Title:  Uncommon Distractions
Author:  Kay
Email:  kaygrr@hotmail.com
Feedback:  Please?  Because watching a grown girl cry is just pathetic.
Website:  ssfdu.tripod.com/kay/journal.htm (love for Sandy) Archive:  Just
let me know, eh? Fandom:  Buffy Pairing:  (Xander/Graham) + (Xander/Spike)
= Xander/Graham/Spike Rating:  PG-13 Disclaimer:  Mine?  What? *These*? 
No, they're Mutant Enemy's.  They just followed me home and wouldn't leave
until I played with them. Spoilers:  The last season of Buffy.  The
incident with Glory, and the ep "The Body".  (Look at me, trying to be
vague).  And that ugly rumor about Spike and a certain blond slayer? 
Never happened. Summery:  Graham and Riley are called back to Sunnydale
when the area destabilizes.  When they return, they discover there are new
factors in lives of the Scooby Gang, especially in Xander and Spike's.

Part 22/24

Graham leaned back against a tall headstone, taking a break from the
killing.  Xander and Spike were doing just fine without him; the little
gang of vampires they had come across had been quickly reduced to only two
survivors.  Xander was in the final process of maneuvering his opponent
out of position so he could end the fight with his stake, while Spike was
blatantly playing with the one he faced.  Graham watched appreciatively as
the two men fought, enjoying the sight of their bodies moving with deadly
grace as they finished off their opponents.

Life was good and it was getting better.  His request to be released from
the Initiative been approved and he was now the proud owner of a generous
post-service scholarship that he intended to use at the university next
fall.  Riley had left the service as well and from what he told Graham, he
was slowly on his way to reconciling with Buffy.  Graham was happy for his
friend, but even better was what was happening between him, Xander, and
Spike.

They were still moving at what felt like an excruciatingly slow pace, but
it was necessary.  Xander was still trying to shake off the Cynon's
influence, and even a week after visiting the demon the effects still
lingered.  Graham was horrified by this; he hadn't understood what Xander
was going through every time he went to make a deal with the demon.  If
the terror of rejection was lingering this long, how long had Xander
struggled with feelings of depression or loneliness or loss each time the
Cynon had demanded them?  It was the realization of how shaken Xander was
that made the waiting possible.

It was more than a little maddening.  He loved Xander and wanted him
fiercely.  One moment, Xander would be laughing and kissing him, obviously
as eager as Graham was to take things further.  A few moments later,
Xander would be withdrawn and quiet, certain that Spike and Graham were
both about to walk out and leave him alone forever.  The periods of
depression were coming farther and farther apart now and they didn't last
very long, but as long as they lingered the relationship was stalled in
limbo.  Graham was ready to finally make love to Xander and was sure Spike
was as well, but the time wasn't right.  Graham had talked to Riley about
it, wanting the benefit of his friend's training in psychology. 
Everything Riley told him meshed perfectly with what Graham felt:  so long
as Xander was filled with doubt, they couldn't push anything.  They had to
wait for Xander's mind and heart to be free of the Cynon's influence, or
else he'd never be able to trust the love that they shared.

The sight of Xander killing his opponent brought Graham back to the
present. 
  He grinned widely as Xander brushed dust off his sleeves.  Xander
  grinned 
back at him and walked easily into his arms, claiming a kiss as he reward
for killing the vampire.  Graham was more than happy to reward him,
pulling Xander close and using his height to his advantage in order to
dominate the kiss, the taste of the dark-haired man something he could
never take for granted.

"Hey!"  Spike's objection caused them to end their kiss so they could look
at him.  "What about me?" the vampire asked.  "I killed one, too."

Graham unwrapped one of his arms from around Xander and reached out to
grab Spike and pull him in for a kiss.  It wasn't like kissing Xander at
all:  Spike was cool and powerful and utterly confident.  It wasn't better
or worse; it was just different.  He leaned away from Spike with a
lingering smile.  That was one benefit of all this waiting:  he and Spike
had moved beyond mutual lust.  He wasn't sure it was love, yet, but it was
getting closer and closer to it.

He rolled his eyes as Spike grabbed Xander and pinned him up against a
tombstone.  That was one thing that definitely hadn't changed:  both of
them were utterly in love with Xander.  He watched for a few moments, then
forcibly separated them.  "We're in a cemetery," he said.

Spike looked utterly unrepentant, but Xander nodded.  "Right.  Ew."  He
reached out and slid a caressing hand over Graham's ass.  "Just wait till
I get you two home."

Graham shared a quick assessing glance with Spike.  Xander had been 
complaining more and more about the slow pace they'd all agreed to follow.
 It had been nearly a full day since his last attack of terror over
rejection.  The Cynon's influence might actually be gone.  Graham didn't
want to get his hopes up over this if he was wrong, but Xander's
complaints could be a sign that he was finally back to being in control of
himself.

Graham was about to suggest that maybe they should head back to Xander'
apartment and test the idea out when his cell rang.  He answered quickly. 
"Yeah?"

//Nice way to answer the phone,// Riley chided.  //Wait, I was
interrupting anything, was I?  Don't tell me if I was, just tell me you
can't talk.//

"Ri, shut up.  What do you want?"

//Buffy just called me.  She'd tried to get a hold of Xander earlier and
wanted me to see if I could find him through you.//

"Is something wrong?" Graham held the phone a little away from his ear so
Spike and Xander, who had drawn near, could hear as well.

//I don't think so.  She just said that she wants him to come to her
house.//

Xander grabbed the phone.  "Riley, get off the line so I can call her."

Riley laughed.  //She's right here.//

There was a pause, then Buffy's voice came over the line.  //Xander?//

"Buffy, what wrong?"  There was concern bordering on panic in his voice. 
Graham took a step toward him, putting his hand on his shoulder in a
gesture of comfort.

//Nothing.  Nothing, I promise you.  I want you to come to the house as
soon as you can.//

"I'm on my way now," Xander promised.  "I'll see you in a few."  He hung
up the phone and handed it back to Graham.  "We have to go."

Spike looked slightly mutinous, but he nodded.  "Let's go, then."

Graham shook his head as he followed Xander.  This could get ugly.  Spike
still didn't like Buffy all that much, although he seemed to be growing
fonder of Willow as time passed.  He just hoped Spike kept himself under
control.  If he instigated a confrontation with Buffy, Graham and Xander
would be forced to interfere to make sure neither one of them were hurt.

An all out brawl was really going to be a mood-killer, and Graham had
plans for the rest of the night.

They made it to the Summers house quickly and Xander ran up the steps and
banged on the door.  The door was opened by a man Graham had never met. 
He recognized him from briefings, though.

"Giles!" Xander said.  "What's going on?  Is everyone all right?"  He
looked closely at the other man.  "Are *you* all right?  You look awful."

Xander was right.  Tactless, but right.  Giles looked as though he hadn't
slept for a week, the lines around his face deep, drawn.  For all that,
there was a clear light of triumph in his eyes and a sense of satisfaction
intermixed with his weariness.

The older man smiled at Xander.  "I'm fine," he said.  "Nothing is wrong. 
In fact, we have some very good news for you."  His brow furrowed. 
"Spike, what are you doing here?  And this is?"

Xander placed one hand on Spike's shoulder and the other on Graham's arm. 
"Spike's here with me, Giles.  And this is Graham.  He's a friend.  He's
been helping us."

"Graham!"  Riley's voice came from the living room.  "Xander, Spike.  Glad
you could make it, finally.  You're the last ones.  Willow and Tara beat
you, even."

Willow and Tara followed him out of the kitchen.  Willow walked over and
looked Xander over carefully, obviously checking up on him.  "We only beat
you by a few minutes," she assured them.  "And maybe now that you're here,
Giles will finally spill about what's going on."

"I'll tell," Buffy said, surprising them all as she came down the stairs. 
She looked even more tired than Giles, but she was smiling widely.  "Dawn
is healed.  Giles figured it out.  She's going to be all right."

Xander whooped even as Willow clapped and Riley ran up the stairs to
embrace Buffy.  Xander wrapped his arms around Spike in a fierce embrace,
and Graham could see Spike's face.  The vampire looked enormously
relieved, reminding Graham of comments the dark-eyed man had made about
Spike's friendship with Dawn.  Then it was his turn for a hug as Xander
released Spike and grabbed him.  Graham could feel all the pent up fear
leaving Xander in that embrace and realized how much worry for Dawn the
other man had been hiding.  This made him return the hug as tightly as he
dared, glad that Xander and Spike could both stop worrying now.

Xander released him and grabbed Willow, laughing with her before stealing
Buffy away from Riley so he could lift her off her feet.  Everyone was
celebrating, sharing hugs and joy and relief.  Graham didn't know Dawn,
but he could see how much she meant to everyone.  Even Spike, who
pretended indifference to everyone except him and Xander was looking damn
near ecstatic.  Graham knew no one else was going to hug the vampire, so
he helped himself to an armful of Spike.  He got a pinch to his ass for
his trouble, but that came with a fully honest smile from Spike, so it was
worth it.  Graham stifled a laugh as he watched Xander force Giles into a
brief hug, then turn on Tara and pick her up and swing her around.  After
that, Xander was back beside him and Spike, grinning like a madman.  "So
when can we go see Dawn?" he asked.  "It's been just about forever, it
feels like."

Back in the circle of Riley's arms, Buffy shook her head slowly, the smile
slipping off her face.  "I think we've got something to talk about first,"
she said, looking significantly from Xander over to Spike and Graham.

Graham froze.  She'd noticed the hugs, then, and wasn't going to dismiss
them to overexuberance.  Everyone in the room went silent as they waited
for an answer.  Willow's eyes were wide and she held Tara's hand tightly,
while Giles stood up straighter.

The blue-eyed man wasn't sure what to do.  They hadn't really discussed
telling anyone about the relationship; they'd had enough to worry about
just among themselves to get that far in their thinking.  He knew he
wasn't ashamed of anything:  he loved Xander and he was falling for Spike,
and that was all the explanation that he owed anyone.  He knew Spike felt
the same way.  Hell, the vampire would probably rub the others' faces in
it, just to see them squirm.

Xander glanced over at him and Graham could read the indecision in
Xander's eyes.  He knew the dark-haired man well enough to guess what he
was thinking.  Xander didn't want to upset his friends, but he was a
basically honest person so lying wouldn't sit well with him.

Graham decided to do the talking for Xander.  The other man would no doubt
yell at him for it later, but that was fine.  If he took the attention off
Xander, then he'd be the one to take the brunt of any possible abuse.  If
he could shield Xander from that, then any scolding that got him would be
well worth it.  "I'm in love with Xander," he said simply.

Buffy's gaze cut over to Xander.  "Xander?"

The dark-eyed man nodded.  "It's true, Buff.  And I'm in love with him."

Buffy blinked a couple of times, taking a few moments to absorb the 
information.  She nodded slowly.  "All right.  I'll expect details later,"
she said with a steely look at Xander, "but I can accept.  So what's the
story with Spike?"

Graham shrugged.  "He's got a great ass and I think I'm falling for him,
too."  He didn't want to have to explain things he was still figuring out
for himself.  The flippancy just sort of slipped out; continued exposure
to Xander and Spike was definitely affecting him.

Buffy stepped away from Riley, her eyes hard and her hands curled into
loose fists.  She looked pissed.  Willow took a step forward and her eyes
were *scary*, dark and determined and looking as though they could look
right through him.

Maybe being flip hadn't been the best way to go.

*****