Buffy and Willow stood in silence next to Giles in the loft of his apartment.

"This is the surprise? A new bed?" Buffy finally asked in disbelief.

Giles continued to gaze admiringly at his newest acquisition. It barely fit in the loft, it was so big. Still, there was enough room to walk around it, more or less. That was all that was needed. The rest was evident in the wide expanse of mattress. It was a lot of bed.

"As I recall, you were the one whose curiosity got the better of you when you overheard me ordering it. I never claimed it was a surprise at all."

Buffy scowled at him, no doubt hearing the truth in his words.

"Well, I like it," Willow announced with a smile and a nod.

"Thank you, Willow," Giles said pointedly.

Buffy turned her scowl on her best friend who shrugged and refused to back down on her opinion. "What do you need with a new bed? You only used the old one for sleeping in. It's hard to wear it out that way..." She clamped her mouth shut when Giles directed his own fiercely disapproving look at her. He looked downright Ripperish. Not a good time to piss him off.

"Perhaps I might have company once in a while. Perhaps the company might choose to share my bed." He spoke in clipped tones.

Too late. He was pissed. Buffy lowered her gaze and studied the weave of the carpet.

"But you're..." she began.

Willow sidled away.

"No!"

Buffy flinched, looking up at Giles despite herself.

He seemed to tower over her. "I. Am. Not. Too. Old. I thought we covered that when Olivia came to visit."

"We did."

Willow sneaked downstairs and went to sit with Spike on the couch, where the vampire did absolutely nothing to hide his glee at Ripper's wrath towards the Slayer. Willow smacked him across the stomach with a throw pillow.

Buffy turned her attention back to Giles.

"We did cover that. I just..."

"What?" His attitude was softening.

"I don't like sharing you."

Giles very nearly caved then.

"Oh Buffy." He cupped her cheek in his hand. "How sweet."

"Yes?" she asked hopefully.

"I'm in a relationship right now."

"Oh. Olivia came back?"

"No. Not Olivia."

"Cordy?"

"Not Cordelia either."

"Who then?"

He half-turned away, allowing his hand to drop back to his side. "I'd rather not say right now. It's too soon."

"How long have you been seeing her?"

"It's...uh, been a few months off and on, but still, we're, uh, superstitious."

"I see." Buffy drew herself up. "Well, if it doesn't work out..." She let the rest go unspoken.

"Thank you, Buffy. I'll keep that in mind. You are, however, involved with Riley now. Don't you think you owe him your full attention?"

"Yeah, you're right. Riley is my man...right now. You will always be..."

"Here." He finished the thought for her.

"Not exactly what I was going to say, but okay. I can accept that." She glanced past his shoulder. "Nice bed," she said wistfully, then went downstairs.

Giles followed her.

"What are you doing this weekend, Giles?" Willow asked.

"He has company coming," Buffy told her before he could reply.

"Ohh?" Willow waggled her eyebrows in a mock leer. "Anybody we know?"

"It's not Olivia and he's not telling."

"I can speak for myself," Giles said indignantly.

"Sorry," she smiled apologetically.

Willow frowned. "Xander didn't say anything about Spike going to his place this weekend."

"He doesn't know yet," Spike grumbled.

The girls walked towards the door.

"Well, I guess you won't want us around this weekend. "I'll try to handle patrol without you for a few days."

They all knew she'd been patrolling with less and less help the past few months. Giles nodded graciously, too much the gentleman to mention that fact.

As the door closed behind them, Spike said, "For a Slayer she's pretty bloody clueless, isn't she?"

Sending him a glare, Giles said, "Only because I work hard to keep her uninformed about my sex life. And if you ever let on what you know, you will also be included out."

Spike held up his hands in surrender. "Not saying a word, mate."

He did, however, only wait about 20 seconds before asking, "So, when does the Great Poof get here?"

"Angel will be here soon," Giles said offhandedly.

"And when does the moist and delicious one arrive to take me to his place?"

"Xander will be here shortly, too, but you're not going with him."

Spike's temper flared. "You're not throwing me out on the street for the weekend! I can't make it out there, unable to bite or fight."

Giles considered how much to tell him. "You can stay," he said finally.

"What?"

"If you like."

"You're going to let me stay the weekend while you entertain your boyfriend up there in your pretty new bed?"

"If you like," Giles repeated.

Spike stared. "I think I'm getting it now. You and Nancy Boy are getting bored with each other and you need ol' Spikey to liven things up. That explains the size of the bed."

"That's not how it is. You whined the last time Angel stayed here. Something about being left out of the fun."

"I said nothing of the... Oh, wait. Yeah, I did. So where does that leave Harris?"

"Wherever he likes," Giles stated cryptically.

It took a moment, but Spike got it. He grinned wickedly.

Angel arrived after sundown. He entered the apartment with Xander right on his heels. They were arguing.

"...you can't just say something like that and expect me to ignore it, DeadBoy."

"I've asked you not to call me that." Angel strode across the living room, ignoring Spike, and going straight to Giles. They greeted each other with a brief embrace and a quick kiss. Then Angel turned back to Xander and said, "It's the truth."

"What are two talking about?" Giles asked.

Xander stood there with his mouth open, looking like he'd just gotten a mule kick in the stomach.

"See?" Angel asked. "Now do you understand?"

"You're telling me that you and Giles...that Giles and you... Giles, are you and DeadBoy involved, as in..." his hands waved and crossed in the air, "...as in lovers?" he finished in a whisper.

"Yes."

Xander sat heavily on the couch. "I think I have to sit down."

With a glance towards Angel, Giles went to the young man and sat next to him, one arm going across Xander's shoulders.

"Are you all right?"

Still stunned, Xander nodded vigorously like one of those novelty dogs that ride in the back windows of cars. "No."

"If the idea of me being in a relationship like this is..."

Xander put a hand up, stopping him. "It's not that, I just thought..." he churned the hand, trying to bring forth the words to fit his thoughts.

"You thought what, Xander?" Angel asked sitting on the other side of him.

Looking from one to the other, at Spike, who leaned against the patio doors smirking, then back to the couple on the couch, Xander said, "I kind of hoped maybe you would love me that way."

Trading another look with Angel, Giles asked carefully, "You hoped who would?"

"Either of you."

Now that it was Giles' turn to appear flummoxed, Xander continued, wetting his lips with his tongue, "I've been having these dreams for awhile."

"How long?" Angel sounded like he was slipping into detective mode, compassionate yet needing to get to the truth.

"Since before you were Angelus -- the last time. Since Giles came to Sunnydale."

"And you didn't act on it?" Spike was incredulous. "What an idiot!"

Xander jumped to his feet. "Yeah, well, I don't have a couple hundred years of experience under my belt, so I'm not as blase about these things as you are!"

"I'm only a hundred and twenty-six!" Spike shot back.

"Hello? That's still a hundred and seven years more'n me."

Angel ran his hand down Xander's arm until his fingers closed on the younger man's hand. "Why didn't you ever say anything? I always thought you hated me."

Xander shrugged sheepishly. "Yeah, well, it was bad enough I had the hots for my school's male librarian. I couldn't even admit the truth of that little...crush." He stole a glance at Giles, saw a fond smile on his face, and continued, "What do you think knowing I was also half in lust with a vampire did to my brain cells?"

"What about me?" Spike asked.

All three men looked at him. "What about you, Spike?" Angel asked.

"Well, didn't the boy lust after me, too?"

"I didn't know you that well, Spike."

"I'm a lovable kind of vamp. You'd like me."

"Riiight." Xander turned back to Angel. "Anyway, I was just an impressionable teenager..."

"Hey!" Spike reached out to grab Xander's arm in anger, then remembered the implant that would give him an instant migraine if he tried to hurt him. He took a breath and patted the young man on the shoulder instead. "I can convince you," he smiled winningly.

Xander stared at the blond vampire. Glancing at Giles, he saw that the ex-Watcher was reclining against the cushions on the couch, his arm across the back of it, and Angel had settled against his shoulder. They just looked so darned cozy together.

"All right," he said to Spike. "Convince me."

Giles and Angel stood up. Xander experienced a momentary panic. "Where are you going?"

"Upstairs," Angel told him.

"I want to introduce Angel to my new bed," Giles added.

"See you in the morning," Angel said, his expression fairly reminscent of Angelus as he turned his intense stare on his lover. Then he dropped his coat on the couch and caught up with Giles. The two men went upstairs together.

"Wait!" Xander called, "What about me? I just made a life changing decision here."

Spike grinned wickedly. "Guess it's you and me now."

"B-but..."

"Don't worry. I don't bite."

"Giles?" Xander whispered. "Angel?"

"I shouldn't have left Xander alone with Spike," Giles mumbled against Angel's bare shoulder, his hands at the vampire's waist. They lay together on the big bed. Most of their clothing had been discarded.

Angel nibbled on Giles' earlobe. "He'll be all right. Spike is actually a good teacher. He'll treat him well...most of the time."

"But Xander had fantasies about us, not Spike. At least none that he mentioned."

"We agreed that Spike would be the one to initiate Xander."

"Yes, but he trusts me and he wants us. It's not fair to him."

Angel sighed. "You're right. I was being selfish. I wanted to spend time alone with you, but it isn't fair to Xander. Let's get him up here. We can be alone later."

Spike had Xander pinned to the cushions of the couch, his shirt off him, and was scraping his blunt teeth on Xander's stomach, when Giles leaned over the upstairs railing.

"Xander."

"H-here?"

"Please come up here. Make sure you bring your playmate."

Spike raised a fist in victory, and climbed off Xander.

Quite some time later, there was a heap of four exhausted males lying in a sweaty tangle.

From underneath Spike, Giles said drowsily, "Not quite what I had in mind when I wanted to make love in this bed for the first time."

"Are you complaining?" Angel asked, lying with his head near the foot of the bed, one of Xander's legs draped over his neck.

"I believe this was better." Sitting up as best he could, considering Spike's elbow was on his chest, Giles asked, "Xander? Are you all right?"

His voice muffled because his face was smooshed against Spike's ribcage, Xander replied, "Oh, yeah. I thought that last time with Anya on the washer during the spin cycle was pretty mindblowing. Boy, was I wrong!"

Spike gave Giles' belly one last lick. "Can everybody be quiet and go to sleep now, like good little boys?"

There was some shifting of bodies, but eventually they all settled down.

A minute or so later, the door downstairs opened.

"Giles?" the voice of Daniel Osbourne, known to his friends as Oz, carried up to them. "Are you home?"

Giles scrambled out from under his lovers, grabbed his robe, didn't bother to tie it closed after he shrugged it on, and ran downstairs.

"Oz? You're back?"

The two men met in a fierce clinch. Oz pressed his forehead in the center of Giles' chest, his arms tightening around the taller man. Then they were nearly bowled over when an ecstatic vampire raced down and embraced both of them.

Angel let go of Giles and threw his arms solely around Oz. "I'm so happy to see you, Oz."

The young werewolf said, "Careful there, big guy. You don't want to get too happy. Remember what happened last time." Despite his laconic way, Oz was smiling.

Giles hugged their wayward friend again. "Did you just get back? Where have you been?"

"Yes, and around."

Giles kissed the top of his bright orange head. "Never mind. We're delighted you came back. Have you seen Willow yet?"

"Not yet. I thought I'd go see her in the morning. Can I crash with you guys tonight?"

"Of course."

Angel scratched the side of his nose. "Uh, we're not alone."

"Is anyone ever truly alone?"

Laughing quietly, Angel said, "No, I mean..." he pointed upwards.

Oz gazed to where the finger indicated. "Ah, company. Anybody I know?"

Giles and Angel exchanged one of their silent communications. Wrapping their arms around Oz, they guided him upstairs.

Oz stared unblinkingly at Xander and Spike, in the middle of the huge bed, wound together in sleep.

"Ah. Company." Oz shrugged, grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it off over his head. "So, where do you want me?"

Xander woke up with a start.

Cranking an eye open, he saw Oz sleeping with his head on the shoulder next to both of them. Xander wasn't sure who that was, but was pretty certain Oz hadn't been with them when he'd fallen asleep last night. Glancing at the clock on Giles' bedside table, he saw that it was still last night. He'd only been asleep an hour and a half.

Oz turned his head and opened his eyes.

"Xander," he said quietly. "Hi."

"Hi yourself. Whatcha doing here?"

"Sleeping."

"Unlike the rest of us who you're keeping awake," Spike grumbled. His eyes remained firmly shut.

"You're drooling, Spike," Xander informed the vampire who had his arms wrapped around Xander's hips.

"No'm'not."

Angel and Giles slept soundly in each other's arms on the other side of them.

Xander nestled his head in the comfort of his pillow, let one hand fall onto Spike's back, and returned to sleep.

Whoever it was who arrived next actually knocked, albeit impatiently.

Giles lying in Angel's protective embrace said to no one in particular, "Knocking. What a novel idea. Can't be anyone I know." Slipping out from the blankets, he pulled on his silk robe, gave Angel's face a quick caress, smiled fondly at the other three men in his bed, and went down to greet his visitor.

"Wesley?"

Giles stood aside to let Wyndham-Price enter the apartment.

His fellow ex-Watcher paced halfway into the living room before stopping to acknowledge Giles.

"Mister Giles." He was distracted and agitated.

"What's wrong?"

"I...I need to see Angel. He's here, isn't he?"

"Upstairs."

Wesley started towards the staircase, then halted. "Um, may I?"

"If it's that urgent, just go!" Giles steered him up the steps.

Angel was awake and sitting on the side of the bed, a portion of the sheet draped across his lap. Wesley stopped so suddenly, Giles bumped into him from behind.

"That bed is huge!" Wes told Giles. "And why are there so many people in it?"

"We're having an orgy," Giles said mildly.

Wesley gave him a startled look.

"What's wrong, Wes?" Angel rubbed a hand over his face and peered sleepily at him.

"I... I wanted to let you know that Cordelia and I saved the agency from a collector demon late tonight."

"A collector demon?" Angel and Giles asked at the same time.

"Never heard of it," the vampire added.

"Sounds like a bill collector," came a comment from Oz who was lying half under Xander with his leg around his friend's hips.

"Yes. Precisely."

Everyone who was awake stared at Wesley.

Giles rubbed the knuckle of his thumb across his forehead. "Um, Angel? May I talk to you a moment?"

They went downstairs, Giles walking closely behind his boyfriend who hadn't bothered to put any pants on. Giles' gaze fixated on the tight buns walking ahead of him.

When they reached the kitchen, Angel turned to face him.

"What's up?"

Presented with a lovely full-frontal view now, Giles didn't even try to drag his gaze upwards.

"I will be soon, if you continue to walk around like that."

Smiling, Angel stepped forward, placed his hands on either side of Giles' face and made him look him in the eye.

"What did you want to talk about?" he asked, still amused.

Giles returned the look with equal affection. "I think Wesley wants to make love with you."

"What? Where did you get that idea?"

"The last time he was here, before he went down to Los Angeles, he stayed over and, well, he talks in his sleep. Alot. It sounded to me like he's been attracted to you for quite a while."

"If that's true, he's good at hiding his feelings. He's never even hinted at it around me," Angel mused. "But what does that have to do with tonight?"

"Could his excuse for being here be any more lame?" Giles gave his head a shake. "Good lord, I'm talking like Xander now."

Angel said, "Well, you have a bigger bed now. There's room for one more."

Their eyes met and held.

"I like the way you think," Giles said, leaning forward to receive a mushy kiss.

They returned to the loft.

Wesley lay in the center of the bed, naked, with Spike straddling him and Oz and Xander on either side, stroking his lean body. Wes's expression was as close to blissful as any either of them had ever witnessed.

Angel stared a moment then said, "I like the way they think."

"Something tells me we're not going to get a lot of sleep tonight." Giles dropped his robe, letting it pool at his feet. It had barely skimmed his legs when Angel grabbed him around the waist and pulled him into a hard embrace. Mouths colliding heatedly, they fell together onto the bed next to those already there.

Another knock on the door.

Giles swore with much creativity, nearly sobbing with the need to continue what he was presently doing with Spike. The blond vampire lifted his head from below Giles' waist and looked up at him.

"You going to leave again, mate?"

Growling under his breath, Giles snatched the robe from the floor, stomped down the stairs and then put the garment on. He yanked the door open.

A man of average height with black hair and impish blue eyes stood on the doorstep.

"I'm Doyle," he introduced himself, speaking with a lilting Irish brogue. "You must be Giles. Would Angel be here?"

Giles gestured him inside.

Doyle entered the apartment and stopped, listening.

"I hear the enticing sounds of an orgy. Can anyone join?"

Giles sized him up. "Angel was very upset when you died. For his sake, I'm pleased you've returned."

Beaming, Doyle said, "Not half as pleased as I am, let me tell you. By the way, Angel's told me a lot about you. A lot," he winked.

Giles grinned back at him. "I'm sure we can fit you in."

It was an hour or so before dawn the next time they were interrupted. The newest arrival's presence was not heralded by a knock on the door or even a shouted greeting.

He seemed to materialize at the foot of the bed, but that could have been because no one was paying any attention to anything outside their immediate little world.

Ethan Rayne watched the acrobatics taking place in front of him, amazed at the number of arms and legs and other appendages that were involved. He was rapidly becoming aroused and decided to take advantage of the situation.

Stripping off his clothing, he crawled across the bed, intent on reaching the owner of it. He had to climb over three sets of legs, nearly planting his knee in someone's chest and got a quick tongue swipe on his ankle for his muttered apology. He paused to consider the tangle that was Wesley and Angel, and tried without success to identify whose leg was wrapped around the Harris boy's neck. Oddly, Xander seemed to be enjoying the unconventional headlock as he was licking at the inside of the thigh under his nose. Finally, Ethan reached Giles. He was busy rocking the werewolf lad in his lap. Oz's eyes were wide as he bobbed up and down, panting in rhythm with Giles' grunts.

Sitting back on his heels, Ethan watched his old mate reach his point of ecstasy as he and Oz shuddered together then sagged.

"Guess my timing's a bit off, eh, Ripper?" Ethan brushed the sweat off Giles' brow and got a tired smile in return. Glancing around, Ethan said, "Oh well. You'll be ready for me shortly. In the meanwhile I'll make myself at home, shall I?"

He chose the young man with the black hair who was entertaining both Spike and Xander. Sliding a hand between their bodies, he stroked lower and lower until he reached the other's belly. Seeing that he had his attention, Ethan smirked and said, "I'm Ethan Rayne."

"Pleased to meet you. Doyle's my name." Wild-eyed, Doyle bucked his hips. "Would you mind doing that some more?"

"I'd be delighted." Ethan gathered Doyle into his arms. Spike and Xander automatically moved closer to each other. "I'm so glad I chose today to come visit dear Ripper."

No one heard the knock this time, or the query, "Is anyone home?"

The visitor heard noises from the upper level of the apartment and followed the sounds.

"Buffy sent me over to get a sword she thinks she'll need this afternoon. We both figured it was time I met..."

He halted suddenly at the top of the stairs. The knot of nudity writhing on the bed was more than his cornfed sensibilities could process...at first.

Riley Finn dragged his eyebrows out of his hairline, smiled, and began pulling his t-shirt out of the waistband of his jeans.

"Is this a private party or can anyone join?"

Several hands beckoned him over, so he shucked his clothing and was soon in the middle of the pile.

Someone called out, "Number nine!"

Someone else moaned two names.

Riley said hello to Xander and Oz, picked Giles out of the tangle and introduced himself, then fell over backwards when snagged from behind.

Surprised, he didn't struggle, but rather twisted so that he was back up on his knees and eyeball to eyeball with...

"Hostile 17!"

"Hello, mate," Spike greeted him languidly.

Riley bristled, his military training coming to the fore, then he thought better of it. It just wasn't good manners to attack another guest when you were a guest yourself.

"Bygones?" he asked, holding out a hand in truce.

Spike grinned lasciviously. "Come here," he tugged on the hand until Riley fell on top of him.

The mattress began sliding around on its base as the nine men on it rocked and rolled.

Several couples and groups shouted out their orgasmic joy.

Several others continued pumping and thrusting until they, too, reached the height of satisfaction.

As most of the loving was done for that round, and bodies fell back quivering in the aftermath, movement began to cease. After awhile all lay quiet and sated, the only sound being varying degrees of heavy breathing. Someone coughed once.

That was when the bed collapsed.

Following the confusion that event produced, silence fell once again.

Then Giles swore softly. "Bloody hell. Now I'll have to buy another new bed."

~ end ~