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Buffy was facing her closet. The look on her face would have sent nine tenths of the demons she encountered running for cover. "Willow, Riley's going to be here in a half hour and I've got nothing to wear." Willow raised her eyebrows and looked in Buffy's overflowing closet. "How about that little black number with the come and get it boots?" Buffy shook her head with a petulant whimper. "Well, how about the flowy grey pants with the little embroidered tank top?" Buffy threw herself onto the bed and glared into the closet.

Willow walked over to Buffy's closet and rummaged. "Here you go, perfect for your little Valentine's Day picnic." Buffy looked at the dark blue print skirt. "Teamed with that cashmere twin set, you've got the perfect outfit. Romantic, but comfortable enough to sit on a blanket. The tank top will do to start out with, and you've got the cardigan thrown over your shoulders to put on if it gets cold." Willow looked hopefully at Buffy who was beginning to smile. < If this computer programming thingie doesn't work out, the roommate gig will ensure I've got that personal shopper thing down pat. > She was rewarded as Buffy jumped up and ran to her dresser, extricating some seriously shocking underwear, navy blue and filmy. As Buffy stripped and began dressing from the inside out, Willow sat back down on her bed.

"So, does the fact you're breaking out the serious underwear mean anything?" Willow asked with a mocking little smile on her face. She knew that Buffy had been more than a little frustrated by Riley's steadfast determination not to rush her. "Its Valentine's Day. Romantic picnic, starry skies. Riley's going to stop holding out on me *tonight*!" Buffy had a determined look on her face, which coupled with the naughty undies boded serious danger for Riley. Willow clapped her hands in glee.

Buffy swung her hair into a perfect twist and checked her makeup. As she finished packing her bag, < Toothbrush, check. Hairbrush, check. Stake, check. > Riley knocked on the door. Willow opened the door, beckoning Riley in. Buffy grinned evilly to herself as she watched the appreciation flicker in his eyes, "Riley, I'm ready if you are," with a meaningful look. < Way to *work* the double entendre! >

Buffy hugged Willow goodbye, "Don't wait up." and she and Riley were walking out the dorm to his big old clunker, which he'd rescued from the parking lot, the whole way across campus. Riley walked around to open her car door, taking the opportunity to do "the gentleman thing" that Buffy had so often teased him about. He was startled by Buffy's peals of laughter.

Swinging into the car, Riley gave Buffy a questioning glance. "Since when do you have a bunny co-pilot?" Buffy giggled as she picked up the plush rabbit which sat comfortably on Riley's dashboard. "Oh that," Riley colored a little bit. "I was authorized to tell my family about the Initiative over Christmas break, and I'm afraid my little sister, Karen, was a little traumatized by the thought of her brother fighting demons and vampires. She sent me back with Robyn the bunny."

Buffy still looked a little confused, although she was smiling at the sweetness of the gesture. Riley hastened to explain. "See, Karen began to have those typical little kid nightmares, and my parents bought her the rabbit and told her it was a magical bunny, which would protect her from all monsters. She decided I needed Robyn more than she did." Riley looked over at Buffy, expecting to see her laughing at him, and was surprised to see the sheen of tears in her eyes. "That is so sweet," Buffy exclaimed as she reached over to hug Riley.

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Buffy and Riley lounged on the extra large blanket that the remains of their feast was spread on. Buffy leaned back and looked at the starry sky. She was surprised by Riley's hand caressing the curve of her cheek. "You are so beautiful, " Riley spoke, cloaking the line in a tenderness that imbued it with all the poetry that he couldn't seem to find the words to express. Riley fed Buffy one of the dark chocolate Godiva truffles that he had brought for her, and leaned down to kiss her, tasting the rich flavor of the chocolate mixed with the sweetness that was Buffy alone.

Buffy snuggled up against Riley, losing herself in this magical moment. Riley felt her flesh pebble with goosebumps as he slid his hand under her flimsy shirt. Her hands joined in the exploration, sliding up under his shirt, tracing his boxers. Buffy smiled into the kiss, as one of Riley's hands tentatively brushed along the swell of her breast. The abrupt cessation of both the kiss and the caress made Buffy's eyes pop open.

When she saw Riley scooping up the leftovers into the picnic basket, she lost it. Riley found himself flipped onto his back, with a very angry, yet very sexy looking Slayer kneeling on his chest, without realizing how exactly he got there. "You, my cute little commando, have teased me for the last time." Buffy declared with real force in her tone. Riley threw his hands up in the air. "Not teasing, I promise. I don't think I could resist you tonight, even if I wanted to." "Its just, I thought maybe we could go back to my room? It is night, and while I'd love to watch you Slaying in the nude, I plan to tire you out so thoroughly that you won't have the energy to kill a fly, let alone a vampire. Thus, open air, is not exactly the best choice of setting."

Buffy slowly released the, Riley and scrambled to her feet, reaching down a hand to help him up. The two gathered up the picnic remains in record time and walked back to the car. When Riley walked back to the trunk to throw the blanket in, however, he noticed the flat tire on the rear of the car. "God *dammit* that's the second flat in three days." Slowly, the realization that he had used the spare earlier that week and they were now stranded sank into his brain.

Riley slumped against the car, muttering words that he tried valiently never to say aloud, much less in front of his girlfriend. Buffy walked over, with a curious look on her face, saw the tire and sighed. Riley pulled out his cellphone and dialed Graham's dorm room. "Graham, its me." Riley bit out. "I'm stranded out about ten miles off campus with a flat and no spare. Can you come pick us up?" He nodded into the phone and began giving directions.

Riley and Buffy sat in the car, cloaked in silence. Buffy looked over at Riley, and saw him shaking his head. "Riley, its okay, no big. We'll be back in no time." Riley looked over, expecting to see irritation or annoyance on Buffy's face and was surprised by the heated look he saw in Buffy's eyes. He closed his eyes. Riley's eyes popped open as Buffy's voice breathed into his ear, "Can't you think of a way to entertain me until Graham gets here?" and he felt her kiss his earlobe as her breasts pushed purposefully against his arm.

Riley turned to Buffy, the frustration of the past month and a half, combined with the exasperation of the flat tire combining to make him lose his perfect, rigid control. He claimed her mouth in a fast, devasting kiss, unlike any that Buffy had ever experienced. Gone was the gentle, restrained Riley. Here was his apparent evil twin, awakening sensations within Buffy's body that no one else ever had. Buffy felt his firm, sure hands awakening every nerve ending in her body, and from there, she felt as though she left conscious reality, subsisting in a tactile world of only sensation with snapshot glimpses of what was happening.

*Flash*, and Buffy was topless, his hands and lips doing things that made her shiver. *Flash*, and her breasts were crushed against Riley's bare chest, while he divested her of her skirt. *Flash* and he was kneeling between her legs, murmuring "Now I understand the meaning of 'I feel so funny deep inside when I lick between your thighs.'" *Flash* and Buffy was pulling down Riley's trousers, positive that she would die of pleasure. *Flash* and they were entwined together, a perfect fit.

Buffy and Riley lay together in a sweaty, exhausted heap on the front seat of his car, reality slowing draining back into their minds when suddenly they heard a voice. "Riley?" and saw a startled face peering into the window. "Oh *shit*" uttered Graham, with real feeling. "Look, I'm going back to my car. Come get me when you're ready." They heard Graham's footsteps walking away.

Buffy and Riley looked at each other in horror. Riley and Buffy hurriedly scrambled into their clothes and walked out to get Graham, with matching red faces. Graham stepped out of his car, not looking into either face. "Look, it never happened, okay? I saw *nothing*." Riley and Buffy began laughing, as the absurdity of the situation sunk in, and finally Graham joined in. Riley shook his head. "Lets just get this tire changed. Thanks for the rescue, man."

Buffy sat by the side of the road, curled up inside her memories. The tire change was fairly uneventful, and soon Graham was speeding, thankfully, back toward UC-Sunnydale. Riley and Buffy climbed, awkwardly, back into the front seat.

Riley looked at Buffy. "I am so *so* sorry. I wanted our first time to be candlelight and roses. I don't blame you if you're mad." He was looking down at the steering wheel, so he was caught off guard as Buffy whacked him fairly hard in the arm. "How *dare* you apologize? Its about time you stopped treating me as if I were going to break in half!" Riley looked at Buffy, hopefully, and smiled, surprised, at the depths of desire he saw in Buffy's eyes. "You're not mad?" "More like, a little embarrassed, and sincerely hoping you're still going to take me back to your dorm room. We can try for soft and slow the next time," with a soft hand carefully stroking Riley's thigh.

Riley smiled. "I think that can be arranged," and he leaned over and kissed Buffy, lightly yet meaningfully. The car started and Riley floored it, as they headed toward campus. Riley heard Buffy begin laughing. "What?" Riley looked concerned. "Something tells me that *wasn't* what you meant when you said 'You can have the best time in a car'." Buffy laughed as Riley reached over and took her hand and they sped toward UC-Sunnydale at full speed.

~the end~

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