A/N: Yes, Riley is in this story, but even if you don't like him please keep reading! I always thought he could've been a great character, but the writers seemed to have it in for him! So in this story, I've tried to make him more like the Riley I wanted to see on the show. Thanks for sticking with me, and please review if you're enjoying it :o)

…

Buffy and Riley walked along the path to Xander's place, hands clasped together. In her free hand Buffy carried a history textbook, and Riley held a bagful of snack food.

'Looking forward to tonight?' Riley asked, glancing down at her.

'Sure am,' Buffy said, a little too brightly. She caught Riley's look and smiled. 'Well, mostly…it's just, Anya's almost psychotically insistent about us doing coupley stuff with her and Xander, and it makes it feel…sorta pressured, y'know?'

'I know what you mean,' Riley said, brushing his thumb across her knuckles. 'And she does tend to tell us too much about their personal life – I almost expect her to ask us if we want to…y'know…join in with them.'

Buffy's nose wrinkled as a Technicolor vision swam into her mind. 'Aw, did you haveta?' she mock-grouched, nudging him with her elbow.

'Sorry,' Riley chuckled. 'Pretend I didn't say that.'

'Sure, maybe after several years of intensive therapy…'

They reached the steps and paused, looking at each other.

'Ready, soldier?' Riley asked.

'Aye aye, cap'n,' Buffy replied, then winced. 'Oops – not very Army-like, huh?'

'I forgive you,' Riley said, leaning in to kiss her on top of her head.

Buffy leaned in to him for a moment, reflecting on how nice his eyes were when they got that fond, crinkle-round-the-edges look to them.

'Okay, let's do it,' Buffy said, knocking.

After a minute – a long minute, in which Buffy's racing imagination decided nobody was home, and she'd better take Riley home and make with the smoochies instead – the door opened to reveal a grinning Xander.

'Hey guys,' he said cheerfully. 'C'mon in – mi basement es su basement!'

'Thanks,' Buffy smiled, stepping inside. 'I hope you don't mind that I brought some work with me, I just really want to keep up this semester.'

'Buffy brings culture, I bring processed snack food,' Riley said, handing the bag to Xander.

'Ooh, Cheetos!' Xander beamed.

'Hey Anya,' Buffy greeted her, noticing her standing by the sofa. 'Oh, what happened to your arm?'

Anya scowled, glancing down at the sling she wore on her right arm. 'I was trying to hang some fairy lights to make this place a little less dank and unwelcoming - ' she gestured with her chin and Buffy looked up to see a pitiful string of lights hanging haphazardly from the ceiling ' – when the stupid stepladder collapsed because nobody was holding it.' She glared at Xander accusingly.

'Ouch,' Buffy winced, sympathetic. 'Is it bad?'

'It sure is - I didn't get to finish and Xander's basement still looks like a place that goblins would turn up their noses at.'

'She meant the dislocated shoulder, Ahn - and again, I'm sorry I wasn't here to help. If I'd known you were going to be hanging lights, I would've called in sick,' Xander said acidly, clearly peeved.

Buffy glanced at Riley, who shifted uncomfortably. There was an awkward little moment, then Xander rallied with, 'So, coats off, movies on!'

'Great,' Buffy said, handing over her jacket. 'What're we watching?'

'Boy, have I got an evening of audio-visual delight lined up for you!' Xander said enthusiastically. 'A selection of Hong Kong cinema's finest, starting with 'Tiger on the Beat' and finishing on a high with 'Enter the Dragon'!'

'What?' Anya said, scowling even more. 'I told you to get something romantic and sentimental! Do we not have enough mindless violence in our lives?'

'I don't know about you, but I always find badly dubbed kung fu very romantic,' Riley said hastily, glancing at Buffy.

'Oh! Me too,' she said quickly. 'I mean, all those exotic locations and…muscley men walking around without shirts on…'

'Really?' Anya asked, brightening a little. 'There are muscular men without shirts?'

'Oh yeah, hundreds,' Buffy assured her.

'Alright then,' Anya relented. 'Go ahead.'

Xander mouthed a silent 'thank you' to Riley and Buffy, turning on the TV.

'You want the couch?' Riley asked Buffy.

'Nah, you take it,' Buffy said. 'I kinda like snuggling up on the floor.'

'Sure? Okay,' Riley said, taking a seat. 'How's about I throw in a shoulder rub to make it even snugglier?'

'Yes please,' Buffy said in a cute-little-girl voice, smiling.

The film started with a tinny blare of trumpets, and Buffy opened her textbook. She couldn't believe how much she was getting into the studying lately – with Riley's help, patrolling didn't take as long these days, and she was seeing the benefit of the extra book time in her college work.

For a while the four of them munched in companionable silence, Buffy glancing up every now and then until some unrealistic fight scene sent her back to the book, head shaking. Then, a little after ten, a door slammed upstairs.

'Ah, I guess the folks are back,' Xander said, shuffling in his seat.

Muffled voices filtered through the ceiling. They weren't loud enough to make out the words, but the tone was definitely hostile.

'No, no, I was wrong,' Xander said with an uncomfortable grin. 'Just incompetent burglars.'

'You need to get a new place,' Anya said, stroking his leg comfortingly. 'Somewhere pretty, and clean, that doesn't smell of animal urine.'

Xander opened his mouth to reply, then shut it again with a sad little look on his face. Anya, facing away from him, didn't notice.

'Xander, I was thinking,' Riley said, 'how about you and me go out and shoot some pool sometime?'

'Yeah? Just us?' Xander asked, endearingly eager. 'No girls or musty old books or half-man, half-demon killing machines bent on destroying us all?'

'That was the idea,' Riley chuckled.

'Count me in,' Xander smiled, looking touched.

There was another crash from upstairs and the yelling voices were back. This time they were louder, and the odd unpleasant word seeped through the ceiling.

'Hey, Buffy, don't you have an early class tomorrow?' Riley said, leaning forwards.

'Huh?' Buffy said absently, lifting her nose from her history book. 'Early class? What - ' She looked up at Riley, then at Xander; his jaw was clenched and he was staring at the screen unseeingly, trying to ignore the mini war going on above their heads.

'Oh, yeah, that early class,' Buffy said, catching on. 'So we should probably go – but thanks, Xand, for having us over.'

'Sure,' he replied with a wry smile. 'And next time you slay a vampire, can you ask him first if he's leaving behind a cosy little hovel that I could…hey, here's a pleasing two-bird-one-stone idea,' he said, waving his hands excitedly. 'Couldya stake Spike so I can have his crypt?'

Buffy laughed. 'Now that idea is almost too tempting…'

…

Spike threw aside his cigarette butt irritatedly, watching the glowing tip arc and disappear.

'Where's all the bad guys around here?' he called to the silent graveyard. 'Come on, boys and girls, isn't anybody out there keen to get murdered this evening?'

'Spike?' said a girlish voice behind him.

Spike turned slowly, a grin creeping onto his face. 'Well now, if it isn't little Harmony.' He took in her tight-fitting outfit in one sweep of his lashes, smirking as she preened under his gaze. 'Heard you were back in town.'

'You did?' Harmony asked, pleased.

'I did,' Spike said. 'So what exactly are you doin' here?'

'Well, I did have my own gang, and we totally called out the Slayer, but…well, I had some personnel issues so I'm recruiting some new minions.'

Spike smiled. 'Personnel issues? You mean the bitch took out the last sorry lot.'

'Yeah…I mean, hey! You always do that, always put me down.' She lifted her head, eyes gleaming with feminine pride. 'But not any more, Spikey – I won't let your words define me ever again.'

'Good for you,' Spike said, amused. 'So tell me, pet, what will you and your band of merry minions be doin', exactly?'

'We're going to kill the Slayer,' Harmony said proudly. 'And this time, I'll be totally ready for her.' Her eyes took on an appraising gleam. 'Say, Spikey, I don't suppose you wanna be in my gang? I mean, I know you're all handicapped these days - ' she broke off at the scowl on his face, and hastily added, 'but you're still, like, a total bad-ass…and, y'know, strategy was never my strong suit, so maybe you could help out with that part…?'

'Let's get this straight,' Spike said, straightening his spine. 'You want me, master vampire, one-time ruler of this sorry little berg, to be one of your minions?'

'Umm….yeah?'

Spike took a step closer, nose inches from Harmony's, gratified by her shivering reaction to his closeness. 'Harmony?' he said, voice low and throaty.

'Spike?' she squeaked, pretending she wasn't desperate for him to touch her.

'Sod off,' Spike said, slow and clear. And then he was striding away, the breeze from his leather duster stirring her long skirt. 'I'm nobody's lackey, got it?' he called over his shoulder, never looking back.

'Oh yeah?' Harmony shouted back, flustered and annoyed. 'Well, just you wait, mister! One day I'll rule this town, and then you'll be sorry!'