The Guy Thing 6/18:  Sports Bar

Riley was glad that Xander had just laughed him off that  night when he had
called him a wimp like that.

Called Xander a wimp cause he said he didn't really want to have sex with
him.  Total joke, right?  Like the way he and Graham used to joke around in
the showers: 'Hey bend over, I got something for you.'   Total macho
jock-boy kidding around, right?

Right?

Then why did doing the play wrestling with Xander . . .  have that effect on
him.  Riley sighed.

He looked at the half-empty bottle on the table.  Or maybe it was still
half-full.  He looked at his watch.  OK, Riley.  11 a.m.   Not time to be
thinking about the bottle.  Jesus this was getting bad.  Even though he
heard all the jokes about Irish guys and the bottle, that had never been
him, or his family.

He picked up the phone and called Buffy's house.  Dawn answered.

"Hey, kid!"  Riley said brightly, and waited for it.

"I am *not* a kid!"

Riley chuckled, "Is the big sis there?"

"Nope, she went over to Giles' place for some training thing.

"Right.  Tell her I called, OK?"

"OK."

Riley resisted the urge to tease her and tell her that Xander said 'Hi'.

Riley sighed and pulled on his running gear, and stretched a bit, and then
headed out.   That was obligatory.  If he tied one on, he had to do an
extra-long run to make up for it.  Penance or good health, take your pick.

He headed vaguely south.  He missed the countryside back home.  This time of
year it would be all trees turning, fields harvested and lying fallow,
waiting for the snows of winter, the first really cold mornings of the year.
  Not here, sunny and warm even in November.  It didn't seem natural.  But
not a lot seemed natural in Sunnydale.

Riley let go, giving in to the run, his mind almost going blank.  Striving
for that alpha-state in which he was all body and no mind.  Wanting that
kind of mental relaxation brought on by pushing the body as hard as he
could.  He was really pushing his body hard, going for a longer distance
than usual, proving to himself he could still do it, even in his current
state.  He was barely aware of his surroundings as the buildings started to
thin out.

Riley looked up from the road, suddenly realizing that he wasn't on his
usual running route.  He seemed to be heading towards the edge of town . . .
towards where Xander said he was working these days.  The new construction
site, where Xander was heading up the carpentry crew.  Riley slowed to a
walk and then stopped.  He put hands on his waist and bent over slightly,
and tried to catch his breath, and his thoughts.

What the *fuck* was going on?

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

Xander answered the phone on the second ring.

"Hey, Xander.  Up for a beer?"

"Sounds great, Ri.  I just got home.  Let me grab a shower and I'm good to
go."

"I'll swing by your place, and then we'll head out, OK?"

"Sounds like a plan."

"OK.  I'll see you in 15, Xand."

"In 15."

--------------------------

Xander was still drying off when the knock came.  He wrapped the towel
around his waist and cracked the door a bit.

"La la la, I'm here at Xander's place."   Riley's grin was infectious.

Xander chuckled at the reference to the Scooby gang's first visit to his new
place.

"Hey!"   Xander opened the door and let Riley in.  Xander nodded at the
couch "I'll be right with you."

Riley had seen lots of guys in locker rooms, so seeing a guy in just a towel
wasn't a new experience.  But he was definitely checking Xander out.  He
didn't know why he had thought of Xander as being a skinny little guy.
Because he definitely had a nice build.  Riley blushed as he realized what
he was thinking.

'Yeah go get dressed.' he thought,

Xander came back out in a minute, in clean khakis, as he pulled a shirt
right-side out and pulled it on. . .

"How are you doing, Ri?

Riley shrugged, and looked at the fridge, avoiding looking at a dressing
Xander.

Xander grinned.  "I haven't been to the store in a while, there's probably
some week-old pizza in there, and maybe some boxes of juice."

"Juice in a box?"  Riley smirked a bit, but good-naturedly

"Yeah.  you know, for the lunch box."

"Let me guess, you got a Scooby-Doo lunch box."

"Nope.  Anya gave me a totally manly grey metal construction worker type
lunch box."

"Manly lunch box for a manly man."

"That's me."    Xander grinned.

===========================
 

The ended up at a sports bar, with the big screen TVs.  They sat in a booth
near the back, ordered a pitcher of the cheap stuff and debated the merits
of nachos versus potato skins and ended up going for both.  The waitress
flirted pretty shamelessly with both of them.  Riley was clearly used to
that, and flirted back with a winning smile.

Xander gave him a look . . .  like 'you got a girlfriend, dude.'

Riley shrugged, "It's part of her job."
 

"Pool table's free."

Xander nodded.  Riley was surprised when Xander kicked his ass.  Three games
in a row.

"Misspent youth."   Xander shrugged.

Riley watched him as he moved around the table, eyes carefully examining the
position of the balls on the table, then going for the shot, all business.
Sharp smooth motion of his arm as he moved the cue.  Tensed forearm muscle.
Nice.  Striking the cue-ball with . . .  authority.  And as soon as he had
made the shot, back into the usual goofy Xander mode.

"You miss being in the service."  It wasn't a question.

Riley shrugged, then picked up his glass of beer and took a serious swallow.
   "I miss the clarity.  Get a mission, do the mission.  We were the good
guys, they were the enemy.  Easy, simple."

Xander grinned.  'Yeah.  plus . . . ."

Xander's voice trailed off.

"What?"

Xander shrugged.  "Nobody's butt monkey."

Riley chuckled.  "Yeah, nobody's butt monkey."  He stopped in mid-shot and
looked up at Xander, who was grinning at him, "You saying I'm somebody's
butt monkey?"

Xander held up his hands in surrender.  "Hell, no!"  but his eyes were
twinkling.

"I am *not* Buffy's butt monkey."

"Nope."

"I'm *not*."

"Absolutely not."

"And I'm not  'the mission's boyfriend'."

"Huh?  Where did that come from?"

"Something Graham said to me.  That I used to have a mission.   But now I
was just the mission's boyfriend'."

"Harsh."

"Yeah."   Riley looked at Xander appreciating the sympathy, but a bit
embarrassed by it as well.

Xander nodded.  "Graham got something against Buffy?"

"No.  He really likes her. Thinks she's awesome."

"Graham's the uh.."   Xander made like a muscle-bound guy

Riley nodded, "Yup, built like a brick shit house."

Xander nodded.  "He a good guy?"

"Yeah," Riley sighed.  "The best."

"Is he a good friend of yours?"

Riley hesitated, and then nodded.

"Graham's the one wants you back on the team?"

Riley nodded.  "Don't know if it's him or if he's got orders."

"Wouldn't he tell you?"

Riley stared at the beer for a second.  "Yeah, I think he would.  I think he
did."

"So you don't believe him?"

"Naw, I believe him, dammit."

"What do you want, Ri?"

Riley look pained.  He stared  at the floor and didn't answer.

Xander seemed to take pity on him.  He nodded to the big screen.  "Game's
on."

---------------

Riley pumped his arm as the Bulls took the lead.
"Yeah!"

Xander mumbled a half-hearted "yay" in reply.

Riley looked at him, a bemused smile on his face.

"Not exactly into the game, are you?"

"You gotta remember, I'm pretty new to this whole guy thing."

"It's easy, Xand.  You gotta pick your team, and you know, their win is your
win."

"Just what do I win?"

Riley just grinned at him "Serious vicarious thrills."

Xander, smiled back, considering that, "Hmm, I'm thinking I prefer actual
thrills."

Riley's head snapped over.   But Xander was back to watching the game.

They watched as Riley's team fell further and further behind.
 

"So, you were into Buffy?"

"Can we not go there?"

"Why?"

"Look, when she was into . . .  her old boyfriend, at least I could tell
myself that you know, she was into the supernatural thing, so I couldn't
compete.  But you're just a guy."

"Thanks a lot."

Xander scrambled, "OK, a really good-looking guy.  Plus you got the whole
macho soldier thing going for you . . .  but you know. . . "

Riley's eyes opened just a bit wider as he heard Xander call him
'good-looking'.  He quickly covered, "I'm just Joe Regular."

"It's a  little harder to take."

"Can't blame me for not being sorry she wants me. . . "

"No blame."

"You really over her?"

"Pretty much.  But I guess you never really get over . . . "

Riley shook his head, "Guess not.  Not completely."

Xander nodded.  "Look.  I know where I stand.  Don't worry.  Played the fool
enough already."

"Are we gonna start singing country songs here?"

Xander grinned. "The music of pain."

"Damn!  You and Graham!"

"Huh?"

"Nothing.  Boy likes his Garth a little too much for my taste."

"I pretty much stick to the classics.  You know, like Patsy."

Riley shook his head.

Xander gave him a 'don't bullshit me!' look, "You sure you're from a farm?"

Riley blushed, like he knew he had been busted, "Yeah OK, Patsy Cline:
Crazy, and Triangle, and Walkin' after Midnight."

Xander nodded in triumph, and finished the last of his beer.  "Ready to
motor?"

Riley grinned at the ancient slang and nodded.

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

Back at Riley's, Xander was spread out on the couch, Riley lying back in the
bed, both watching some late night black and white comedy.   Xander laughing
at the comic's antics.

Xander caught Riley glancing over at him a couple of times,  kinda studying
him a bit.  He flashed him a smile.

Riley was pretty drunk.  He wondered to himself whether he was drunk enough
to actually say anything?.

"Hey Xander?"  He asked, barely above a whisper, as a commercial came on.

"Yeah," replied a sleepy voice.

Riley thought a minute, trying to figure out how to say this, trying to
figure out if he wanted to say this, trying to figure out if he could say
this.

"That other night when you were over, and I called you a wimp, you know?  I
mean, I gotta confess, I kinda been thinking about maybe, you know, sleeping
with you."

No response.  Riley lifted his head, and looked at Xander, fast asleep on
his couch.  He sighed.  Part of him was really relieved that Xander hadn't
heard that, and part of him was really disappointed.  He wasn't sure which
part had the upper hand.

He clicked the TV off, and rolled over on his side, and went to sleep.

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

Xander woke up, sat up and looked at his watch.  An hour before he had to be
at work.  Not enough time to go home and change.  OK, the clothes would do.
Luckily he had worn his work boots rather than his sneakers last night.  He
sighed.  The site was a good half an hour walk from Riley's.  He'd better
get going.  He stood up.  He probably reeked of beer.  He stripped off the
clothes and went into the bathroom and hit the shower.

When he came out, Riley was there with a clean towel for him

"Thanks."

"I got a disposable razor if you want."

"Yeah, great."  Riley opened the medicine cabinet and handed it to him

"No disposable toothbrush by any chance?"

Riley chuckled and shook his head.  "Been a while since I kept that sort of
thing around". he grinned.

It took Xander a minute to figure out that Riley meant he actually used to
keep stuff around for his one-night stands.

Riley grinned at him, "I see why they hired you."

"Who?"

"That nightclub."

Xander's head shot over.  "She told you about that?  Your girlfriend is so
dead!"

"So you really did, you know, strip."

"No power in the universe, Riley."

Riley laughed.  "Want coffee?"

"Dear God, yes!" said Xander.

"Coming right up."

Xander came back out showered and shaved, and pulled his clothes back on.
He checked himself out in the mirror.

Riley handed him a cup.  "They're totally gonna notice."

Xander grinned sheepishly.

"What time you have to be there?"

"Eight."

"So you're a few minutes late. . . "

Xander shook his head, "I'm the crew boss, remember.  I'm late and the whole
crew starts late."

Riley nodded.  He understood responsibility.

"Call you a cab?"

"Yeah, maybe you'd better."

Riley picked up the phone and dialed, giving his address to the dispatcher.
He turned back to Xander.

"Word of advice?"

"Sure."

"Have the cab drop you off a block away and walk the rest of the way, unless
you really want the rest of the guys talking."

Xander grinned and nodded, "Thanks."

"Got the cash for the cab?"

Xander pulled out his wallet and checked.  "Yeah."

Xander put the wallet back and finished the cup of coffee.  When he saw the
cab turn into the parking lot of the complex, Xander looked at Riley
seriously, trying to keep the embarrassment from showing.

"Uh, Riley."

"Yeah?"

"I heard you last night."

Riley looked puzzled for a second, and then his face fell.  He looked down
at the ground.

Xander grinned.  "Thanks."

"Huh?"

"Nicest compliment anyone's given me in a long time."

"You're not freaked out?"

"Uh, well, yeah, kinda freaked out."  Xander smiled at him, somewhat
sheepishly.  "And kinda complimented . . .  and kinda glad I got to get to
work right now."

Riley continued to look down at the ground.  But when Xander put his hand on
Riley's shoulder, to give him a quick good-bye pat,  he felt the shiver
through Riley's body.

By the time Riley looked up, Xander was getting into the back seat of the
cab, leaning forward to give the directions to the driver.