The Guy Thing 10/18:   Willy's Place.

"It's my turn to choose the bar, Xander.  Don't make me get rough with you."

Xander gave a bitter chuckle.  "I already learned the hard way what happens
when I get in your way, Ri."

Riley stopped and stood in his path.  "Xander."

"Yeah?"

"Go on, hit me."

"Huh?"

"Give me your best shot, Xander."   Riley stood there hands at his side.

"I don't *want* to hit you, Riley."  Xander kept his hands in his pockets.

Riley looked at him.  He let out his breath in a long sigh.  "I just want us
to be even."

Xander shrugged.  "I'm not looking for even.   If I was, I'd spend way too
much time . . . "

"What?"

"Just forget it, OK?"  It was almost a whisper.   Xander looked down.

"OK.  OK.  . . . You know, I wish I could do that."

Xander looked up.  "Do what?"

"Let it go like that."

Xander smiled a bit ruefully, "Years of practice backing down."

"I've *never* seen you back down, Xander."

"OK, years of practice getting knocked on my ass."  Xander shrugged.   "It's
one of the advantages of nobody thinking you're a tough guy, you never have
to prove it."

"*I* think you're pretty tough."

"Bullshit!  You pretty much think I'm Buffy's useless sidekick."

"I pretty much think you're gonna steal her away from me the second she
really looks at you."

Xander grinned, "That'll never happen.  Never.  Trust me.  Idiot kid
brother, remember?"

"Better than kitteny, I think."

"Kitteny?"

Riley sighed, "Yeah.  She called me 'kitteny'."

"Well, you are kinda kitteny."  Xander grinned up at him.

"And you are pretty much an idiot."  Riley put an arm across his shoulder,
and led him down the sidewalk.  They turned the corner, and headed into
Willy's place.

"Ri, Tell me again, why are we coming here?"

"Because."

"Right, I keep forgetting."  Xander stopped.  Riley took a step and then
stopped and faced him, waiting.  Xander looked at him, "One thing:  No
fighting, OK?"

"No fighting.  Promise."

Xander nodded, and they walked in.  Xander got them both a beer and they
grabbed the only empty table, one near the door.
 
 

"Oi!  What have we here?  The junior slayerette and his sidekick, Captain
Cornfed!  Sharing an intimate moment together, eh chums?"

Spike leered at the two of them.  Riley started to get up, but Xander pulled
him back down.

"Hitting a little close to home, am I?  Too bloody cute, you two."

Spike grinned.  This was better than anything he could have planned himself.
  He'd thought about ways to get Riley out of his way, but this was just too
sweet.  He pulled up a chair and sat down and grinned at the two.

"Too right, you two."  He winked at Xander, "You, I always knew about, Mr.
Nummy Treat himself."

Xander blushed.  The vampire continued,  "You always wanted to shag me
silly.   Tying me up in your bedroom and all.  Almost sorry you never had
the stones to actually do it.  From what your little demon lover says, you
actually know how to throw a decent shag."

Spike turned his attention to Riley, "Which means that soldier boy here has
finally figured out that he's a catcher not a pitcher.  That's good.  It's
important to figure out what position you like to play."

A snarky smile came over Spike's face.  "Well, I like it.  It's about time
you two got a chance at some of the fun stuff.  You mortal types get so hung
up over what you call things, that you forget how good it feels just to do
'em."

He looked back at Xander "You shagged him yet?  Cause the boy fancies you.
Written all over that gob of his, innit?"  Turning back to Riley, Spike
continued, "You do fancy our Xander, don't you?  Go on, tell him."

"Fuck off, Spike"

"OOH, Tough talk from the soldier boy.  Ex-soldier boy, I oughta say.  Play
nice, ex-soldier boy, or I'll let Harmony to kick your ass again."

Xander's hand stayed firmly on Riley's shoulder.

"Come on Riley, let's go."   Xander stood up, putting himself between Spike
and Riley.  Riley let himself be guided to his feet.  They headed for the
door.

Spike got in a parting shot,  "Don't shag him too hard, mate. Your Captain
Cornfed not as tough as he used to be."

==================

"You shoulda let me kick his ass."

"Yeah.  Because that would be the smart move, kicking a defenseless
vampire's ass in a demon bar."

Riley sighed at Xander.  "Yeah, you're right.  But he just pisses me off."

"That's all he's trying to do, get under your skin.  I lived with him for a
while, remember?  All he's trying to do is get a rise out of you."

"It just pisses me off when he says all that shit."

"I noticed."  Xander examined Riley's face.  Riley was more upset by this
than Xander had thought.  He put a hand on Riley's far shoulder and gave it
a friendly squeeze, and then left his hand there as they walked down the
street.  Riley fell into step with Xander, letting his arm brush against
Xander's side as they walked.

Finally, after several blocks of silence, Riley looked over and asked
softly,
"Xander.  Answer me one question, and be honest.  OK?"

Their eyes met.  Riley was being very serious.  And more than a little
scared.  Xander nodded.

"Do you want to have sex with me?"

"Ri.  I told Buffy that as a joke.  Not that you're not . . ."  Xander
couldn't finish the sentence.

Riley stopped, and demanded in a whisper, "Do you, Xander?  I gotta know. "
There was an almost desperate undertone in Riley's voice.  "I just gotta
know."

Xander stood still and, staring down at the ground, didn't answer.

"Tell me 'no', and I swear I'll never bring the subject up again."

Xander looked up at Riley's face, searching for a clue, trying to figure out
if Riley was making some kind of jock-boy joke at his expense.  But Riley
looked totally serious, and very vulnerable.  Xander swallowed slowly.

"You're not saying 'no'."

Xander shook his head.

Riley stared at him.  "Is that 'no, I'm not saying no' or is that 'no'?"

Xander swallowed hard,  and said very softly, "I'm not saying 'no'."

Riley let out a long breath.   "I need a drink.  Come on."

They headed back to Riley's place, neither one saying a word.  Each
occasionally glanced at the other, as though they were playing a game of
chicken, waiting to see who would be the first to back down.

Neither one did.

Inside, Riley got the bottle off the counter and holding two glasses in one
hand, poured them each a shot.

He handed one glass to Xander.  Riley started to taste his, then reached
over and clinked glasses.  Then Riley tossd his back.  Xander followed suit.

"Gonna try calling me 'wimp' again?"

Riley flashed him a slightly embarrassed grin.  He poured himself another,
and offered to do the same for Xander.

Xander shook it off, putting the glass down on the counter, and leaned
against it.   Riley was looking down, head bowed.  Then he looked up at
Xander, head still bowed.

"You ever done this before?"

Xander hesitated and then nodded.  "With another guy?  Yeah, once.  You?"

Riley shook his head.

"You sure you want to?   Because you're not acting all that eager."  Xander
nodded at the glass.

Riley put the glass down, and reached over and ran his hand along Xander's
shoulder, and down his arm.  He whispered,  "I'm eager."

Xander smiled and nodded.  He reached up and ran his hand across Riley's
cheek.  Riley moaned softly. "Come on."  Xander whispered, as he stepped
over towards the bed.

They undressed to their boxers and got into bed.  Neither said a word.  They
lay next to each other, neither sure what to do next, both breathing a
little hard.  Both feeling the stiffness in their boxers.  Neither one
willing to make the first move.

Riley looked over at Xander.  "Do you think I'm a . . . fag or something?"

Xander raised his head and looked over at Riley, and whispered soothingly,
"It doesn't matter what I think."

Riley stared at Xander and swallowed hard.  But he didn't resist at all as
Xander rolled over and kissed him.

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