Six Months Later
The Lansbury Flats
Knightsbridge, London
10th Floor, Flat #7
It was getting harder and harder to be around her. Buffy Summers smashed into Graham's life like a freight train. He couldn't get enough of her. Never in his life had he ever met anyone so easy to talk to. He could tell her anything in the world and she'd listen and pass no judgement. Her wicked sense of humour had him rolling on the ground laughing. She was fiercely strong and magnificently beautiful. And she was stubborn as hell. Buffy's a woman who knows what she wants and she knows who she is.
Graham wanted to burst into flames when she was near him. They sparred on the daily and it was getting harder and harder to control himself when she rolled on top of him pinning him to the floor. He hated to admit it but it was no wonder why Riley was so crazy about this girl. She had it all.
But she wasn't interested in him.
Right at the moment on this night, Graham sat on the couch staring at the soccer game he wasn't really interested in only thinking of Buffy. She was in her bedroom getting ready for a date.
His knee bounced impatiently while his right hand gripped around the beer bottle.
Buffy had met this guy on a 'Girls Night Out' with Willow, Dawn, Faith, and a few senior Slayers. According to Willow and Dawn, this guy was the hottest, most charming, wealthy man, they had ever met. He had a stupid name too. Asher or Clive… Graham was enraged with jealousy.
A knocked on the door sounded. Buffy poked her head out of the bedroom. "Could you get that… and occupy him for a few minutes?" She asked then disappeared back behind the bedroom door.
With a grumble, Graham stood and went to the door. Standing on the other side was Buffy's date.
The date stood at the door leaning on the frame with one hand in his pocket looking cool. He wore an expensive suit and tie, arrogance radiated off of him. His hair was dark brown almost black and combed neatly. Graham thought his dark brown eyes were too beaded and his face overall was too punchable.
"'Ello, mate." The date said. "Is Buffy 'round?" He pushed past Graham entering the flat as if he owned it.
"She's just gettin' ready." Graham closed the door and glared at the arrogant man with a stupid name he couldn't remember. He moved to the tidy flat taking in its cosiness Buffy had perfectly designed herself.
The man faced Graham and ran his eyes over him with judgment. "So you're the roommate?" He smiled standing all and snobbish.
Graham did not respond.
"I expect you to make yourself scarce when we return." He wagged hitting the back of his hand over Graham's chest.
Graham wanted nothing more than to sock this guy straight in the nose for evening thinking he had a shot at getting into Buffy's pants. He has more of a chance than you, dude. He begrudgingly told himself.
The click of a bedroom door opening broke the one-sided conversation. The two men turned their heads to Buffy when she entered the room.
Graham felt his breath escape him the moment his eyes landed on her.
Buffy wore a little black dress with a plunging v-neck. When she turned to gather her things inside a tiny clutch purse, Graham ran his eyes straight down the line of her back that was shown down a long cut of the dress. He swallowed nervously. Her hair fell down her back in bouncing waves.
"Buffy!" Her date said opening his arms out wide for her.
"Just on time, Clark," Buffy said as Clark kissed her knuckles.
Clark! I knew it was a stupid name. Graham rolled his eyes.
"Alright," Buffy began, "I'm ready to go." She said looking at Clark.
Graham stood near the couch with his hands stuffed into his pockets.
Buffy faced Graham as she slipped on her black coat and untucked her hair. "Are you still going out with Xander?"
"Uh, yeah, we're going to The Mayflower."
"That's on Rotherhithe Street?"
Graham nodded his head taking a sip of his beer. "That's the one."
"You like that place. You like their cheese." Buffy smiled knowing him well.
"We're going to be late for our reservation." Clark reminded.
Buffy nodded her head then looked back at Graham. Graham met her eyes and wondered if he was really seeing what he was seeing. A longing in Buffy's eyes. He figured it was his heart telling him otherwise.
The Mayflower
Rotherhithe Street
Through the crowd and boisterous laughter, Graham and Xander sat at the bar creating a pint glass collection. Graham reached over and popped a cheese cube into his mouth.
"When are you gonna ask her out, man?" Xander asked.
Throughout the six months of living in London, Graham and Xander began a steady friendship. Almost immediately during the re-meeting of Xander in the library that first day Graham liked him. He was easy-going like him. Xander's goofy sense of humour complimented Graham straight-man sarcasm.
Graham became such good friends with the shaggy-haired man that they confided in one another much like Buffy and Willow.
Xander was well aware of Graham's ever-growing crush on Buffy even before he mentioned it.
Graham shook his head sipping his fourth beer.
With a head shake of disappointment, Xander explained, "Graham I've been there too. It's super hard to deny your feelings especially when she's around you 24/7."
"How'd it end for you?" Graham asked knowingly.
"Well…" Xander frowned. "Not good. It sucked." He thought back to the loneliness he felt so long ago in high school sitting on the bench filled with rejection. "It really sucked."
Graham frowned and slammed his hand on the counter holding the pint. "You wouldn't believe the balls on that dick she's out with right now. He had the audacity to tell me to clear out when they came back! What? Did he want me to put a fuckin' sock on the door too?" He groaned picturing Buffy with another man having passionate and wild sex.
"What was his name?"
"Who?" Graham frowned forgetting about the conversation after being so long in his jealousy.
"The date."
"Steve or Clive—somethin' fuckin' stupid," Graham grumbled.
Xander shook his head and took another sip of his beer. "You should tell her, man."
Graham looked at Xander. "You tell her about Dawn." He challenged.
Xander's eye widened at the thought of breaking the news to Buffy about his serious relationship with her younger sister.
"Yeah, until you do that, I ain't tellin' Buffy shit." Graham sipped the beer in his hand.
"Ain't telling Buffy what?" A lispy voice said from behind the two men.
Graham and Xander turned their heads to see Buffy standing behind them alone.
"Nothin'. What are you doin' here?" Graham asked.
By the expression on Buffy's face and the fact she came to the pub alone, he figured the date hadn't gone that great.
"Clark had an early night," Buffy said cryptically sitting down on an empty stool and reached over for a cheese cube.
"Date didn't go well?" Xander asked looking at her with sympathy though he really didn't like Clark.
Buffy shook her head, her eyes were wide. "Um… No, not really. He spent most of the time talking about himself, then the rest of the time trying to get his hand up my dress."
Graham was fired up inside with rage. "You want a beer?"
Buffy nodded her head graciously for the offer. "Please."
"Hey, Barkeep!" Graham tapped his hand on the counter getting the bartender's attention. "Another pint for me, one for the lady, and…" Graham looked at Xander. "You want one?"
Xander shook his head, "Nah, man, I'm gonna call it a night."
"Alright, man, thanks for hanging out."
Xander gave him a lopsided grin and patted Graham's arm. "This is your chance." He whispered into Graham's ear then moved around to Buffy. "See you Monday." He gave the Slayer a hug.
"Night." Buffy smiled and watched one of her oldest friends disappear within the crowds.
The bartender placed two pints in front of them. Silently, Buffy and Graham brought the ice cold glass to their lips and took a sip.
It was a strange silence that hung between them. They hadn't been this silent with one another since college when she was dating Riley and Graham stood far in the background.
"You want somethin' stronger?" Graham suddenly asked.
"Yes."
"Hey, Barkeep!" Graham got the bartenders attention again. "We're gonna do Tequila shots. Could we get some limes and salt?"
The Bartender nodded his head with a smile and rolled his eyes over Buffy. "You got it, mate."
They did not have to wait very long for the shots or supplies. "Leave the bottle." Graham insisted on earning an approving grin from the bartender.
"I haven't done this in a while," Buffy said looking down at the shots slightly intimidated.
Graham smirked and said, "Well, you lick the salt on your hand, take the shot, bite into the lime."
"Lick. Shot. Lime. Got it." Buffy nodded her head holding the shot in one hand and the lime in the other.
"Ready. Set. Go."
Graham and Buffy quickly licked the salt on the back of their hands, drank the shot, and bit into the lime. They shared a laugh and made another.
1 Hour and 7 Tequila Shots Later
Over the last hour, Buffy and Graham felt the effects of the liquor. During that hour, their stools slid a bit closer together. The pub had gotten more crowded and four times louder.
"Do you want to play a game?" Graham asked in his hazy drunken state.
"Yes!" Buffy shouted trying to be heard over the voices.
Graham grinned, "Alright, the game is called, Body Shots! Same thing… Salt! Shot! Blah, blah, blah! But this time, I'll put the salt… here!" Graham pointed to her neck. "And I'll put the shot… here." His finger ghostly traced the line between her breasts. "What do you think?" He asked her.
"Do it!"
"What?" Graham shouted trying to hear her.
"I said, do it!"
Graham stood from the stood leaning forward to her neck. He ran his tongue over her skin for a moment and smeared the moist spot with a little salt. He then stuck the shot glass between her breasts and placed the lime in her mouth. He looked at her once more than ran his tongue slowly over the skin of her neck. Her skin was hot and tasted sweet and salty. Graham dipped his head down between her breasts and took the shot inhaling her perfume that it sent him into a spin. He looked up to her lips to suck the wedge between her lips.
A fire shot through her lower back warming her and sent a tingle to her stomach. More than anything she wanted to fall into her desires. She dropped the lime wedge from her lips just as his mouth made contact with hers.
His initial surprise was clouded by his drunkenness and his heated attractions. He let his lips brush over hers wanting to savour her taste and memorise their perfect softness of her lips.
Buffy's fingers slid through his hair surprised by its soft texture. Her hands ran down his neck, over his shoulders, and to his chest. She wanted the kiss to last and last but not like this in a bar surround by noisy people.
"Graham…" She whispered against his mouth. "We can't…"
Clenching his jaw in frustration, Graham broke the kiss and nodded his head. His blue eyes opened and moved up her face. "You're right. We shouldn't. It wouldn't be right."
Buffy frowned and looked at him. "What do you mean 'it wouldn't be right'?"
"What do you mean, what do I mean? You just said—"
"That's not what I meant," Buffy argued.
"Well, you're right. It wouldn't be right for us to… do that." The words coming out of his mouth tasted like ash.
"Why?" Buffy argued though she was not very sure why she was arguing the first place. He was agreeing with her. But she didn't want him to agree with her. She wanted him to kiss her.
"Because you're Riley's girl!"
Buffy looked at him with a mixture of surprise and insult. "What the hell do you mean, I'm 'Riley's girl'?"
"It's like a… 'Guy-Code' thing. Don't touch, don't look, don't even think about touching and looking at your best friends girl."
"I'm not a possession, Graham."
"I know that."
"And Riley and I haven't been together in a really long time. He's married. He's moved on with someone else. They're planning kids."
Feeling suddenly sober, Graham stood from the stool, "We can't. No matter how much we want… We can't." He laid some money down from his wallet and said, "C'mon, let's get you home."
Inside, Buffy felt horrible and immediately missed his touch. The voice in the back of her mind that warned her about Angel and later Spike shouted at her not to do it. To not mess up a perfectly good thing just because she was attracted… really attracted to her close friend and roommate.
"Yeah, okay." Buffy huffed not bothering to hide her state of depression.
The Lansbury Flats
Knightsbridge, London
10th Floor, Flat #7
Buffy was the first to enter the flat followed by Graham. The twenty-six-minute drive back to the flat was silent and incredibly awkward.
Graham closed the door behind him wanting to go to bed and forget about this embarrassing night.
He dropped his keys into the small bowl nearest to the door and slipped off his brown leather jacket.
Buffy's bedroom door opened.
Graham lifted his eyes to see her standing across the flat staring at him. A moment later, she crossed the long distance between them with determination in her green eyes. She took Graham by surprise when she grabbed the sides of his face with both hands and captured his lips with her own.
The kiss was deep, filled with unexplored desire and need. This kiss was much different than the one at the pub. There was no hesitation or mixed signals.
Graham's hand slid down the exposed skin of her back thanks to the dress. Buffy pressed his back against the door wanting to feel every inch of him. Her hands swarmed over his body and lingered over the muscles of his chest and arms.
She gently moaned into his mouth making his head spin.
Graham lifted her off of the ground and Buffy's legs instinctively wrapped around his waist locking her ankles together. Her fingers dug into his short hair messing it up.
There was a cloud of desire hovering over them. They couldn't break apart. They couldn't think of anything but the feeling of one another. There was no turning back from this point. Everything was forgotten.
"Bedroom," Buffy ordered between kisses.
Graham for the first time pulled back his head breaking the kiss. He panted as she slightly out of breath. His light blue eyes dashed around her face trying to find something, anything that would tell him that she didn't want this. "Are you sure?"
Buffy knew what he was doing. She found it sweet and endearing. With a hand cupping his cheek she whispered, "Very sure."
Slowly, Graham leaned forward and tenderly kissed her lips. The mutual desire took pace in their kisses as like before.
Graham began to take the first few steps towards Buffy's bedroom across the flat and down a hall opposite from his.
