Parts 12-15
Part 12: La Zizanie
Xander ran his hand through Riley's hair, resisting the urge to grab it, hold it, control it as Riley moved up and down on his cock. All he had to do was gently run a finger along Riley's cheek and he would respond.
Xander tried the move that had sent shivers through Graham's whole body. He slowly leaned over and slid his hand between Riley's ass cheeks.
Riley jerked his head up sharply and barked, "Don't!"
Xander pulled back. "Hey, no problem, Ri."
"Maybe I oughta. . . " He grabbed Xander's upper arms and rolled him over, pinning him to the mattress. But instead of fighting back, Xander went limp and just stared up at him like Riley had totally lost it.
"Shit, sorry." Riley let go and rolled off of him.
Riley sat on the edge of the bed, his back to Xander.
What was that? Fuck. Never mind. Xander knew: the control thing. He sighed.
"Riley."
Riley put his head in hands.
"Is that what you want from me, Ri?"
"I don't fucking know." It came out little more than a whisper.
"Shit. Are you afraid of me?"
Riley turned around and looked at him.
"Fuck! You are! Or afraid of this . . . We don't have to, you know, do anything."
"Don't you want to?"
"I like you Riley, but not enough to do this unless I wanted to."
Riley had to smile back. "You gotta tell me one thing: Do you love Anya?"
Xander shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."
"She loves you."
"In her own ex-demonic way."
"She loves you." Riley repeated more firmly.
"Yeah, she loves me."
Riley sighed and stared at the wall. There was a bleak silence as Xander listened to Riley's breathing. Finally Riley spoke, still staring hard at the far wall. "You don't love me. Buffy doesn't love me."
Xander sat behind Riley, legs spread, and pressed his chest against Riley's back and hugged him tightly. "Someone loves you, Ri."
"Thanks, Xander. But you know what I mean."
"No, I mean there's someone who would do anything for you, fucking cut his right arm off for you, do anything for you."
Riley turned his head. "What the fuck are you talking about?"
"You are blind, aren't you?" Xander supressed a chuckle.
Riley turned around, pushing Xander gently onto his back.
"'*His* arm'?"
"*His* arm. Jesus! He's ready to put his career on the line to get you back inside. You seriously don't see the way he looks at you?"
"*Graham*?" Riley stared incredulously.
Xander nodded.
"You are so full of shit. Graham is so straight. . . "
". . . that he sucked me off the first time we ever talked."
"What!"
"Remember you asked me that first night if I'd ever done it with a guy before?"
"Yeah and you said 'one guy'."
"Yeah." Xander raised his eyebrow.
"With *Graham*?"
Xander nodded, and gave Riley a slightly naughty smile.
"Jesus! Xander, Can't you keep it zipped up?" There was real annoyance behind the mock annoyance.
Xander grinned that smile of his and shrugged.
"Let me get this straight. . . "
"So to speak."
"You fucked Graham, the Graham I know, Lt. Graham Miller?"
"Well, not that first night."
"OK. Just how many times you been with him?"
"Uh, twice."
"But you're saying that it's *me* he's in love with?"
"I think so. I think he's got it so bad for you he can barely deal."
"But he can still sleep with you?"
Xander sat up. "I don't think he's -- shit, I don't know. With Graham and me, it was more . . . friendly."
"Friendly?"
Xander nodded.
Riley looked at Xander and shook his head. "This is really fucked up. I'm in bed with my girlfriend's best friend, who's been sleeping with my best friend who it turns out is maybe in love with me, but my girlfriend's best friend's girlfriend knows . . . "
"Uh, very little, I hope. She's got that whole vengence demon past going on. "
"Anybody else I oughta know about?"
"How come I suddenly feel like the biggest slut in the universe?"
"You really want an answer to that question?"
"Uh, no. But I gotta point out that I'm in bed with my best friend's boyfriend, who this very minute is thinking about sleeping with *his* best friend."
Riley ducked his head. "Touché."
Xander reached up and hugged Riley, and pulled him back down onto the bed. Xander caressed his face and slowly leaned in and kissed him gently. Riley began to respond, the kiss became more intense, and even more so when Xander's hand found Riley's cock, and taking hold of it underhanded, began to caress it. There was a sense of power in the ability to make Riley react with just a touch.
"Xander. . . "
"Yeah?
"Did you really. . . fuck Graham?"
A hesitation. "Yeah."
Riley whispered, "You wanna fuck me?"
A longer hesitation, and then a hoarse whisper, "Yeah."
"Tell me what to do . . . "
Xander reached over to the drawer in the bed-side table and pulled out a condom packet and a bottle of lube. He started to open the packet, and then stopped. He handed it to Riley, and looked expectantly at him.
Riley seemed to understand the challenge. He nodded, opened the foil packet and slowly unrolled the condom ontp Xander's saliva-slick cock. He stared at it for a moment, then swallowed hard, and looked up at Xander.
"It'll be easier if you lie on your stomach, OK?" Xander's voice was soft and reassuring. Riley nodded and lay down, letting Xander put a pillow under his pelvus, forcing his ass in the air. He didn't resist at all as legs were gently eased apart. He buried his head in his arms as Xander opened the bottle and warmed a dallop of lube between his palms before applying it to Riley's opening.
Riley moaned as Xander inserted a finger. "Just relax, OK?"
A muffled 'Uh huh." was all Xander got in reply, but Riley managd to relax as Xander slowly worked first one, then two fingers up Riley.
Xander leaned over, running his hands up the hot hard muscle of Riley's back, until he had hold of his shoulders, slowly massaging them, reassuring Riley, keeping him relaxed. He whispered into his ear, "You gotta let me know if I'm hurting you, OK?"
"Uh huh . . . OK."
Xander slowly moved back down, and knealt between Riley's outstretched legs. He guided his cock towards the lubed and stretched ass. There was a moment of resistance.
"Relax it. Just relax, Ri."
And Xander eased it in slowly, letting Riley get used to it, before he started to move in and out, trying to hit the spot that had made Graham growl.
He found it. Riley's head jerked up in a silent moan. He slowly let it back down and moaned in time to Xander's thrusts.
=========================
When the phone rang again, Xander reached over and unplugged it from the wall, then let his hand return to caressing Riley's shoulder as he resumed slowly moving in and out of the prostrate, panting ex-commando, letting himself be mesmerized by the low, purring moans coming from the marine.
*****
Part 13: Buffy
Riley stood under the shower, reveling in the torrent of hot water. He took his time. At least his apartment complex never seemed to run out of hot water. There would be enough left for Xander, if he ever woke up. He looked so cute sleeping in just his boxers, that Riley hadn't had the heart to wake him, even if a shower with Xander sounded like an awfully nice way to start a Saturday morning . . . well, afternoon.
Riley was dried off, towel wrapped round his waist, starting to shave when he heard the door open.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?"
Fuck. Buffy. The fact that Riley didn't have a heart attack right then and there at least proved that the Doc's operation had been a total success. He took a deep breath and stepped out of the bathroom, to see Buffy standing over a very hung-over Xander, sitting on the couch in what Riley knew to be hastily pulled-on khakis and T-shirt, head in his hands.
"I can't believe you, Xander!"
"Buffy, it's not . . . " Xander stopped. Shit, it *was* what it looked like.
"Buffy." Riley got out.
Buffy turned on her heel and stared at Riley. "What the hell have you too been up to?" Buffy surveyed the empty bottles on the table and the floor. "Jesus, you guys have been going all lost weekend, haven't you?"
She turned back to Xander. "Anya's been going crazy. She spent the night over at Tara and Willow's crying her eyes out. We've been calling hospitals, and police stations and I kicked Spike's butt, just because I didn't believe him when he said he hadn't heard anything."
Xander looked down at the floor shame-faced. He glanced up quickly and saw that Buffy had turned her attention to Riley. He kicked the used condom under the couch as quickly as possible.
"We just went for a few beers, and then. . . " Riley shrugged.
"And then came back and drank up the liquor store!"
"This isn't all from last night, Buffy. I haven't exactly been cleaning up regularly."
"OK, so it's more a week-long jag rather than a one-night drunk. THAT makes it so much better."
Riley hung his head.
Buffy shook her head, walked over to the phone and picked it up and dialed. Taking advantage of the diversion, Xander scrambled up, and darted into the bathroom.
"Hey, Willow. Yeah they're both here. Along with their good friend Jack Daniels. . . . Yeah, they're both OK. How's Anya? . . . OK, good. . . . No, I don't think she oughta talk to Xander just now."
Xander stood in the bathroom and washed his face and listened to Buffy's voice as she read Riley the riot act about his drinking problem. He sighed and turned off the water and dried off. Time to face the music. He pulled his tee-shirt back on, and stepped back out.
Riley was staring at the floor. Buffy seemed to have run out of words. But her face had lost none of its anger.
"It was my fault, Buffy. I . . . "
"This would so be the time for you to not talk, Xander."
"Right."
Buffy glared at him. "This would be the time for you to go home, take a shower, change your clothes and go see Anya."
"Right." Xander nodded, grabbed his shirt, socks and shoes and stepped out the door, leaning against the wall to pull on shoes and socks. He suddenly realized he had to get the message to Graham to do a little more tape erasing.
*****
Part 14: Code
Xander sauntered into the Magick Box, and was grateful that it was almost empty. Giles was behind the counter looking over some order forms. He glanced up.
"I'm afraid Anya isn't in today." Giles was a bit surprised that Xander didn't know that.
"Yeah, she and the wiccans headed off to the Mall to get one CD. I expect them back in about 6 hours."
Giles grinned at the joke, more out of social obligation than anything else. "So, are you here as a customer?"
Xander shook his head as he took a seat on the stool near the counter.
"Where's Buffy?"
"She and Riley are spending the day with Dawn. Something about a water park, if I recall correctly."
Xander examined every item in the counter case very carefully. Giles waited patiently. "Uh, Giles?"
"Yes, Xander."
"I've got a friend who's got this problem."
"Ah." said Giles, indicating that he understood more than Xander intended.
"By all means, tell me your friend's problem." Giles put the order forms down, and pulled up a stool and sat across the counter from the lad.
"It's kind of complicated."
"As you say, we probably have five or six hours."
Xander flashed him a gentle grin.
"OK, my friend has this girlfriend that he likes a lot, but . . . " Xander stoppped short.
". . . he's unexpectedly found himself drawn to another?" Giles spoke in a suprisingly soft voice.
Xander nodded.
"And has your friend, uh, acted on this attraction?"
Xander nodded again.
Giles sighed as he nodded. "These things do happen, Xander. They are unfortunate, but they do happen. I will give you one word of advice . . . to give to your friend."
Xander looked up at him, expectantly.
"Don't tell . . . , tell your friend not to tell his girlfriend. It may not be the most honest of actions, but it is a sin of omission rather than of commission. Telling her would only be cruel. It might make him feel better, but would only serve to wound her."
Xander nodded.
"Uh, Xander?"
Xander met his eyes. Giles' eyes had that caring look that he usually reserved for Buffy. Xander swallowed.
"The person that your friend is drawn to, would uh, would he have a significant other of whom your friend is quite fond of as well?"
Xander got the look of a deer caught in the headlights of an on-coming semi.
"Breathe, Xander."
Xander started breathing again. He looked up at Giles. "You knew?"
Giles shook his head, "Not until just now, no."
Xander put his head down on his arms on the counter, unable to face the ex-librarian.
"Is your friend in love with him?"
"No, not really." Xander managed to shake his head without lifting it from his arms.
"That does simplify things in the long run. Is he in love with your friend?"
Xander looked up, still not meeting Giles' eyes. "Maybe. I don't know. I don't think so. It's more like a lust thing. Like he's trying it out. It's not like it is with Graham . . . " Xander cut himself off.
"Oh, dear." Giles stared strictly at the lad. "Xander." He admonished, "Cheating on one's significant other might be considered a temporary aberration. But cheating on the one with whom one is cheating does take it rather far afield."
"She's gonna kill m . . . him, isn't she?"
"She very well might, Xander. And I'm not at all sure that he wouldn't deserve it. I mean how would you feel if you walked in and caught Buffy with Anya?"
The sly grin that came across Xander's face made Giles wish he hadn't asked that question. "Never mind."
Changing the subject quickly, Giles continued, "So does young Mr., I mean. . . "
"I know you've cracked my ingenious code, Giles."
Giles nodded, grateful for that anyway. "Does Riley want to continue seeing Buffy?"
Xander shook his head slowly. "I don't know. I don't think he does either. He's kinda confused about it all. Me, too, by the way."
"Yes. I gathered that. Right. Are you in love with whomever you're cheating on Riley with?"
"No, but it wouldn't matter. He's completely in love with Riley."
"Uh, Xander?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you having a go at me?" Xander looked puzzled, so Giles rephrased it for the Yank. "Er, are you making this up?"
Xander shook his head.
'Only in America!' thought Giles. 'Or rather, only in California!'
*****
Part 15: Spike
Spike leaned back and grinned.
It was hard for him to reckon. He had always hated slayers. Including the incumbent. Until. . .
It was hard to put a finger on it exactly. It was after he had been chipped. Somewhere around the time that he was the unwelcome guest at the bloody watcher's place, chained to the bathtub and spending his days waiting for Passions to come on, trying to convince Giles to get one of those satellite dishes so they could watch EastEnders instead. It would have been nice to watch some telly where nobody spoke with an accent.
No. It was after that. He clearly remembered really hating Buffy during that period. Except for those few hours they were engaged. No, he hated her then, too.
He clearly remembered moving into his crypt and wondering if Buffy would like it. The first real hint.
So, before the crypt, then. He had been at that wanker Xander's place. Yes, he could remember the precise day. He had woken up with these thoughts about cuddling with the slayer, and had mentally been trying to compose an ode to her, in iambic pentameter, mentally running though the alphabet to find words that rhymed with 'slayer', and coming up with 'lay 'er', which didn't have the right romantic feel to it.
The poet in him hadn't surfaced in years. Odd that it should return. Not a lot of vampire poets around. Punk rock vampires, yeah. But no poet vampires that he could recall.
He had felt . . . conflicted. And owright, trying to stake himself had been a bit overboard, but it at least had the effect of making it clear. He wanted the slayer. For his own, do the dance of death, yeah. But he also wanted to recite poetry to her, his own poetry, and snuggle next to her on the porch of a summer's evening as the fireflies played in the yard, put garlands of flowers in her hair, teach her to do a Morris Dance of a summer solstice evening. Cor! He ought to be ashamed .. or more ashamed than he was. . .
Spike sighed. He hadn't wanted to snuggle since . . . well he ascended into his present vampiric form. And yeah, he wanted to shag her silly as well. But it was the quiet moments just sitting in each other's arms, whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears that he truly craved.
Just needed to get that damned G.I. Joe out of the way. And maybe Xander was doing that for him. No, he thought. The lad hadn't had the stones to shag Spike, and he had been all ready to go. No way the lad would ever do the slap and tickle with the slayer's boy-toy.
Still Spike grinned evilly. Too good to be true, that. Young Nummy Treats and G.I. Joe having a go at each other. Lord, they seemed practically ready to snog the golly out of each other the other night in Willy's Place. Too bad these mortals never followed through.
Part 16
Back To The Guy Thing Main Page
