Wesley shifted on the seat, feeling uncomfortable for several reasons, beginning with the dull ache in his lower back from the injury he sustained in the fight at the school, and ending with the looks he was getting from every third person who passed. Stubbornness kept him in place. He’d lain in his hospital bed and sworn that before he shook the dust of Sunnydale from his feet and rode off into the sunset he would do two things; drink at the Bronze in his new leather gear and stake a genuine Sunnydale vampire.

He’d planned to do it in that order, which might not have been wise, but as it happened, he’d been attacked a few yards from the entrance to the club and the reflex that placed a stake in his hand also prompted him to throw it, so that the vampire exploded into dust before it managed to even touch him. After that, Wesley felt he’d earned a drink. Or two. Possibly three.

And after four, his leather trousers even stopped chafing.

He might have left out of boredom; the noise of the band wearing down his desire to outface the raised eyebrows from the children around him, but suddenly his vision was filled by a looming shape that seemed familiar.

“So you’re still here? Suppose you think now she’s graduated you can go after her?”

Wesley peered up at a familiar face, watching it sway from side to side. No, wait; that was his head moving. “Xander? Hello to you, too. I assume you mean Cordelia? Don’t worry; I have no intention of pursuing her, especially after what happened.”

If anything, Xander looked angrier. “You scum.”

“Beg your pardon?”

Xander reached down and hauled Wesley up so their faces were level. “You’re going to find Cordelia and you’re going to tell her you love her.”

“I’ll do no such thing!”

Xander’s fist moved faster than it should have done. Wesley sat back down again abruptly, nursing his jaw. Then he squinted up at Xander. “Why do I get the feeling there’s a deep misunderstanding here? We kissed, no spark, parted friends. I can assure you I treated her with the utmost respect at all times.”

He got a mild satisfaction from seeing the truculent look fade away. “You’re not ditching her because her father lost all his money and she’s broke?”

Wesley wasn’t quite sure why jumping up and hitting Xander felt so good but it did. “You take that back!”

“Oww?” Xander dabbed his nose and stared at his bloody fingers. “I suppose I deserved that but God, Wesley, way to make me a vampire buffet.”

Wesley sighed. Wonderful. He couldn’t even avenge his honour without ending up feeling guilty. “Come to the toilets and I’ll help you get cleaned up. I need to pee anyway.”

The washroom was empty and relatively clean. Wesley followed Xander over to a basin and watched the scarlet splashes of blood drip down. Soaking some paper towels, he held them out wordlessly.

“Thanks.” Xander snuffled and dabbed his face clean. “I’m going tomorrow. Heading out.Didn’t think I’d start my road trip looking like this though.”

“Really? So am I.”

“How come?”

“The Council sent me a get well card that consisted of a severance cheque. It worked wonders; I was out of the hospital bed some five minutes later as that meant they were no longer covering my medical expenses. Still in some pain but I’ll live.”

Xander winced. “Sorry,” he said. “So you’re saying goodbye to the place, are you?”

Wesley doubted Xander would be interested in his first staking alone and in the wild, so he simply nodded. Then he reconsidered and told him anyway. It had been impressive.

Xander stared at him. “Night of firsts, huh? I can go for that. First time you’ve punched me if you want to count that.”

Wesley smiled. “I will, thank you.”

It was amazing how alcohol made the world so simple.

Xander leaned against the tiled wall and grinned. “How about the classic first?” he said. “Or - no, I suppose you’ve already -?”

Wesley threw back his shoulders. “Twice,” he confided.

“Once, but she was scary,” Xander said quickly.

“My girl wasn’t scary,” Wes said.

“’Girl’? That counts as one, Wesley, even if you had sex twice.”

Wesley narrowed his eyes. “Why doesn’t Peter count?” Silence. Wesley raised his eyebrows and looked unbelievably superior. “I see.”

“You - and a man?”

Wesley shrugged, striving for nonchalance and striking his elbow on the soap dispenser. “I have a motto, Xander -”

“Is it the one in Latin? Because I know Giles was chuckling but to be honest -”

“Try everything once; you just might like it.”

“The Green Eggs and Ham approach? Fair enough.”

“What?”

“Never mind. Huh. You’re a first ahead of me.”

Wesley realised that Xander was as drunk as he was. Had to be, because when he said softly, “Want to catch up?” Xander didn’t hit him again, or laugh, but stared at him for a long, slow-moving moment.

Then he leaned close and kissed Wesley so hard he saw stars.

Xander tasted of mint and beer and his mouth was taking away every humiliating memory of kisses in libraries with girls who didn’t know where to put their noses. Xander wasn’t hesitating at all, wasn’t giving Wes any chance to hesitate. His hands were clutching, roving, grabbing and Wesley was copying him, dimly wondering why the noise of the music was getting louder -

“Cut it out, you perverts! Shit! Get a room!”

Scalding shame washed over Wesley, but as he struggled free he saw Xander’s face and relaxed. He was glaring at the young boy who’d walked in and murmuring something that made the boy back off and vanish.

“What did you say?”

Xander’s mouth was hard. “He was the only person not to show at graduation. Said he was sick. Tried to make out we were fools for going.”

Wesley thought of the people who had died that day and felt his own anger rise. Then Xander’s mouth brushed against his ear and he forgot everything.

“Come back to my room?” Wesley whispered. “It’s not far.”

“Nowhere is, in this place,” Xander said. “That’s why I’m leaving.”

They made it to the first deserted alley and then they were kissing again, drink and desperation, loneliness and lust - and the knowledge that they would never see each other again - erasing their past, blurring their future and filling the present with uncomplicated need.

It wasn’t long before trousers were shoved down enough to let hands wriggle inside, shirts pulled up to let hands slide against skin...Wesley with his back against a wall, head striking it painfully as Xander’s hands, clumsy until he worked out how to do it from a different angle, gripped and stroked his hard cock with a casual, ruthless speed that made Wes whimper and ... Xander guiding Wesley’s hand inside his open jeans and cursing mildly as Wesley came, shuddering and panting hoarse, soft sounds as soon he touched Xander and felt his response...Xander watching Wesley kiss his way down until he was on his knees, the darkness of the night hiding his expression as he took Xander’s cock in his mouth and Xander’s teeth drove into his lip to stop himself making more noise than they could get away with, even here. coming fast, spilling and jerking his hips and ...

Voices, footsteps coming closer broke them apart and they began to walk away, hands fumbling with zips, eyes looking straight ahead. Conversation trickled and dried. When they got to the point that their paths split, Wesley knew he’d be going back to his room alone.

First times were something to avoid. He’d have to remember that.

Then Xander turned to him to say goodbye, and a handshake became a hug, and a hug became a kiss, and second times weren’t hell at all...quite the reverse.

And Xander was still there in the morning - and that was the best first of all.


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