Buffy groaned and rolled from her side onto her stomach. Riley’s arm was wrapped around her waist, and it took her a second to realize where she was and why she was hurting so much. Buffy smiled. In this case? Pain = good. Her smile practically shattered as she started coughing. Oh god, am I sick? She glanced over her shoulder at Riley’s sleeping face. Did he make me sick?

Buffy pulled the covers off of her, as well as Riley’s arm, and left the bed, searching for her underwear. She needed a glass of water, bad. Buffy grabbed one of his large sweaters and pulled it over her head. She groggily checked to make sure she’d remembered to put her underwear back on before cracking open the bedroom door.

It was two o’clock in the morning, so she didn’t figure any of the other Initiative boys would be up. She had all the important bits covered if they were. Buffy trudged down the stairs, doing her best to suppress the coughs that were making her throat itch before she reached the kitchen.

“Oh,” she said in surprise, finding Graham sitting at the kitchen table with a textbook and pages of notes scattered on top of it. She folded her arms across her chest and was grateful that the hem of the sweater at least dropped halfway down her thighs. “I didn’t know anyone was up.”

“It’s OK,” he replied, dropping his eyes back to his textbook.

Buffy silently marveled at him. She’d never understand guys like him and Oz. Sure, Angel wasn’t the most talkative guy around, but he was like two hundred years old and broody, but at least most of the time he said what he was thinking.

* * * *

Graham watched her after she’d turned to the sink to pour a glass of water. He could never understand that girl. She looked like you could knock her over with a stick but she could kick his ass, not to mention Finn’s. And he was no lightweight.

He’d seen her around before, out on his sweeps. He’d never seen anything incredibly suspicious, at least not anything that would’ve given anyone the idea that she was a slayer, or the Slayer… whatever. He’d mostly seen her walking down the street with the redhead, Willow. Odd name, but it was nice. He’d seen her once having an argument with this leather clad blond guy. They were pretty far off and not exactly within hearing range, but she wopped him one pretty good. It was strange, he looked a lot like the hostile they’d been searching for… but what would a girl like that be doing with a neutered vampire?

“So,” Buffy began awkwardly, forcing Graham to realize he’d been staring at her. “What are you studying?”

Graham looked down at his books. “Oh. Math.”

“You’re a math major?”

He shook his head. “Biology.”

Buffy grimaced. “Biology, huh?”

Graham couldn’t help but smile at the face she was making. “Not a fan?”

“How can you tell?” she replied with an embarrassed smile before taking a sip of water.

“Is it the dissecting that bothers you?”

Buffy sat across from him at the table and stared at him. That was the longest sentence she’d heard him put together. “It’s more like the proteins and cell thingies you have to memorize. I don’t know much. I haven’t taken my science credit yet.”

Graham nodded and returned his eyes to his book. It was just then that he realized that she was only wearing a sweater. Albeit a large, woman-parts covering sweater… but that was it. He couldn’t help but blush. It’s not like he’d never seen a woman naked before—or half naked, as it was—but still. Usually when he talked with girls they had more on.

“So… do you know what you’re majoring in yet?”

Buffy couldn’t help but blink in surprise. By Graham’s standards he was practically babbling. She coughed slightly before answering. “No idea. Thinking about it makes my head hurt.”

“You okay?” he asked.

Buffy smiled. “Yeah. My throat’s just a little itchy.”

Graham thumped his pencil against his notebook. “Do Slayers get sick?”

“Yeah,” she replied, a grin slowly forming on her face. “Figure I’m not human or something?”

“No,” he replied, looking away from her. He knew there was nothing wrong with noticing that your buddy’s girlfriend is cute, but right now… “Just superhuman.”

Buffy shrugged. “I guess that’s me.”

Graham was suddenly overwhelmed by curiosity. “So, you’re really strong.”

Another awkward smile. “Yeah.”

“Is that it? Supernatural strength?”

“Well, no. I heal really fast. And I don’t tire easily.”

Graham hid his face as a grin broke out. Yeah, he could hear how long it took for her to tire out.

Buffy’s eyes widened. “Uh, I mean, with all the fighting. I can run like fifty blocks and I’m… good.” Her turn to blush. “I think… I think I’m going to go back to bed.”

Graham frowned slightly in disappointment, although it wasn’t much of a change from his usual expression. The girl had been a nice, welcome distraction to integrals and limits. “Okay.”

“You should get some sleep, too,” she added as she rose from the stool.

Graham closed his math book with a sigh. “Yeah.”

Buffy offered him another awkward and somewhat confused smile before disappearing through the kitchen door. “Goodnight.”

Graham heaved another sigh and glared at his textbook. There’s no way he’d be able to concentrate on numbers tonight.