?”

 

“Werewolves, obviously.  About how to help control them.  Not a cure per se, but a ritual, I think,  to bind the humanity of the afflicted even when the wolf emerges, so the power and violent urges can be controlled.  I didn’t realise he was doing it for you until you asked about him today.”

 

“He told me he had a way to help, but didn’t tell me what it was.  That was a week ago.”

 

Wesley thought.  “That’s odd.  I wonder why he would have said nothing else to you about it, and then suddenly left town just before the full moon.”

 

“We should find out what he knew,” Oz said, standing up.

 

“I agree,” said Wesley.  “We’ll go to the mansion, take a look around.  See if we can uncover any information.”

 

***

 

They had found Angel’s research almost immediately.  He hadn’t bothered to hide it, obviously not thinking werewolf research was top secret information, and a stack of papers and books was placed neatly in the middle of the table. 

 

Wesley took Angel’s notes and Oz took a couple of books and they both sat down to see what Angel had learned.

 

After a few minutes Wesley said, more to himself than to Oz, “I was right.  It appears to be a ritual of some sort.”

 

Oz looked up expectantly and asked, “And?”

 

“Hmm?  What?” Wes looked up, seeming to realise he wasn’t alone in the room.  “Oh, yes.  Well, I’ve only just started reading.  Give me a moment.”

 

Oz continued to stare at him for almost an hour and finally Wes frowned and put the papers down on his lap and asked, “Angel has told you none of what he discovered?  None of what this ritual is supposed to do for you?”

 

“If he had Wes, I wouldn’t be here right now trying to figure it out.”

 

“Yes, quite.  It appears as if I was both right and wrong in my conclusions based on the brief look I had at this work earlier.”  He hesitated for a moment, then continued.  “It is about binding humanity to you during your change, only not your own.”

 

“Wes?  Maybe start making some sense here?”

 

“Right.  It is a mating ritual, of sorts.”  He tried to ignore Oz’s eyebrow raise and concentrated on explaining as best he could.  “You see, on the first night of the ‘wolf cycle’ you must mate with someone.  Someone able to perform a spell, in effect lending you their humanity over the next three days.  It’s fascinating, really.”

 

“So what exactly does this ‘borrowed humanity’ do for me?  And what would it do to Willow?” Oz asked, wanting to know if it was something they could try tomorrow night, but not if it was going to hurt his girlfriend.

 

Wes smiled, really becoming interested in the situation.  It was an incredibly exciting discovery after all.  “I believe you will be able to control your demon, so that you can shift from human to wolf, and back again of course, as you please.  And better yet, when you are in wolf form it will help you to retain your consciousness.  You’ll still be you, just in a more powerful form.  Imagine what an asset you’ll be to the team!”

 

Oz returned Wes’s smile, excited for an entirely different reason, but excited all the same.  If he could stop himself turning, he’d be able to get so much of his life back.  Still, Wes hadn’t answered the second question he’d asked.

 

“What about Willow?” he asked again.  “Is this binding going to take away something she needs?  She wont… lose her soul or something, will she?”

 

“Absolutely not,” Wes answered with conviction.  “According to everything here, the lender, for lack of a better term, will suffer no ill effects.”  A smile crept back on to Oz’s face and it was difficult for Wesley to get the next words out, knowing they wouldn’t be well received.

 

“But Oz… it can’t be Willow.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“She’s not powerful enough.”

 

“You don’t know her very well,” Oz countered, knowing that his girlfriend could handle herself.  She had given Angel back his soul, she could take on a little sex and chanting.

 

“That’s true,” Wesley admitted, “But you don’t know very much about magic.  Trust me Oz, she’s not ready to handle this, and if a mistake was made during… well it wouldn’t be good.”

 

“Then I can’t do it,” Oz said, standing up.  “If it’s not Willow, I can’t do it.”

 

“I understand,” Wesley told him, and went back to reading through Angel’s notes as Oz left to go find his girlfriend.

 

***

 

Oz had been sitting in his room all night and for most of the morning, thinking.  He had meant it when he told Wes he couldn’t do the ritual with anyone but Willow, but after doing nothing but thinking about it for hours, he wasn’t so sure.

 

It would mean so much, for both of them, if he could pull this off.  No more danger to Willow or anybody else if he accidentally got free. No more Willow giving up her nights to baby sit him while he was locked up.  No more nights of wanting to rip her throat out and feast on her heart.

 

By lunchtime he had convinced himself to go through with it, and went of in search of Wesley to find out what was involved.

 

***

 

“Who would it have to be?” he asked as he burst into the library during the first period after lunch.

 

“Excuse me?” Wesley asked, looking up from his task of shelving returned library books.  Sometimes he wanted to punch Rupert.

 

“If it can’t be Willow.  Who would it have to be?”

 

“Well, I…” Wesley faltered, not ready for the question as he assumed the boy had put the ritual out of his mind.  “I suppose Angel would be the ideal candidate.  He’s strong, powerful… yes he would do nicely.  Hmm.  I supposed that might have been why he disappeared.  He wasn’t ready to face the possibility.”

 

“But he’s gone.  So who else?”  Oz was determined to go through with this, even knowing he might regret it.  He needed to know if he could actually control his wolf.  That’s what this was about.  It wasn’t cheating.  Not by a long shot.

 

Wes frowned at Oz’s apparent change of heart since last night and thought about it.  “I suppose… Mr. Giles would be suitable.”

 

“What about you?”

 

“Me?!” Wesley squeaked.

 

“Yeah.  You can do magic right?  Had a lot of practice?  Why not you?”

 

Wesley stammered for several seconds before he finally got out, “I think that would highly inappropriate.”

 

“Nothing about this is appropriate Wesley.  I can’t go to Giles on this.  Please.”

 

Wesley didn’t want to say ‘yes’.  In fact, he wanted to emphatically say ‘no’.  But the pleading in the kid’s voice, the sorrow and desire to be healed in his eyes made him say, “If it’s what you really want, I’ll help you.”

 

“Thanks Wes.”  Oz breathed a sigh of relief and offered a small smile of gratitude.  “Where?  When?”

 

Wesley thought about it.  “The mansion.  Tonight.  An hour before moonrise.”

 

***

 

Wesley had shown up an hour before he told Oz to be there.  There was some preparation, sure, but not an hours worth, and by the time he was done he had 45 minutes to kill.  He had mixed his potion, memorized his spell and popped a mint, and really all there was left to do was think.

 

So, Wesley thought about all the things that could go wrong with the spell that he hadn’t told Oz about.  He thought about how the boy really should be telling Willow what was going on.  Even if she couldn’t perform the ritual herself yet, she might one day, and it would be best to be honest.

 

He thought long and hard and more than anything else about how wrong this was.  Sure, on an academic level it was fine.  The boy needed help with a mystical problem, and Wesley was the most qualified to help given the circumstances. 

 

The fact that they needed to have sex for the spell to take hold, well, that shouldn’t make the tiniest bit of difference.  And as long as he thought of Oz as just someone who needed help, it didn’t.  It was when he thought about how Oz reminded him of a boy he knew back in school, a boy that he had never had the courage to approach, but had wanted secretly for years, when he let the knowing soulful eyes work their way inside him, when he thought about the way that small, tight body would feel under his hands, that’s when the trouble started.

 

Oz was practically a child and one of Mr. Giles’ students, he had a girlfriend, and most importantly Wes was in a position of authority over him.  Granted, not one that the children respected or accepted, but one that mattered, and it was Wesley’s responsibility to make sure lines weren’t crossed.

 

So as long as he banished all other thoughts from his mind, and concentrated only on helping out an unfortunate soul, things should be alright.

 

***

 

Oz showed up right on time.  He had been with Willow up until the last minute, trying to decide what to tell her.  It would have helped if he had even known what to make of the situation, but in the end he told her that Wes was going to watch him for the night, and he might even have some magic-uped way to help.

 

He managed to dodge all her questions, citing the soon-coming full moon as a good reason to be elsewhere, and left Willow home, alone and confused, and went to Angel’s home.

 

Despite his ever cool outward appearance, Oz was terrified.  He was afraid of whatever it was magic would do to him, which was ridiculous really; how could it be worse than being a wolf three days a month?  Still, it didn’t stop him worrying about being left with an imprint of Wesley inside him somehow, or even worse, a part of him getting lost inside Wes, or worse yet, something going horribly wrong and him getting stuck as the wolf.

 

He was terrified about what Willow would say when she found out what exactly was going on tonight.  And she would find out.  He would tell her.  He couldn’t keep a secret like that, not in the long run, and as soon as he knew exactly what this ritual would make him feel, how much control he had, he would have to let her know.

 

And if he was honest with himself, he was a little terrified of the sex.  He knew it was only sex in a clinical way, that neither of them had any emotion behind it, (at least, that was the case if remembered not to think about how sexy in a dorky sort of way he thought Wes was) and he wasn’t betraying Willow exactly, but it was still sex.  And he had never had sex with a man before.  He could pretty much guess the basics of what was supposed to happen, but he wasn’t exactly clear on the finer points.  He hoped there were no finer points, or at the very least, that Wes would have things covered.

 

Wanting to get things over with as soon as possible he began to strip as soon as he entered the mansion, tossing his shirt on the floor by the couch, and going to work on his pants.

 

“Good Lord!” Wes gasped out, shocked and slightly put off.  “What the hell are you doing?”

 

Oz just looked at him for a moment, hands frozen on his zipper, then said, “If you can do this without either of us taking any clothes off, you must have more practice at this than I thought.”

 

Wesley blushed and picked up the discarded shirt, handing it back to Oz.  “No, of course we’ll need to *ahem* disrobe at some point, but I thought I’d go over things with you, let you know what we’ll need to do, what I’ll be saying and all that.  Then we’ll, um… get things underway.  Is that alright?”

 

Oz shrugged, not really caring as long as Wes knew what was going on.  He didn’t bother to put back on his shirt, as it would only be coming off again in a few minutes, and he sat on the couch next to Wesley to listen to the plan.

 

Pretty much it boiled down to this:  They would both drink some of the potion Wes mixed up, they would have sex, and during that time, before the climax Wes would recite some words in some crazy language, they’d finish and - hopefully – that would be that. 

 

“Don’t forget,” Wes told him as they got up to get started, “this is not permanent.  It will need to be done every month to keep the wolf under control.  Though perhaps next time Angel will be back.”

 

Oz didn’t answer, thinking that might be worse, but followed Wesley’s lead and removed his pants.

 

Soon they were both naked and uncomfortable, standing in front of each other, waiting for the other to make the first move, or preferably, for lightning to strike them both dead so they wouldn’t have to go through with this.

 

Finally Oz broke the awkward silence.  “So, we just do it here?” he asked, indicating the main room floor.

 

“Yes, well, it doesn’t have to be anywhere specific.  Here, drink.” He offered Oz some of the liquid he had mixed up from the glass he held in his hand, and when the boy was finished he accepted it back and drank the rest.  Right, that was done.  No turning back now.

 

Wesley wasn’t sure if it was what he had just consumed, or the notion of being the one with the power and knowledge for once, or if it was the way that that the eerie lighting caught the angles and curves of Oz’s body, but he was suddenly feeling less nervous and very ready to get things going.

 

Oz’s thoughts were moving along the same line, so when the older man stepped in close and caught a large hand around the back of his head to pull him into an intense kiss, he was more than eager to respond. 

 

Lips met lips without hesitation, mouths parted and tongues pushed past teeth to meet and play.  It was kind of odd for Oz, having to tilt his head so far up to meet his partner, to let himself be handled and moved and directed.  It was oddly liberating not to have to make any of the decisions and let his lover guide him.

 

Whoa, hang on a second.  Lover?  That’s not what this was.  But as he felt Wesley’s other hand join the first one at the back of his head, then trail down over his shoulder, and across his back in small soothing circles before landing on his hip, he thought that maybe it was, if only for tonight.

 

Wesley loved how pliant and unresisting Oz was in his hands.  He responded enthusiastically and willingly to every lick, every nip, every thrust of tongue and tilt of head, and never once pressed for control.  Wesley barely had time to think that he might be able to get used to this, before he banished the thought from his mind with a sharp bite on a soft lip and a vicious jerk of his hips against the young man in front of him.

 

Again, Oz responded readily to the advance, pushing his own hips forward, moaning at the sensation of a warm hard cock rubbing up against his own.  His balls drew up tighter against his body, making it clear that this was definitely a sensation that he could get used to, even as he fervently wished he wouldn’t have to.

 

Hearing the slight sound of pleasure coming from the younger man only made Wes want more of it.  He wrapped one arm tightly around the slight body, snaking one hand down his ass to play one finger inside the crack, and used the same hand to harshly jerk the boy against him over and over, even as their mouths continued their mutual feast.

 

Finally Wesley needed a breath, and belatedly realised that perhaps Oz did too, and he pulled back, leaving both men panting.  Oz looked up at him after a moment, silently asking what would happen next, and Wesley almost snarled at him and pushing him violently to the floor, jumping on top of him.

 

Oz let out a sharp *umph* as the air was knocked from him, but only lifted a gentle hand to cup Wesley’s cheek, eyes trusting.

 

Wesley seemed to come out of some kind of stupor at the light touch, and blinked rapidly, looking down at Oz with apology.  “Oz, I’m so sorry,” he managed.  “Did I hurt you?  I don’t know what’s come over me.”

 

Oz simply smiled at him and said, “it’s cool,” before stretching up to capture the older man’s mouth in a delicate kiss.

 

Wesley allowed it for only a second before he once more turned the kiss aggressive and demanding, thrusting needy hips hard into the smaller ones below him.  He tasted blood at some point, realising he must have bitten through the lips pressed against his, and the rampant desire for possession and brutality that shot through him was enough to snap him out of his odd feeling once again.

 

“No, I’m afraid it’s not ‘cool’,” he told Oz.  “There appears to be a side effect I was unprepared for.”  He tried to fight the desire inside him to shut the hell up and fuck the young man hard and fast and rough.  “Perhaps it should have been Angel after all.  He may be uniquely qualified to handle a situation like this.”

 

“Are you okay?” Oz asked him, concerned that in trying to help him out, Wesley would be suffering.

 

“I think so,” Wes answered even as he reached down and grabbed Oz’s erect penis in a squeeze so tight the younger man cried out in pain.  “Sorry.  I think I may be absorbing some of your wolf’s aggression.  It should pass.  I’m more concerned with you at this point.  I don’t want to hurt you.”

 

Oz shrugged, knowing now that they’d started they couldn’t stop.  “I know you don’t. Just do it.  Fast.”

 

Wesley at least had the presence of mind to pick up some of the slick that he had placed on the table earlier and coat his cock in it before he wrenched up Oz’s knees practically to his ears and ramming home in one swift, hard movement.

 

Wesley hadn’t bothered to prepare him at all, and Oz had never done this before, so his gasp of pain and his slight attempt to escape the intrusion were understandable.  Understandable and incredibly erotic for Wesley.  Oz’s erection wilted almost instantly.

 

He didn’t give Oz time to adjust, ploughing into him relentlessly, squeezing the thin wrists of the young man tight in his fists and baring his teeth in a display of superiority.  He wished desperately that he could be gentle with Oz, but the more aggressive his behaviour, the better the sex was, and he wasn’t strong enough to fight it.

 

Oz tried to relax into the act, knowing that by tensing up he would only make it harder on himself, but it wasn’t easy.  He tried breathing, he tried meditating, he tried to think about the benefits of this ritual, and eventually he managed to ease his muscles enough that the pain caused by the shaft ramming into him ruthlessly began to fade to a dull discomfort.

 

Wesley was aware enough to notice Oz’s lack of interest, and on a baser level didn’t really care much, as long he himself got off, but knew for the ritual to work properly they would both have to climax.  In an effort to help him out he released one frail wrist and wrapped his fingers around the penis laying soft across Oz’s flat stomach, and with a supreme effort of will, managed to tease it into semi-hardness with relatively gentle touches.

 

When Oz began to respond, arousal spiking slightly, Wesley somehow sensed it.  It was odd, different, and slightly off-putting that he suddenly had this ability, but that didn’t stop it from sending his own desire soaring.  He removed his hand from Oz’s cock and shot it up to his head, turning it to the side, pressing down on the side of his forehead so that his neck was bared.

 

He paused for a moment, unsure what he was doing, and then resumed the thrusting of his hips, slower and more carefully, changing the angle slightly and bent down to sniff along the length of the exposed throat. 

 

At Wesley’s change of pace and direction, pleasure bloomed inside Oz.  He closed his eyes in enjoyment and began to move his hips up to meet Wesley’s as the older man’s hard prick punched again and again over a spot inside that made him feel amazing.

 

His erection was back full force now, and he idly brought his free hand down to play with it, losing himself in the bliss for several minutes.  It wasn’t until he felt his orgasm approaching that he snapped his eyes open, becoming aware again of the situation, and took his hand from his dick and placed it on Wesley’s chest to get his attention.

 

“Wes,” he said, and got no response.  He tried again, louder.  “Wesley!  I’m close.  You have to-” he was cut off by a growl from the other man that sent vibrations resonating through his entire body, and that only served to turn them both on more.

 

“The spell,” Oz gasped, hoping that Wesley had the presence of mind to remember it.  “You have to say it before we finish.  Wesley, think,” he told him quietly, but firmly, running a tender hand over his face once again.

 

Wesley froze, locking eyes with Oz, then suddenly slammed his eyes shut and began mumbling something incoherent that Oz desperately hoped was the right spell.

 

When Wesley had finished talking he opened his eyes again, looking at Oz, and once again started his hips moving, driving himself in and out of the young man rapidly.  They both moaned in pleasure and both sped up their movements and soon Oz was grabbing hold of himself and pumping several times to unload his seed all over his stomach.  The sight and smell along with the tightness of the hole surrounding him drove Wesley over the edge, and as he came he let out a half roar-half groan, and latched onto Oz’s shoulder, driving in blunt human teeth.

 

Oz braced himself against the pain, his recent orgasm-induced haze helping to block it out, and waited for Wes to move. 

 

As soon as Wesley ejaculated he began to feel more himself.  He was a little muddled, but that was always the case after a bloody spectacular shag.  He shook his head a little and pulled gently out of Oz, letting his softening cock slip free.  He sat back on his heels and offered the boy a hand to help him up.

 

Oz took it, but looked at Wesley questioningly as they both got to their feet. 

 

Wesley smiled what he hoped was a reassuring smile.  “It’s alright Oz.  I feel better.  Much more myself.  How do you feel?” he asked, referring to both the less than gentle treatment and wondering after the affects of the spell.

 

“Little sore,” Oz answered, running a hand over his ass.  “And… calm.  It’s almost moonrise.  Let’s get me chained up.”  He still had that same tickle he always did before a full moon, but it was different this time.  He hoped that was a good sign.

 

“Right,” Wesley agreed, looking at his watch, and led Oz to the convenient shackles Angel just happened to have laying around.  Once Oz was secured, Wesley went back to the discarded pile of clothes to dress himself, offering Oz his pants.  Oz declined.  “Nah, I’ll just pop out of them when I change anyway.”

 

Wesley nodded and tried to avert his gaze from some very inappropriate places.  He might have been over the worst of the aggression, but there was a beautiful, naked, chained-up young man in front of him, and he was only human.

 

“So,” Wes commented, trying to think of something to fill the silence as they waited for the moon.  “Exams coming up soon, hmm?”

 

Oz just looked at him, remaining silent, and Wesley muttered.  “Yes.  Well, Possibly not the best time to discuss that.”

 

The next several minutes went by without comment from either of them, both quietly contemplating what had just happened and what was about to.  Oz broke the silence by softly announcing, “it’s coming.  I can feel it,” and lifting his face slightly to show Wesley the beginnings of the change.

 

“Good,” Wesley said, forgetting his discomfort at the situation as his instinct for duty began to kick it.  “Now.  Try to see if you have any control.  Can you stop the emergence of the wolf?  Slow it?”

 

Oz tried to stop the process that he had undergone once a month for a very long time.  He did feel something different, some measure of control over what was happening, but as soon as he felt it, it slipped away, and he transformed even faster into the beast than he normally would have.

 

Wesley jumped back, startled, having expected it to work.  The wolf didn’t seem particularly agitated, not like it did the last time he’d seen it.  In fact, it looked relatively calm, and curious.  He decided to try to talk to it; maybe Oz was still conscious underneath all the fur and fangs.

 

“Oz?  Can you hear me? “

 

The wolf snarled a little bit, but it wasn’t the snarl of something that wanted to eat him, so he took that as something good.  “Oz, if you can understand me, nod your head.”

 

Wesley held his breath for long seconds, watching the beast that he hoped was still Oz, waiting for an answer.  Eventually it came, with a silted jerk of his head down, and later, almost as an afterthought, an equally uncomfortable looking shift up of his chin.

 

Wesley smiled, genuinely pleased that they were making progress, and excited to see how far they could push it.

 

Wesley coached Oz, patiently and carefully, for the next several hours.  He was able to get more control over himself in the wolf form, and eventually he could even shift to his human form and back again, almost at will.  There was still a long way to go, but what they had accomplished in one short night was remarkable.

 

The moon set and Oz turned back to his human self for good, or at least until later that night.  Oz dressed himself and turned to Wesley to thank him before he left for school. 

 

“Wes,” he said with a nod, figuring that summed it up.

 

Wesley nodded back and smiled, touching Oz on the arm lightly, saying ‘you’re welcome’ without words.

 

Oz took a step forward and stood on his toes to place a grateful kiss on Wesley’s lips before picking up his backpack and walking to the door.  Just as he was leaving he turned back and said, “So, same time next full moon?”, with a wink.

 

Wesley blushed and stammered and generally acted like himself, but was able to put together an impressively coherent response of “Yes.  We’ve still got quite a bit of work to do.”

 

END