The Guy Thing 11/18:  Eavesdropping

Graham knocked at Xander's door.  Xander opened it

"Hey!"

Graham put a finger to his lips.  Xander nodded.  Graham gestured towards
the outside.  Xander grabbed his keys and jacket and followed the commando
guy out of the building.

"Shit!  You think my place is bugged?"

"Riley's is."  Graham looked accusingly at Xander.

It sunk in.  "Oh, shit!"

"Yeah.  'Oh, Shit!'   I sort of had to accidentally erase some of the tapes
from last weekend.  Told the C.O. they were blank cause Ri was at Buffy's."

Xander looked up slowly to see the anger in Graham's eyes.   "It just kinda
happened, Graham."  Xander saw that Graham was not impressed by that
explanation.   Graham was wound tight, His jaw clenched, his eyes narrowed.
He was looking like he was ready to explode at any moment.

Xander put his hands in his pockets and looked down.  "Graham?"

"Yeah?"

"If you're gonna kick my ass, just do it and get it over with, OK?"

It was like Xander had just let all the air out of him.  Graham sighed.  "I
guess I got no claim on him."

Xander looked up sharply as he heard the 'him' .   The marine couldn't meet
Xander's gaze.  He looked down at the ground.  So this wasn't about him and
Graham at all, it was about Graham and Riley.
"You really love him, don't you?"

Graham met his eyes,  and asked earnestly, "Don't you?"

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"I think Ri is just really lonely.  He just doesn't think she loves him."
Xander explained as they walked.

"Course he doesn't."  Xander was surprised at how bitter Graham sounded.
"Basic projection."

"Huh?"

Graham gave him a bit of a smile, "Psych stuff.  He can't deal with how he's
feeling so he kinda transfers his uncertaintly to her.  If she doesn't
really love him, so it's OK if he jumps into bed with the first guy who'll
let him suck his cock."

Xander looked down.  "Ouch."  He whispered.

Graham sighed.  "Sorry, that was a little harsh."

"Yeah."  Xander's voice was small.

"I just mean . . . never mind.  Fuck the psychology crap.  Maybe she's not
what he wants, or all he wants, and he can't admit that yet so . . . "

"He puts it on her. . . "

Graham nodded.

"Yeah, maybe."

"This is fucked up.  I want him, he wants her.  You want . . .  who?"

Xander shrugged,  still looking down.

Graham looked at him and sighed.  He put an arm across Xander's shoulders
and gave him a bit of a hug.  "You're a good guy, Xander.  Something tells
me that when you figure out what you want, who you want, that someone's
gonna be the luckiest fuck in the world."

Xander looked up at Graham, "You think so?"

"Yeah, despite myself, I think so.   Kinda wish you felt that way about me."
   Graham grinned.

"I do, kinda."

"Yeah, kinda.  And kinda for Riley, and kinda for Anya, and kinda for Buffy.
. .  anybody I'm leaving out?"

Xander grinned, "Willow maybe.  And just maybe Giles."

Graham shook his head, chuckling.  "Always looking around to see what's
better, aren't you?  Well, Xander, fuck us all, and see."

"Yes, Yoda."

Graham looked at him and a bit of a smile crossed his face.  "You know, I
should have kept a copy of that tape.  It was pretty hot.  Ri was really
into you."

Xander turned bright red as he remembered how . . . vocal Riley had been at
several points that night.

Graham let his hand caress Xander's ear very lightly.   "Look.  I gotta go
see Riley, find out if he's interested in re-upping, in joining up again.
I can't go see him as horny as I am right now, or I'm gonna lose it.   What
are my chances of a buddy-fuck?  No strings?"

"You really know how to romance a guy, don't cha?"

Graham shrugged but kept grinning.  "How bout it?"

"What if my place is bugged?"

Another shrug, "Don't use my name."

Graham pulled Xander's mouth towards his.

"Jesus, Graham!"

"Xander, I'm gonna kiss you, and then I'm suck your cock so hard that your
head is gonna explode.  And then you're gonna fuck the shit out of me.
Only question is: do you want it here, or you wanna go inside?"

Xander grinned, and ran his hand along Graham's arm.  Impressive arm at
that.  "Come on."

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

Graham was in the shower when the door bell rang.  Xander pulled back on his
T-shirt and khakis and ran his hands through his hair as he walked over
"Coming!".

He opened the door, and Anya leaned in for her kiss.  She got it.

"Hey."  Xander grinned.

"Hello."  Anya walked in to the apartment.  The shower suddenly stopped. She
turned toward Xander.

"If that apartment manager is in our shower . . .  "  You can take the
vengeance demon out of the girl . . . or maybe you can't.

Xander laughed.  "I promise you that there is no woman in the shower, Anya.
It's a friend of Riley's.  Initiative guy.  Come to check up on him.  See
how he's doing."

"Why is he in your shower?"

"Cause . . .  he was dirty."  The trick with Anya was to pretend that
whatever she asked about was the most natural thing in the world.  And then
give her the most obvious answer.

Anya nodded as though Xander's answer made perfect sense.  Xander suddenly
realized that Graham's clothes were on the couch.  He went over, scooped
them up, and carried them to the bathroom, knocked on the door.

"Lt. Miller, got your clothes here.  Uh,  I've got company."

"Uh, thanks, Harris."  The door opened and the clothes got snatched away
quickly.

Xander turned back to Anya, who was smiling at him.  "Xander, I've been
around for a lot of centuries, I've seen lots of naked guys."

Xander blushed, "He's kind of really good looking."

Anya squealed, "You don't have to be insecure, Xander!"  She walked over and
gave him a big hug.  They were still kissing when a freshly showered and
newly dressed Graham walked back in.

Graham coughed.  They broke the clench.  "Uh, Anya, this is Lt. Miller."

"Hey, Anya, call me Graham."

"Hi, Graham."  She looked him up and down, turned to Xander, and said
brightly,  "You're right, Xander, he *is* really good looking!  And all
muscle-y!"

Graham had the decency to blush.

Anya asked "If you're a Lieutenant, how come you don't have a soldier suit
on?  Xander looks really cute when he put his soldier suit on."

"Anya!"  Xander said in his warning voice.

"He likes to give me orders when he puts on his soldier suit."  Anya
helpfully explained.

"Uh, TMI, Anya."

"Too much information, huh?"

"Yeah, Anya.  TMI."

"OK"  said Anya brightly, "Graham, forget what I said about the giving
orders."

"Done."  Graham shot Xander a leer that made him blush to his roots.

"There, all better now?" She asked Xander, who sighed and hugged her.

"Yes, Anya, all better."

Anya sat on the couch, Xander sat beside her, and Graham took the chair.
She looked at Graham.  "I thought the Initiative was all ended and filled up
with concrete."

"It is.  I'm still in the service though."

"Good.  About the Initiative being ended."

"Anya has issues with the Initiative."  Xander explained helpfully.

Anya nodded brightly.  "Cause I used to be . . . "

"Anya!"

"Never mind."

"A demon, yeah, I know."

Xander shot a glance at Graham.    "You do?"

Graham nodded.  "But demon no more, right?"

Anya sighed sadly and shook her head.   "Are you going to go see Riley?
Because if you are, then Xander could put on his soldier suit and he could .
. . "

"Right!"  interrupted Graham.  He stood up.  "I'd better go see Riley.
Thanks for letting me use your shower, Harris."

"Any time, Graham."

As Graham opened the door, he turned and met  Xander's gaze.  He gave him a
sly grin and a very smart salute.

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

Later that evening, as he lay in bed, a reasonably satisfied Anya asleep in
his arms, Xander sighed wearily.  He'd better start taking vitamins or
eating oysters or something.  He never thought that the day would come when
the biggest problem in his life would be that he was having too much sex.
 
 

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