**********
6:17 pm

Graham anxiously glanced at the clock on the wall, then smoothed down his hospital gown.
Then, glanced up at the clock, then, smoothed down his gown.  Then, glanced at the clock,
then... snorted in disgust when he realized what he was doing.

He was being ridiculous.  The whole situation was ridiculous.  He was a Marine for God?s
sake.  Marines didn?t get... crushes.  But, that?s what this was.  Graham had a crush on
Xander Harris.  Yep, ridiculous just about covered it.

Not that there was anything wrong with Xander.  He was even attractive if you went for
that type, with his soft, curling hair, wide eyes, pouty mouth, broad shoulders...

Graham rapidly shook his head before he could start contemplating Xander?s lower
attributes.  He knew from experience how that kind of thinking affected his own lower
attributes, and he was also well aware of just how flimsy his hospital garb was.  It was
one thing to inadvertently make the night nurses blush, it was quite another to be all
obvious in front of the very person who was making him... all obvious.

The Marine forced himself to think non sexy thoughts.  Buffy.  Buffy in seventies
clothes.  Buffy in seventies clothes wielding a big hammer.  Ah.  Graham smiled, secure in
the thought that that visual image should keep certain parts behaving throughout the
upcoming visit.

Ignoring the voice of self respect cloying at him, he let his eyes drift back to the clock.
For the past couple days Xander had arrived promptly at six twenty.  It was now six
nineteen.  Graham smoothed down his gown again.

*****
7:13 pm

As the elevator doors opened, Xander began his silent mantra.

{{Iwon?tcheckouthispackageIwon?tcheckouthispackageIwon?t
checkouthispackage...}}

He sighed miserably.  During these visits, it was getting harder and harder to keep his
eyes from straying to places they really shouldn?t go, especially when Graham stretched
his arms above his head and the hem to his gown rode up on his thighs...

Xander stopped just shy of room 405 and took a few deep breaths.  He knew that he
should just stop the visitations all together before he did something stupid that would, as
soon as Graham was mobile again, result in his ass being seriously kicked.  You just didn't
develop a crush on a Marine, or if you did, you sure as hell didn?t let him know about it.

After a few more steadying breaths, and more then a few of the most undesirable
thoughts he could muster -

{{Dawn discussing boy bands.  Buffy and Riley having sex.  Giles in a tutu.  Riley in a tutu...
Okay, those last two were just plain weird.  Disturbing, but not in a good way.  Perfect.}}

- he continued down the hallway.  The door to Graham?s room was already open, so he
refrained from knocking and simply walked in, an easy smile on his face, already expecting
the same to be on Graham?s.  ?Hey.?

?You're late.?

Xander stopped short at the curt greeting.  He glanced up at the clock who?s second hand
clicked past the twelve, which in turn sent the minute hand into perfect alignment with
the quarter past mark.  Xander sighed and dug into one of his pockets.  He held out his
crucifix for Graham?s inspection.  ?Look, no smoke, or bursting into flames, or going all
fangy.  I?m still human, if that?s what you?re worrying about.?

Graham felt a blush steal over his cheeks.  Out of all the possible explanations for
Xander?s tardiness, the thought that he could have been in actual danger from
Sunnydale?s varied nightlife hadn?t even entered his mind.  ?Uh... yeah.?  He cleared his
throat.  ?So, did something come up, or... something??

?Kind of.  I had to put in some time at the Magic Shop for a little while, engage in some
good old fashioned research.?  Xander took up position in his regular chair.

Graham frowned.  ?What?s wrong??

?Well, Giles found this prophecy that said the world?s supposed to end this Thursday, so
we were all, you know, ?let?s find a way to stop it?.  Then Anya told him the translation was
wrong and it?s actually *next* Thursday, so we figure we?ll take care of it later.?

?Uh.?  Graham paused, trying to think of the best way to approach this subject.  ?Don?t you
think... wouldn?t it be better to take care of it now??

Xander rolled his eyes.  ?I just said we had a week.?

?Right.?  Graham folded his arms.  ?And, hey, it?s just an apocalypse.?

?Exactly.?  Xander leaned back.  ?Why, I remember one time Senior year when there was
this big prophecy thing, and there were even portents, and dead rednecks, and...... I want
you.?

Graham nodded once, and reached out a hand.  ?Come here.?

Xander eagerly complied, and perched on the edge of the bed, taking care to not jostle
the injured leg.  He draped himself over Graham?s upper body, putting one hand on either
side of the Marine?s head, and leaned in.  Graham?s arms wrapped around the younger body,
holding him close, willing him closer.  Xander seemed to know, instinctively, what was being
asked of him, and he slowly smiled.  The lids over his darkening brown eyes dropped as he
moved in, closing the distance between their faces, their mouths.  They kissed, Xander
pressing hard against Graham, Graham happily absorbing the contact, then pushing back.
Blood rushed under the skin as lips were parted, zealous tongues twining together,
stroking, searching-

Suddenly Xander pulled back, easing himself off the bed.  Graham following as far as he
could, but that soft, teasing smile was back on the younger man?s face, and he gently
pushed the Marine back onto the pillow.  Graham watched those dark, dark eyes drift
down his chest and abdomen to finally settle on his crotch.  The flimsy material of the
hospital gown did nothing to hide Graham?s reaction to Xander?s touches.

Xander?s fingers lightly brushed against Graham?s right thigh.  He grinned at the resulting
shudder and repeated the action, this time letting his hand travel further along the
lightly haired, muscled flesh, slowly pushing Graham?s gown up.  Finally, after one more
teasing glance, Xander gave up kidding around, and simply lifted the material out of the
way, bunching it onto Graham?s stomach.

Xander licked his lips, and bent his head.  Graham drew in a quick breath as he watched
that perfect mouth descend over his cock.  The entirety of his being became focused on
the tip of his erection and the lovely wet heat that surrounded-

?Graham??

-it.  He could feel that amazing tongue undulating against the bottom of his shaft even as
he was taken deep into Xander?s mouth. Filling-

?Graham??

-That beautiful mouth.  Coming in that beautiful mouth.  Coming in Xa-

?*Graham*?!

With a quick shake of his head the Marine crashed back to reality.  He blinked owlishly at
Xander?s concerned face, which hovered quite close to his own.  ?Huh??

?Are you okay??

?Okay??  He repeated dumbly.

?Yeah, as in... okay??

?Um,?  Graham shook his head again, letting the vestiges of his impromptu fantasy sink
back into his unusually overactive imagination.  Discretely as possible, he folded his hands
in front of his lap.  ?I?m, I?m fine.  Just fine.?

?Are you sure?  I was talking about all the different times the world almost ended, and
your face kind of went all blank.?  Xander seriously regarded the Marine.  ?Maybe I should
get a doctor.?

?No!?  Graham?s sudden pallor wasn?t doing anything to help his ?just fine? case.  ?I don?t
need a doctor, really.  I just zoned for a minute, that?s all.  ?

?Oh.  Zoning.  Apocalypse talk not exciting enough for you, huh??  Xander smiled wryly.
?That?s okay, I know I?m not the most stimulating guy in the world.?

Graham?s face went from deathly white to beet red.  ?No.  No, you?re not that at all.?

Xander sat back down, still eying the Marine warily.  ?Uh huh.  And just what kind of
medication are they giving you again??

?Whatever it is it?s obviously not enough.?  Graham mumbled.

?What was that??

?Nothing.  So, demons,?  Buffy.  ?Hellbeasts,?  Buffy in seventies clothes.  ?And zombies,?
Buffy, in seventies clothes, wielding a big hammer.   ?Continue.?

Xander raised an eyebrow but went on with his story, never dreaming that Graham?s rapt
attention was focused not on his words, but his mouth... and, alternately, the very
sobering image of a small blonde with a big hammer.

**********

the end