Fic: Happenstance 4/4

[allyndra]

Xander and Riley's first date. And the final chapter. Yay!

Riley looked at himself in the mirror and thought, not for the first time, that he was officially pathetic. He'd already changed his clothes three times, and he was considering making it four. He was an experienced soldier, trained to fight for his nation and to resist mental conditioning and torture, and all it took to turn him into a fourteen year old girl was a date with a cute guy. Riley sighed and resisted running his hands through his hair. Graham would never forgive him if he messed it up. For a man with a crew cut, Graham had been surprisingly adept with a blowdryer.

 

Graham and Forrest had both had a hand in getting Riley ready for this date. It was only fair, since Riley had been talking about little other than Xander for the past two weeks. That is, when he wasn't talking *to* Xander. The brown haired man had finally called three days after they'd met up at the Pub. Riley had been on tenterhooks for those three days, alternately anticipating the call and fearing that it would never come. When the phone had finally rung, Riley had been sitting in his room with his two friends, tossing his mini-basketball through the hoop on his door and pretending he wasn't thinking about a certain bartender. The ring had pulled him out of his half-reclining position, and he'd shot straight up, staring at the phone like he'd never seen it before.

 

"You're going to answer that," Forrest said in a serious voice. "I won't be responsible for my actions if I have to listen to another day of you worrying about him calling." Graham, always chary with his words, had skipped the threats and simply picked up the phone and handed it to Riley.

 

Glaring at his so-called friends, Riley answered. "Hello," he said, his voice gruff to disguise his nervousness.

 

"Um, hi. Riley? This is Xander. From the bar and from being Buffy and Willow and Oz's friend. And from, apparently, taking all my clothes off in front of you and your friends."

 

The fact that Xander sounded just as nervous as Riley felt was a huge comfort. If that made him petty, so be it. Riley relaxed back onto the bed, cradling the phone. "Yeah, I remember you," he said. Had the people from Guinness been around, they would certainly have marked that down as the biggest understatement of the century. Forrest and Graham had left then, graciously hiding their smirks.

 

The stumbling, awkward conversation that followed probably should have irritated Riley. Instead, it left him with an absurd sense of accomplishment. This had been their first premeditated encounter; before, they had merely run into one another. A phone call, especially a long phone call that ended with regrets and promises, meant intent.

 

The next afternoon, Riley had been the one to call Xander. He had taken a deep breath and dialed the number, not even needing the proffered moral support of his friends. Two weeks later, the men had talked every day, often for hours at a time. Riley, who had never been much of a phone talker, was surprised at how comfortable he felt listening to Xander's voice. Their conversations were broad and varied; though Riley never discussed his night job, they talked about nearly everything else. They argued about the relevance of sports, commiserated about their workloads, mocked their friends and coworkers, and bantered about movies and music. Xander comforted Riley when he confessed to homesickness, and Riley bolstered Xander when he felt unimportant. And mixed into every topic and every conversation was a teasing hint of flirtation.

 

Forrest thought it was hilarious. He'd taken to making what he termed the 'Oh, Xander!' face whenever he heard Riley on the phone. It consisted of fluttering eyelashes, pouting lips, and a coyly tilted head. Riley vehemently denied ever donning such an expression, but his denial only made Forrest laugh harder. Riley usually just rolled his eyes in irritation and kept right on talking. It was ... liberating to conduct his courtship over the phone. He didn't have to worry about looking stupid or being caught staring and drooling. And when he felt insecure or inexperienced, he could count on Graham to stick his head through the door and give him an encouraging nod.

 

Riley would have considered recommending that everyone take up phone dating if it weren't for one thing. He wanted to touch Xander. He wanted to see Xander. Badly. He'd been dying to see more of Xander's body and to touch every inch of it practically since the first moment he saw him, but now it was different. He wanted to sit next to Xander and just feel that he was there. He wanted to see Xander's face when he laughed. Of course, Riley also still wanted to see him naked and fuck him senseless. He was only human.

 

Riley knew a lot more about gay sex than he had when he'd first stepped into that strip club in Oxnard. Graham had decided it was his sacred duty to see that Riley was well educated. To that end, he had smuggled a non-Initiative laptop into the House so that his friend could download porn and sex tips. It had been an eye opening experience. So eye opening that he had had to remind himself to blink while watching the first clip. And to breathe. While Riley, like most men, had always been aware of the basic theory behind man-on-man sex, this was the first time he'd ever seen it in practice. That laptop had gotten a lot of use.

 

After two weeks of phone calls, of teasing banter and drawn out, affectionate goodbyes, Riley had finally asked Xander to meet him. He'd considered phrasing it casually, as just a couple of friends getting together, but realistically he knew that wouldn't fly. He'd blurted out his attraction that first night at the bar, so there was no sense in trying to save face now. Especially since taking the risk offered a much better chance at a goodnight kiss. Or maybe a goodnight blow job. Gah! Shaking his head and adjusting his sudden erection, Riley had managed to ask Xander to have dinner with him.

 

Which was why Riley was staring at his sandy-haired, blue eyed reflection, considering changing his clothes, and wishing his face were a little more sexy and less friendly. Not that friendly was bad most of the time, but it wasn't the impression he was trying to convey tonight. The door to his room opened and two more faces joined his in the mirror.

 

"You look fine," Graham had said.

 

"Are you sure I shouldn't -" Riley made an abortive gesture at his closet.

 

"No!" Forrest said emphatically. "What you need to do is get the hell out of here before your boy thinks you stood him up." Riley raised his eyebrows questioningly and then had to cross his eyes to read the watch that was shoved in front of his nose.

 

"Oh, god, I'm going to be late." Riley spun and grabbed his jacket off the bed. He was in a rush until he got to the door. Then the hurry drained out of him as the nervousness flooded back in. He stood, staring at the closed door.

 

A brown hand reached out from behind him and grabbed the doorknob. "Listen, my best first date advice is: Get the kiss out of the way early. That way you don't spend all night worrying about it."

 

Riley looked at Forrest over his shoulder. "That works?"

 

"Oh, yeah." He had to believe that smug look. Riley opened his mouth to ask another question and found himself being propelled out the door that Forrest had just jerked open.

 

"But ..." he stammered, but they had shut the door behind him. With an aggrieved snort, Riley had finally left the House and headed off campus to pick up his date.

 

***

 

Riley dried his hands on his pants as he waited for his knock to be answered. He raised his fist to knock again, when the door opened to reveal a somewhat disheveled and very drunk Mrs. Harris. She blinked up at him in confusion, and Riley donned his most disarming smile.

 

"I'm here to pick up Xander," he said. His voice sounded obnoxiously overeager to his own ears, but Xander's mom didn't seem to notice. She just waved him vaguely toward the basement stairs and plopped down on the couch. Riley knocked on the door to the basement, uncomfortable with the idea of just walking on in. He did feel a little cheated, though. Having been brave enough to knock on the front door, he didn't feel that he deserved the stress of knocking and waiting a second time.

 

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long. He heard the unmistakable thunder of feet bounding up the stairs, and then Xander was there. Big brown eyes and a wide, crooked grin greeted him, and Riley wondered how he'd gone so long without seeing them. "Hey!" Xander said, "Come on down and let me find my jacket so we can go."

 

Riley followed Xander down the stairs. He'd been warned, in fulsome detail, about how crappy the basement room was, but it still came as a surprise. Xander occupied such a large part of Riley's thoughts that it was difficult to imagine anyone willingly shunting him out of the way. Well, he'd just have to make sure the younger man knew he deserved better.

 

"I'm ready." Riley blinked, startled out of his contemplation of mildew and piles of laundry. Xander was standing at the foot of the stairs, holding a brown corduroy jacket and watching his guest expectantly. Against a background of dingy grey, he stood, beautiful even in a shapeless shirt and baggy cargo pants. The blonde man drank in the sight, not bothering to hide how attracted he was. Xander flushed under his scrutiny, and Riley thought that maybe he didn't have an un-sexy face after all. He stepped closer and decided to take Forrest's advice. He slid his hand behind Xander's neck and bent his head for a kiss.

 

Considering the sheer mass of fantasy that Riley had built up about Xander, it shouldn't have been possible to live up to his expectations. But somehow, this kiss didn't have to. It was a first kiss, and it was as sweet and nervous as first kisses often are. Riley closed his eyes and let himself enjoy it. Xander's mouth was warm and willing, and the minty taste of it made Riley smile against the kiss. The fact that Xander had brushed his teeth right before their date gave Riley the confidence to press for more. He slid his tongue deeper into Xander's mouth, then pulled back to lick at his full lower lip. He ran a hand down the other man's chest, stroking the firm muscles he knew were hidden under that hideous shirt.

 

Riley had been feeling an almost euphoric power as Xander submitted to his caresses. That all changed as Xander suddenly took charge of the kiss, turning them so that he could press the larger man against the wall. He drew Riley's tongue into his mouth and sucked at it gently while grinding his hips up against Riley's body. Riley groaned at the passionate assault. Though he knew he could overpower the dark haired man if he had to, the soldier was enjoying the helpless anticipation of giving up control. It wasn't something he'd ever felt with a woman, and he found himself loving it. Riley slid his hands down to cradle Xander's ass, pulling it up so that their erections met more closely. He lost himself in the heat and the hardness, the clandestine thrill of making out in Xander's parents' house, the newness of a male body pressed against him. And on top of all of it, the knowledge that Xander wanted him back lit Riley up with an intoxicated happiness.

 

He had been waiting to touch Xander for so long that he shouldn't have been shocked to feel his orgasm building, but he was. He couldn't have stopped if he'd wanted to, though, and god did he *not* want to. He moaned into Xander's mouth and pressed even closer, desperate for release even as he yearned for this to never end. He came with a shudder and felt it shaking Xander as well, they were wrapped so tightly around on another. The dark haired man continued to thrust against his hip, and soon Riley felt the muscles in Xander's ass and lower back tensing as he found his own peak.

 

They'd been kissing the whole time, and as they came down from orgasm, the kisses slowed. Riley stroked Xander's back in languorous satisfaction and finally pulled his mouth away, letting his head loll against the wall. "Do you always do that on the first date?" Xander asked, with a dreamy smile.

 

"Of course," Riley answered. "It's all part of the plan: woo you with my kisses, sweep you off you feet with my fancy dinner plans, convince you to loan me a clean pair of pants." With a chuckle, Xander stepped out of his arms and went to root around in his dresser.

 

"You're lucky I did laundry today," he said archly, handing Riley a pair of jeans, "because if it there was only one pair left, I would so be making you wear my old gym shorts." Snickering at that image, Xander grabbed a new pair of cargos for himself and retreated to the bathroom. Riley closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and sent up a wordless prayer that the rest of the date go this well. When he opened his eyes, the water stained ceiling reminded him to get dressed so they could get out of the basement.

 

***

 

Chopsticks were Riley's new favorite thing. He had never spent much time using them before, the Breadbasket of America not being famous for it's Asian cuisine. But Xander insisted that they were the only possible utensil for lo mein and dumplings, and Riley had given in.

 

"Like this," Xander said, reaching across the table and arranging Riley's fingers on the thin wooden sticks. Riley had to fight down a delighted grin at finding an excuse to have Xander hold his hand in public. He followed Xander's detailed instructions, and soon he was clumsily chasing his food around on his plate with the chopsticks. "There was a Social Studies section on Chinese immigrants to California when we were in sixth grade, and Willow made Jesse and me eat with chopsticks for a week. You have not lived until you've eaten hot dogs and fries with chopsticks in a middle school cafeteria," the dark haired man said with grin.

 

"I guess I haven't lived, then," Riley said ruefully as a particularly tricky dumpling slipped out of his grasp. He looked across at his date and goggled at the sight of Xander, his eyes half closed in the pleasure of his food, cheeks hollowed as he sucked in a strand of noodle. The younger man pulled the entire noodle into his mouth and licked at the end of the chopsticks to pick up the sauce. Riley managed not to groan. "It's good I have you to teach me these things," he said, earning a sweet smile in response.

 

Riley had chosen the restaurant fairly carefully. He had ruled out Italian because of the garlic and Mexican because of the aftereffects. When he discounted burgers and pizza as too unromantic, there hadn't been many possibilities other than Chinese remaining. He'd asked around and found a restaurant that was fairly nice but not overtly romantic. He was trying to protect his career, after all.

 

The server brought them fortune cookies, and Riley snorted with laughter at Xander's gleeful expression as he claimed his. "Okay, the rules for fortune cookies are simple: You do not read the fortune out loud. If you get a boring fortune, you insert the words 'in bed' at the end of it." Xander tossed him a cookie and waited while he unwrapped it. "Ready?" Riley nodded and broke his cookie open. The slip of paper read, 'Good things will come to you if you are patient and flexible.' Mentally adding 'in bed,' Riley turned red and started snickering.

 

"Let me see," Xander demanded. He took the fortune and read it, then grinned wickedly. "We'll test that out some time," he said, handing the paper back. Riley slid it into his pocket, feeling absurdly happy. This had been one of the best dates he'd ever been on. The fact that the two men had gotten to know one another so well first had eased the way past the usual discomfort of first date conversation. The food had been good, the service friendly, and the company spectacular. Xander had a way of making everything seem fun and new.

 

A single chopstick waved in front of his face. "Psst!" Xander hissed. "Put this in your pocket."

 

"Why?" Riley asked. He was baffled, but that didn't stop him from obeying unthinkingly.

 

"Souvenir," Xander said impishly. He kept his voice low. "Of the best date I've ever been on. And, barring the gender thing, the most normal one, too."

 

"Oh, really," Riley said with a raised eyebrow.

 

"Uh huh. I'll tell you about my prom date sometime." And with that promise, Xander pocketed the other chopstick and bounced up out of his seat. "Wanna get some ice cream?" He asked, pulling his jacket from the back of his chair. "'Cause I don't know about you, but I consider fortune cookies entertainment, not dessert." Riley nodded his acceptance of the plan and followed Xander to the register. He craftily managed to pay for dinner, but Xander swore to pay for the ice cream as revenge.

 

The two men were walking back to Riley's car when a snarling Hostile launched itself at them from the shadows of a nearby doorway. Riley cursed and wondered if the thing could have tracked him by scent from one of the Initiative's raids earlier in the week. He reached for his tazer, trying to keep Xander covered. That goal would have been accomplished more easily if the Sunnydale man had stopped trying to edge around Riley toward the attacking HST. Riley finally drew out his weapon and discharged it at the creature, but that didn't stop the attack. He found himself knocked to the ground, staring into the yellow eyes and ridged face of the HST. And then, in a swirl of dust, he was staring at Xander's face instead.

 

The younger man was still poised to fight, holding his lone chopstick protectively in his right hand. He was breathing hard and his face was pale, but he managed to give Riley a smile. "Okay," Xander said, "Now it's more like my usual kind of date." Riley took a deep breath and opened his mouth to demand to know what that meant when Graham trotted up in full night op gear.

 

"Riley, are you okay? We got a report of an HST headed in this direction." Riley pulled Graham aside for a quick debrief, then they both turned back to Xander. The dark haired man had been watching the soldiers with an expression of wary amusement.

 

"So," he said, "I guess you're not going to buy the usual excuse of muggers on PCP, huh?" Riley shook his head, struggling to process what had just happened. Xander knew about the HSTs, and he knew how to fight them. He also now knew that Riley and Graham were in a military group that was concerned with the Hostiles. Suddenly Riley broke out into a huge smile. He didn't have a choice. He was going to have to bring Xander in for an exchange of information. That meant Riley was going to get what he'd always wanted: a relationship in which he didn't have to lie to his partner.

 

And when Professor Walsh asked how Xander had found out about the Initiative, Riley would be able to answer truthfully. It was fate.

 

Comments

[pixel2817.livejournal.com]

Must have missed this last part, it's wonderful. All first date nerves and then a little slaying. Don't suppose we can tempt you into a sequel?

[allyndra.livejournal.com]

I have no objection to a sequel if the inspiration strikes. In the meantime, I'm writing a different Riley/Xander story for spring_with_xan. Thanks for commenting!

[sorot.livejournal.com]

sooooo cuuutttteee!! ::falls in lurv:: your Xander is sooo...sooo...XANDER!!! I hope you continue this universe!!

[allyndra.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm not opposed to writing more in this 'verse, I just haven't thought of a storyline for a follow up. Maybe someday, though.

[athenewolfe.livejournal.com]

OH I love!!! I have to nom this - email me at fangfetish @ gmail.com so i have an email addy to go with it?

[allyndra.livejournal.com]

I sent you out my email address a bit ago. It would be awesome to be nommed at Fang Fetish, but just getting the reviews this morning has made me grin like a crazy person. Thanks!

[athenewolfe.livejournal.com]

your welcome *hugs*

[realpestilence.livejournal.com]

Yay! *cavorts*


I can't tell you how excited I am. Writing a fic where both Xander and Riley get to be nice, get to be playful and fun together...and happy! Nobody's been bashed or character-assasinated. Xander gets to be strong.

And a possible sequel, sometime? Even better. ^-^



Pesti

[allyndra.livejournal.com]

I wrote another Riley/Xander for my spring_with_xan entry, called "Sometimes a Cigar." It's in my meories here (http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=allyndra&keyword=Sometimes+a+Cigar+Riley/Xander&filter=all) if you're interested. It isn't quite as lighthearted as "Happenstance," but not super angsty, either.

Thank you for commenting on all the chapters as you read them! It was wonderful to see a positive comment on each post. *hugs*

[fanbot.livejournal.com]

Hee. Good stuff, pet!

[allyndra.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[ig-nobleigh.livejournal.com]

I followed the rec and I do not regret it. I love the sweet, happy, affection oozing from every part of this, not to mention the hotness! Great fic, I adore it.

[allyndra.livejournal.com]

Aww, thanks! Did you come from xanzpet's rec? I need to go thank him for that; I've been getting all kinds of new people over here. :o)

[xanzpet.livejournal.com]

Oh, you're welcome! I'm become a wee obsessed with Xander/Riley lately, and there's a serious lack of good fic out there for them. When I stumbled upon your story (I think it was through an X/R google search), I immediately clicked on the link, but I had to save it to read later. Last month, when I was reccing all things Xander, I finally got around to reading it and was delighted!

Thank you so much for giving Riley a real voice instead of fanon wrote which for some inexplicable reason insists on painting him as either a dullard or some nebulous villain. Riley was a really nice, honest guy (who's yummy) caught up in a world he didn't really understand and was never properly explained. I didn't like him with Buffy, but I think he's wonderful with Xander, someone who is also searching for his place and is consistently undervalued.

Would you mind if I friended you? I'd just like to be able to keep up with your work. No need to friend me back, of course, but I want to ensure I don't miss further updates and new stories!

[allyndra.livejournal.com]

I feel like Riley was one of the unsung victims of the series. He started out happy, with a mission he believed in, skills he was proud of, and friends he trusted and had all of those things stripped away from him over the course of seasons 4 and 5. Sure, yeah, they showed him happily married to Sam in season 6, but that seemed more like something the writers cooked up to torment Buffy than something to recompense Riley for his pain.

Riley and Xander have a lot in common. I've actually seen people use that as a reason why they shouldn't be slashed; they said Riley and Xander were too alike and had none of the chemistry needed to support a good slash story. I say you don't have to have aggression to have believable attraction.

Feel free to friend away, and I'll friend back. I pop over to read your updates sometimes, and I had a blast reading through your Pimping Xander recs.

[suki-blue.livejournal.com]

OMG! I've just read this and it's absolutely wonderful. And the hottness! YIS!

And: Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long. He heard the unmistakable thunder of feet bounding up the stairs, and then Xander was there. Big brown eyes and a wide, crooked grin greeted him, and Riley wondered how he'd gone so long without seeing them.

I adore that image so much.

[allyndra.livejournal.com]

Wheee! I love getting feedback on older stories. I'm kind of fond of that image of Xander myself. :o) I can see why Riley would fall madly in lust as first sight.

Thanks for commenting!

[drsquidlove.livejournal.com]

From the first word you have Graham, and before the sentence is done he's gay. I now love you unconditionally.

Forrest protested loudly. "Nuh uh! No way am I going to be the only straight guy *and* the token black. You guys are going to have to work something out. Maybe Riley can be gay on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and Graham can take Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Sundays we'll eat nachos and watch sports and nobody gets to be gay."
Your Forrest is so much cooler than Joss's Forrest.

"One thing about being a straight guy watching male strippers: you spend a lot of time looking at their faces."
I laughed way too much at that.

"Okay," Xander said, "Now it's more like my usual kind of date."
lol

Thank you again!

~pout~ I meant to save these to read, but I ended up tunnelling through all of them at once. No more. :-(

[allyndra.livejournal.com]

I now love you unconditionally. Yay! *revels in the love*

Your Forrest is so much cooler than Joss's Forrest. Forrest started out pretty cool on the show, before he got all jealous and evil. Clearly, my Forrest is not canon, but I like to think he might have been like this had he not been hopped up on drugs and conditioned by a mad scientist.

I meant to save these to read, but I ended up tunnelling through all of them at once. No more. *grins* I'm sorry you're fic-less, but I can't help being happy you'd want to read more. It's great for my ego. I also have a little shorty of a Riley/Xander called Du Lac (http://allyndra.livejournal.com/14423.html) that I wrote for spring_with_xan. It would only take a minute to read, so it won't solve the lack of fics for long, though.

Thanks for your wonderful comments!

[geyer-fb.livejournal.com]

I've always liked Riley, and I love the way you've portrayed him here. He and Xander are funny, and sweet, and great with each other. You did a good job with Graham and Forrest, too--I snickered at Forrest's "Xander face" and at Graham smuggling in the laptop to further Riley's education. Add my vote to those who would be interesting in seeing more of this 'verse. You have me thinking of how much fun Season 4 would have been with the two of them together, though I'd be a bit worried for Spike. Excellent story.

[allyndra.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

You have me thinking of how much fun Season 4 would have been with the two of them together, though I'd be a bit worried for Spike. Season 4 would have been awesome with Xander and Riley together! Why, oh why did the writers not give us that to watch? (Although I really liked season 4 quite a lot as it is.) It would leave Spike out in the cold, though. Hmmm ... I'll have to ponder that.

[brunettepet.livejournal.com]

The phone dating was charming, and I could see these two taking it slow. You painted a vivid picture of Riley nervously preparing for their first real date, and Graham and Forrest's continued support was delightful. The basement scene flowed beautifully, and Riley asking for a clean pair of pants made me laugh out loud. Dinner was also vividly drawn, and the purloined chopsticks were put to good use.

I really enjoyed this story. The characters were always in voice and they never fell out of character. Riley often gets bashed in fan fic, so I'm always delighted when he's handled well in his role as a good guy. Your Xander was also well written, and you made them a believable couple.

Thanks for the very entertaining story.

[allyndra.livejournal.com]

I've loved reading your comments to each chapter!

The characters were always in voice and they never fell out of character. That's a wonderful compliment, and I appreciate it. :o)

Riley often gets bashed in fan fic I know. Poor guy! I disapprove of character-bashing in general, but Riley definitely gets more than his share.

Thank you for writing me such lovely comments on this story. It made my day!

[wingwyrm.livejournal.com]

"So," he said, "I guess you're not going to buy the usual excuse of muggers on PCP, huh?" = so Xander :)

This was just... perfect. :) *hugs fic tight to breast* I could probably be convinced to give my first born up for a sequel :)

Oh boys *smile and sigh*

Nice

[(Anonymous)]

Very well done. I've bookmarked this, and that's because I liked your story so much, I want to come back for another read. (This is actually my best compliment.)

I know this is comment is late, sorry--but I hope you'll keep up the good work.

Cheers,
abc