********************************

The soft gentle knock at the door startled Xander.
Even though he
knew he'd said come over at 7, he still wasn't ready.

//OK Xan you can do this, no need to get all nervous
like a baby
man//

He reached forward and opened the door.

`Hey Xan, `bout time I was getting worried you weren't
gonna answer.
Or were you busy doing other things?' Willow was
definitely in one of
those moods. Brown paper bag in one hand, Tara's hand
in the other,
as she stood in the doorway to her friend's apartment.

Xander could see her trying to peer past him into the
living room,
mischievous glint in her eye. At least I know she'll
take the news
well then, Xander silently thought to himself.

`I mean I really wouldn't want to interrupt anything ?
we can come
back in a while if you're busy, ooh, ooh, or even
better, we could
stay.' Now that was a new look for Willow and it sent
shivers all the
way down his back. Unfortunately he thought, not in
the good way.

`Willow! TMI.' The smile on Tara's face belied the way
she was
speaking to her. Grip on her hand now firmer, the pout
on Willow's
face melodramatic at best. The two witches smiled at
the blush
creeping over Xander's face.

`I really don't know what you mean.' Not even Xander
believed that,
and he was the one who said it.

`So you gonna invite us in, or do we have to wait out
here the entire
night? You did say there was something you wanted to
tell us.' Willow
not even waiting for a response, pushed past Xander,
Tara in tow.

Xander shut the door and moved to join the two girls.
Grabbing the
bag from under his nose where Willow had thrust it, he
gestured for
them to take a seat whilst he moved into the kitchen.
Dumping the bag
on the bench top he turned to look back at the girls.

Well one anyway, Tara seemed to have sat down, but
Willow had
followed him in and was now standing directly in front
of him,
enormous grin on her face.

`So just you alone? I was thinking that maybe ?'

Xander cut her off before she could finish. `So,
what's in the bag
Wills?' Already rummaging through it's contents.
`Videos: check,
popcorn: check. And thank you lord, chocolate.' The
look on Xander's
face when he pulled out the large bar of chocolate
would have made
even the most hardened sex therapist cringe. Chocolate
lust.

`Chocolate, my favourite. How'd you know?' Xander
could hear Tara
giggling from the lounge. Willow just rolled her eyes
in response.

`Duh, lucky guess maybe?' Willow grabbed a piece
before it was all
gone.

Xander had begun to break off large chunks of the dark
chocolate, and
proceeded to feed them into his mouth. The look of
contentment on his
face clearly evident. `Good guess.'

`Yeah, right a guess. Or could it be the large
flashing neon sign
above your head saying I need Chocolate!' Willow was
now laughing at
him.

Tara had also joined in, `The really, really large
sign.' Xander
heard her say between her giggles.

He looked past Willow to her girlfriend on the couch,
`Yeah I gotta
do something about that.' Slight pause. `Sign's not
big enough.'

The smile on Xander's face probably would have been
more reassuring
to the witch, if he hadn't had chocolate staining his
front teeth.

Now the three of them were overcome with fits of
laughter.

`So, Xan...' Willow able to continue only after she'd
confiscated the
chocolate from her friend, which of course earned her
innumerable
dirty looks. `Like I was saying, just you here?'

Xander quickly moved into the lounge, taking with him
the two videos
the girls had bought.

`Uh, y ? Oh Willow no. How could you?' The witch
confused by her
friend's vehemence.

Xander turned back to Willow, video cases in hand.
`Please tell me
this is some cruel joke. You didn't get Stepmom and
Steel
Magnolias!!!' Willow and Tara both laughed in
response, Tara having
to almost cram her hand into her mouth to stop from
squealing.

`Hey babe, what do you want me to do with ?' Xander
spun round to see
Graham standing in the doorway from the hall. He could
see his
lover's eyes widen in shock as he realised they
weren't alone. `Uh, I
mean ?'

Xander stood in the now silent room, eyes flashing
between the now
blushing face of the ex marine and the two smiling
witches.

`Hey Graham.' Willows chirpy voice broke the silence.
`It's great to
see you, Xander's complaining about the videos we
brought but I
warned him when he asked me to bring some over that he
probably
wouldn't like the ones I chose, and don't worry we
didn't hear a
thing. You want some chocolate?'

Willow's attempted diffusion of the situation seemed
to be making
things worse. Xander tried to communicate his
apologies to the ex-
marine silently.

`Not at the moment, thanks Willow. I was just ? uh ?
Xander can you
give me a hand for a moment?' Graham left the room
obviously assuming
the dark-haired man was following him.

Xander realised he still hadn't spoken, turned back to
the two girls,
looked back to where Graham had just been standing,
and then followed
him from the room.

*************************************

Xander closed the door to the living room and walked
back to his
room. He could tell Graham wasn't pleased as soon as
he saw him.
Posture rigid, hands crossed before him. He began to
speak but was
cut off quickly by the hand the ex-marine held up
before him.

`OK, Xan I'm really happy that you feel you're ready
to speak to
Willow about us, more happy than you can imagine...'
Xander could
tell the other man was trying to control the proud
smile that was
breaking out across his face. He bowed his head hoping
he looked
contrite, happily taking the telling off his lover was
giving him.

`But, please. Next time you decide to invite them
over, can you just
tell me about it first?' Graham was punctuating what
he was saying,
bringing one hand down into the open palm of the
other.

`I like it when you're all gruff and demanding.'
Xander couldn't
resist, looking up at his lover's face from where he
had sat on the
bed.

Now Graham almost lost control, barely keeping himself
from
laughing. `Xan!' all he could do was sigh. `Think
about it will you?'

`I'm really sorry Gray.' Xander took the other man's
hands in his and
made him sit on the bed next to him, their eyes
meeting. Xander could
tell Graham was really happy, not mad like he was
pretending, but he
was happy to concede the point. `It's just. It's just
that if I'd
told you earlier I would have spent the whole day
panicking. I
thought this way we wouldn't spend the whole day
worrying about it.'
His voice trailing off as he finished.

Graham reached under the other man's chin and brought
his face up
level, he leisurely began to kiss Xander's mouth,
hoping this would
signal his acceptance of the apology the other man had
given.

`Shhh it's okay Xan. Just next time.' Xander had begun
to nod. `God
Xan what would have happened if they'd walked in and
we'd been going
for it on the kitchen table?' Xander immediately
perked up at that.

`So Gray? Tell me why we weren't doing just that?'
Graham tried to
look seriously at Xander, but as soon as he saw the
look on his
lover's face he couldn't help but laugh. `Maybe we
could try that a
little later on?' Xander suggested.

He felt the other man push him quickly back on the
bed, arms pinned
up over his head. His lover's weight pressing him
firmly down. He
looked up into Graham's face as the other man
straddled him, his
weight not allowing Xander to move. Xander didn't try
and resist and
was actually quite enjoying the way this felt,
although he didn't
want to give his lover the wrong idea, so he decided
to squirm just a
little, smiling in delight at the look on Graham's
face as he did so.

Xander couldn't resist, moving his head upward trying
to kiss Graham.
The ex-marine kept moving just too far away from
Xander, making him
squirm even more. Rewarding him with a soft kiss when
he did so. `Hey
no fair, you can't pin me down like this and then just
tease me ?'

`I can't?' Graham began to move rhythmically above
him, his hips and
pelvis pressed hard against Xander's crotch. Xander
could feel
himself hardening in response.

`Oh god Gray, who needs the kitchen table?'

Xander yelped in protest as the ex-marine quickly
moved off him.
Could see the effect he was having on his lover,
stayed where he was
as long as he could, spread supine on the bed before
him. For him.

Xander slowly got to his feet, once he regained
control and pulled
Graham back so they were sitting once again. He
wrapped his arms
around the other man's neck, and was happy to feel his
lover's arms
wrap tightly around his waist in response. The two sat
there holding
each other.

`We'd better get back ?' Xander said reluctantly.

`Hmmm.' Graham had begun rubbing his face against the
other man's
neck. Xander knew he wouldn't be able to control
himself much longer,
could feel the excitement coursing through his body.

`So, Xan...' Graham's voice slightly muffled from
where he had his
face pressed tight against his lover.

`So you gonna actually tell her, or are you just gonna
wait till I
can't control myself anymore, cause you know then
she'll definitely
find out.' Graham had moved up and was now looking at
Xander, his
face more serious.

`As good as that sounds, I'm pretty sure she already
knows. But don't
think that means you have to try and control yourself.
Feel free to
jump me whenever you like.' Infectious smile creeping
onto his face.

Graham tried to remain serious, keeping his eyes
locked to his
lovers. `Yeah babe, she may know, but it's still
important you
actually tell her.'

`Yeah I know, I really want her to know but I just
don't know if I
want to tell her you're my boyfriend yet, it's all a
bit ?'

`Woah!' Graham's voice interrupted his lover mid
thought. Xander
turned to look at him. The same look he'd seen earlier
back on his
face, pride. `Boyfriend?'

Xander didn't seem to notice, his thought process not
catching up, he
quickly stammered out his words, Graham could tell he
was hurt.

`Yeah, boyfriend, I kinda thought the whole, you know
kissing and
sex `n stuff was typical boyfriend behaviour?'

`Yeah baby, but you're gonna have to ask. It's just
like with Willow,
it's important that you put it into words.' Xander
smiled, happier
knowing he realised what the other man meant.

`What you want me to get down on one knee?'

Xander could see from Graham's face he was definitely
enjoying the
situation. `Sure Xander, like I said earlier if that's
how you want
Willow to find out, get down on one knee and I'll
invite her in here.
Then she'll know for sure what's going on.'

Xander couldn't help but join in on Graham's laughter.

`Slut'

`Yeah and you love it.' Graham reached over and retook
the dark-
haired man's hands in his as he said it.

`Yeah.' Xander reached up with his other hand, cupping
Grahams' chin
as he began to kiss him. Just beginning to enjoy
himself when he felt
the other man pull away.

`So Xan, you wanna ask me something?' A look of pure
innocence on the
ex-marine's face.

`Jeez, you're high maintenance.' Xander teased, both
men were however
smiling. Graham reached over and gently punched Xander
on the
shoulder.

"Ouch' The dark-haired man rubbed where his lover had
hit him,
smiling at him all the time. Graham's eyebrows arching
as he sat
waiting, smile plastered on his face.

`Gray?'

`Hmmm?'

`I was wondering if you wanted to be my boyfriend?'
The two men sat
next to each other smiling. Graham feigned a look of
thought,
breaking eye contact, he moved a hand to his chin,
pretending he was
thinking.

`Not sure what my other boyfriend would say.' As soon
as the words
were out of his mouth, Xander hit him. Mimicking what
the ex-marine
had only moments ago just done.

`Ouch.' The smile returning. Xander tried not to let
his amusement
appear on his face.

`Xander, I can think of nothing I'd like more than
being your
boyfriend.' The two men began to kiss, falling
backwards on the bed
as they wrapped their arms around each other.

Xander broke the kiss first. `You do know boyfriends
hang with their
boyfriend's friends right?'

Graham nodded in response, helping the other man stand
as they moved
towards the door. Xander could feel Graham behind him
as he moved,
pressed flush against him. Xander could feel both of
the other man's
hands holding protectively on each side of his hips.
His voice close
to his ear.

`Like I said though, babe, I don't think I'll be able
to control
myself for long.' The ex-marine gently nibbled on
Xander's earlobe
after he finished speaking, pulling his body tight
against him.

`Trust me, I don't want you to try controlling
yourself at all.'
Xander almost unable to speak as he started to move
out of the room
again. Definitely not a good look. He didn't want to
scare Willow and
Tara away. Well maybe not too soon anyway.

tbc