__It's How You Play The Game__
By Kath



"C'mon, English, make up your mind already." Gunn took another swig of his beer and sent an impatient glare towards the tall man sitting cross- legged on the floor across from him.

"Wh-who's idea was it to play this ridiculous game, anyway?" Wes grumbled nervously. He was trying to remember how he had ended up inviting his former co-workers back to his flat, after Caritas had closed, in the first place. He eyed the half bottle of beer at his feet and decided that *it* probably had something to do with it.

"Hey, I mean if you're too 'Pansy-assed' to handle it..."

"I told you to *stop* saying that! My ass is not..."

"Wesley," Cordy interrupted, her words slightly slurring together in that classic 'I've had just enough to drink to make things interesting' kind of way. "Could we stop with the fascination with your ass, already?"

"He *started* it! I..."

"Just drop it, and pick. You only have two choices here. It's not brain surgery."

"Alright..." Wesley turned back to Gunn and adjusted his glasses, attempting to bring the renegade into better focus. "Truth."

The dark, young man grinned at him, and rubbed his hands together eagerly.

"Wait! I - uh, change my mind. Dare."

"Is that your *final* answer?"

"Y-yes." If possible, the grin on Gunn's face grew even wider, showing off all his pearly white teeth. Wes got the uneasy feeling, drifting in through the alcohol-induced haze covering his consciousness, that he'd been set up.

"Kiss Cordy."

Yep, he'd definitely been set up. Still, it wasn't as if he hadn't done it before. It could be worse.

"HEY!" An indignant cry rose up from the third member of their little pity party. "Now, wait just a minute there, Buster...s"

Both men looked at their brunette friend in surprise. She shoved Gunn's shoulder roughly, sending him tipping precariously to one side for a moment. "It's *his* dare...aren't you supposed to pick something like 'take off all your clothes and dance naked to 'Like A Virgin'..." Two sets of eyebrows shot to the sky. "...or...something else," she finished lamely.

"I'm sorry if the idea of kissing me seems so horrible." Now Wesley sounded indignant....and a little hurt.

"Yo! I said 'kiss', *not* argue. Play by the rules, white people. Oh, and by the way, it's gotta be a *real* kiss...body parts gotta be touching." Charles was entirely too pleased with himself, smugly observing the extreme discomfort he was causing.

Wesley wiped his suddenly sweaty palms on his trousers and swallowed hard. He looked from Cordy to Gunn, then back again.

"C'mon 3PO. I *double* dare you."

"Really, Charles, what are you....five years old?" Cordy's eyes were flashing and her voice filled with her trademark sarcasm. "Wesley's not going to fall for that."

The former Watcher made his move, sliding closer to the girl, until their knees were touching, and removed his glasses, folding them neatly and setting them beside his beer bottle.

"Wesley? What are you doing? Wes...you don't have to hrrmmpth..." The rest of Cordelia's statement was cut off by the soft, sloppy kiss that greeted her when she'd turned his way. A shock of electricity swept through the former May Queen, and, rather than pulling away, she found herself falling into a rather clumsy embrace. Placing his hands on Cordy's shoulders, Wesley rose up onto his knees, then gently pushed her backwards, until she was lying on her side, on the floor with him beside her, all without breaking the kiss.

"Okay guys, you can stop now....Guys?" Gunn rolled his eyes in mock disgust. "Okay, very funny. You've made your point."

The kissing couple continued as if no one else were in the room. Cordelia had one hand planted firmly on Wesley's hip, her fingers gripping the cloth of his trousers tightly, while the palm of her other hand rested against his chest. She could feel the pounding of his heartbeat beneath his sweater vest and t-shirt, urging her on. Wes leaned on one elbow, while his fingers ran lightly up and down her neck, playing in her silky, short tresses.

"Okaaaaay, I think I'm gonna be headin' outta here now. I can see three's a crowd, so...you all have fun." Charles threw up his hands, finished the last of his beer and picked himself up off the floor. With one final backwards glance, he shook his head in disbelief, grabbed his coat and fled from the apartment.

As soon as she heard the front door close, Cordy pulled away, laughing. "Okay, Wes, he's gone. You can get off me now."

Off in his own little world, Wesley continued to look down at her, gazing into Cordy's eyes as if hypnotized. Rather than pulling back, he lifted his hand to her face, lightly brushing aside a loose strand of hair from her forehead. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?"

"Have you gone completely insane?" Bracing both hands against Wesley's chest, Cordy finally succeeded in pushing him off of her. She quickly sat up and scooted away, until she was leaning back against the sofa, still keeping one wary eye on the Rogue Demon Hunter.

Wesley had rolled over onto his back, knees up, feet planted firmly on the floor. His hands rose and fell, resting easily on his stomach, his eyes caught following the endless turning of the ceiling fan above him.

"You *were* just kidding around, weren't you?" The girl asked, hopefully. He rolled his head in her direction and smiled widely, then pulled himself up into a sitting position.

"Of course." He reached up to place his glasses on his face and smooth down his hair. "Weren't you?"

"Oh, sure," she laughed uneasily. "Guess we taught Charles a good lesson." Cordelia suddenly became intrigued by the worn pattern in Wesley's rug.

"Yes." An uncomfortable silence followed, as the duo managed to look everywhere but at each other. "No." The word popped so unexpectedly out of Wesley's mouth, even he was surprised by it.

"Huh?" Cordy's head snapped around. "No what?"

Wesley took a deep breath and forced himself to meet the girl's eyes with his own. "Actually, no... I wasn't kidding." Another uncomfortable silence followed.

"Me neither."

"Hmmmm....no?" Wes' eyes grew wide as he realized what she'd admitted.

"No....we're a real pair."

"Quite." Neither of them knew what to do or say next. Cordelia slid back over, to sit next to the self-conscious Brit again.

"Guess that was a great joke on Gunn, huh." A tiny smile threatened Wesley's seriously nervous demeanor. Cordelia's voice grew soft and quiet. "Do you *really* think I'm beautiful?"

The smile was full blown now, as he gently replied, "You are the most captivatingly beautiful woman I have ever met, Cordelia."

"Oh....wow." Wesley reached up and ran his fingers through the girl's soft hair again. "Wes?"

His grey eyes were locked onto her hazel ones. "Yes?" Wesley lifted her chin with his index finger, as he leaned his face closer to hers.

"Kiss me...I dare you."

The man had no choice but to comply.

* * *