#Just finished his myth an i need something sweet or I'm going to cry. | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

flowerbunbunny · 5 years ago

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Montrum, Monster's journey chapter 1

The shoreline is peaceful as the man tosses out his line, waiting for the fish to take the bait. He looks around nervously. His other companion scoffs at him. "What, haven't you heard the stories? Boats going missing, chunks of them appearing days later with scratches and bite marks... no survivors..." he trails off watching the water.

The younger companion shakes his head at the seasoned sailor, concerned. "Next you'll be telling me that those rumors of mermaids are rea- hey!" he yells out looking over the boat causing the other man to jump in surprise. The group looks over somewhat shaken by the stories, though they sigh in relief after seeing what appears to be a girl swimming in the water. "Come on then, she's too far away from shore to be swimming." They row over, growing concerned as they see some driftwood and hear the sweet voice calling out for help reaching towards them from the waters.

They finally get close enough to make out a face, the younger man blushing at the clearly naked woman with vivid red orange hair and large blue bloodshot eyes, puffy from crying. "P-please... help..." she cries out softly as the younger man grabs her hand, grunting in surprise at her grip.

"Just hold on, alright..." he almost tips over but his other companions grab him, hauling the shaking girl up. The older sailor hands her a towel. She goes limp clinging to the towel around her as the younger man tries to comfort her, not noticing the small vial in her hand.

"S-shipwreck... strange creatures..tried to.. I lost my clothes." she stammers embarrassed by that, a blush staining her cheeks. The younger man feels bad for her and helps wrap her up in the towel, pulling her up next to him as the others watch.

"Strange creatures you say...so the stories are true. Mermaids!" the older man frowns. The others glance around seeing bite marks in the driftwood getting a little nervous. The once calm water now seems eerie. "Alright men, let's regroup with the others and help this little lady back to the shore." He smiles at her. She nods, as the vial in her hand starts to drip onto the floor of the boat.

They row back, regrouping with the other two boats, the girl looks around seemingly nervous as if she is inspecting the boats and men. The young sailor pats her shoulder as she shudders starting to cry almost melodically again. The man remains unaware of the liquid leaking out of the vial and onto the fishing boat.

"Sorry.... I shouldn't be so upset...but it was so terrifying..." she stammers, her shaking hands causing the towel to drop slightly. The sailor blushes from this, feeling compelled to comfort her. He hugs her gently just as he feels water pooling around his boots. The other men notice this and look down in confusion.

"Um...what the hell is this?" asks one of the sailors, the rest look over at the pool of acid leaking from the vial. The sailor holds the girl closer, his face flushed. She nuzzles into his chest and practically sits in his lap.

"You mean the highly corrosive acid giving your boat a leak in mermaid territory that you are currently fishing from?" the girl says hiding a grin and shrugs as the men look at her. shocked. "No idea."

"Wait a second...shit throw her overboard!" the old fisherman yells, but the younger man holds her tightly against him. "N-no...why?" he asks looking into her eyes as she cups his cheek, her fangs showing in her smile. The man notices the fangs, though the panic fades quickly as she kisses his cheek, melting away into bliss.

"Please.. Stay with me? Let me take good care of you..." she asks softly. He feels himself nodding completely lost in her eyes. The other men watch in confusion, trying to bail the water out of the ship but failing.

"Snap out of it man, that's one of them!" the seasoned sailor yells, fed up with it all and grabbing a harpoon ready to throw it at her. She giggles and starts to sing softly, causing most of the men on board to stop and listen, shifting uncomfortably in their seats as the man holding her tighten his grip. Other voices join the girl increasing the power of the song. The man leans into her.

"I can save you from them...will you be mine?" she asks as the boat slowly sinks. The older man grits his teeth as his hold on the harpoon slips. "No...I won't let you!" he yells using the last of his willpower to throw the harpoon, lodging it deep into the young sailor's back.

Bipsy flinches a little, watching with wide eyes as the young sailor she was seducing takes a harpoon for her, slowing dying in front of her. As the fresh blood runs down his back mixing with the water, all hell breaks loose. Mermaids appear from all sides of the three boats, especially the sinking one, to claim their victims. The sailors panic, and get dragged underwater Some frantically grab harpoons in an attempt to fight back, but it's all hopeless. The young mermaid on board is still frozen in shock. Though she snaps out of it after hearing a sharp whistle. She scrambles to the water. Just as she gets close, a hand grabs her leg causing her to stumble and fall.

"Not a step closer...monster..." The seasoned sailor glares at her, some blood is running down his arm from a bite mark.

Bipsy growls and yanks her leg up, biting his hand hard. "I'm not a monster, you are! Starving my people and invading our home!" she yells angrily.

"Your people are myths... we need to survive to- " he screams in pain as he gets dragged down by another mermaid. She shudders at this as another sharp whistle pierces the air, her cue to get moving. She gracefully dives off the boat showing her true form, a blue tail taking the place of her legs as she swims quickly to the next boat with another vial mumbling to herself. "First mission, don't get in trouble, don't get distracted..." she uses her powerful tail to dive up and over the next boat, which was already being attacked by other mermaids. She smashes the second vial of acid onto the floor. The mermaids swarm the terrified sailors, while she swims away ignoring the carnage, finishing her task by simply tossing the next vial.

It doesn't take long before there are no survivors, just the acid ridden boats. Even though it is her first mission, she remembers others boasting of how they would destroy small fleets of fishing boats in the blink of an eye. But something feels wrong to her as she relaxes back in the water swimming around the corpses to check for wounded merpeople. There is no excitement from her first successful luring, no thrill that another man would willingly sacrifice himself for her. That thought even causes her to shudder feeling almost nauseous as she follows the others back down to their home.

The warm water feels good but does little to ease her distress as they swim deeper, through the tall patches of seaweed emerging to a large clearing. Bright coral surrounds the area and various species of intelligent and colorful fish swim next to their merperson. Stone structures that have been standing for centuries lay around the ground along with houses built into the coral. But as she swims, she is once again struck by the emptiness of her once thriving home. Many structures are abandoned, the once great buildings filled with food and merfolk are empty, and the merpeople that swim by look sick and bony. The few children out of their homes swim slowly searching for food, some frighteningly skinny. She sighs sadly after seeing what humans have done to her home, and her once great people. She breaks away from the school to head to one of the ancient buildings on the seafloor, illuminated by various plants growing on the wall. Bipsy enters a large room with various pillows of seaweed on the blocks of dead coral. She enters bowing her head to the four elderly merpeople seated. She gives her report.

"I was able to seduce and distract the men like I was told, though it was a little odd. Sirs...the man I seduced, he took a harpoon for me... and none of them seemed to realize that merpeople are real and right here! What if they don't realize what they are doing to us?" she asks curiously.

The elders are pleased with the success of the mission, though somewhat exasperated by her questions. "Little Bipsy... this man as all men do, simply wanted to use you for what you have been blessed with, the perfect tool for us." one of the elders states, as if this is obvious.

Bipsy flinches a little, disliking being referred to as a tool. "And...the fact that they don't think we are real?"

"Silly child, they all know, they fear us so they pretend as if we do not exist." he continues. The others nod proudly, continuing to discuss the greater question of what to do about the famine. "Little Bipsy, you have shown much promise in the selection process even if you are almost... painfully curious. Well, you are dismissed." he waves his hand, as she leaves the chamber..

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The soldiers have been out at sea for at least a day now. They were crossing enemy territory, but most of them were confident enough that they would end up surviving this mission. For one, the North supplied them with ample amounts of weapons, and allowed them to travel with five military grade ships.

"No sign of the enemy, sir.", said a soldier looking through a spyglass. They were watching for ships that weren't raising the right colors. The captain looked pleased, "Good, we should reach land by tomorrow." The captain was a veteran, he was recently commended for the skill he had shown during a hard fought battle with the Eastern Empire over one of their ports. The East ended up having to retreat and surrender one of the few ports they have. The captain thinks on what he will be rewarded with for this next great victory as he goes below deck.

The captain opened the door leading to a room. Inside, a man was sitting down, his face hidden from view by a silver mask. The room was just an ordinary room, except it was isolated from the rest of the sleeping quarters. The man looked up to see the captain's face, his expression hidden.

"We'll reach land in a few hours,'' said the captain, "I suspect the South would be guarding their ports heavily."

The man said nothing, only looking at the captain. The captain thought this soldier the North sent him was a bit odd, but at least he didn't answer back.

"Anyway, if you prove your worth, maybe I'll assign you as my personal bodyguard." The man said nothing still. After some awkward silence, the captain got the hint and left the man alone. A few moments after the captain left, the man pulled out a knife hidden under his sleeve looking at it and inspecting it, proceeding to make sure it is sharp and ready.

The man was their so called "trump card" but the crewmen didn't know why this bizarre, and seemingly awkward man would "bring them to victory".

The five ships continued sailing. The sea was calm and quiet save for the sound of a few birds flying above. It would be nightfall when they would get sight of land.

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Underwater, the young mermaid swims excitedly to one of the smaller huts along the corals, with a garden of flowers and reeds growing behind it. A full fledged adult mermaid is tending to the flowers, humming a lullaby when her ear twitches a little. "Bipsy is that you?" she calls out. She is answered by Bipsy hugging her tightly from behind and snuggling into her.

"I did it teacher, I helped stop the boats so you can eat! Look Coral!" she says excitedly, holding up two meager fish. "I was able to grab them for you, because I did a good job."

She chuckles turning around and patting her excited student's head gently. "Good job, I knew I didn't make a mistake picking you...even if this has nothing to do with healing."

"I know...but that's how I learned to develop the acid I made on my own for this, which worked perfectly by the way!" she says giggling happily while moving to help tend to the flowers with her mentor. "Coral... there was something I found to be a little odd... I didn't feel good like my sisters did on their first mission, or anyone else for that matter. It was just sad to me that someone died for me and I let them. And the fact that they didn't even seem to know we exist. How can we attack them for invading or stealing our food if they don't know we are here?"

She sighs seeming a little hesitant. "Bipsy... you've always had trouble with hurting others, you are an excellent scout and lure beautifully, but there is a reason you are with me learning to heal others. So don't let it bother you too much my little pacifist." she says smiling a little, inwardly feeling bad for someone with such a strong attitude towards violence living in this time.

"How about you go collect some of the flowers off down the current, where you can almost see the shore, I know you love that." she smiles softly. The young mermaid squeals in excitement. She grabs a bag containing some shells and squid ink to write with just in case. "And take your finder fish too!" she yells after her, shaking her head as her student rushes off.

Bipsy whistles gently, and a small blue fish darts up to her. Its long body is clearly built for speed. It swims around her whistling and clicking a greeting. "Hello to you too, ready to go to the far reef?" she says petting its spine and it spins, using its echolocation to get a fix on the direction and swimming off.

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As the young mermaid swims along with her fish, she sees a strange sight, large boats sailing right above her heading for her home. She resurfaces, and notices the ships are flying the red, white, and black flag of the Northern Empire. She makes her way towards one of the ships, climbing up the outer metal frame that protects the ship. She grabs some seashells and a pen from her bag and starts to take notes treating it as an unexpected scouting mission. She notes how there are probably hundreds of men on board the ships, how the metal structure seems to make the ships more resistant to damage, and how her acid barely seems to cause a dent on the metal.

She frowns and clambers up the frame some more. The ship has little windows on it from which she can peek through. She notes how the crew seem to be armed and ready for something. She overhears two of them talking.

"You think the South Will attack us?"

"Probably, though Cap'n says we shouldn't worry too much, we have a trump card with us."

"What, that weird masked man who locks himself in his room? Oh please, what's he gonna do?"

Bipsy wonders to herself who they are talking about and shrugs "Well I've gone this far..." she says softly to herself. Ever inquisitive, she continues clambering to the side, careful not to make too much sound. She ends up near the stern of the ship, where she sees two men. One of them is wearing a silver mask, and the other seems to be a naval officer of sorts.

She watches them for a while, until she hears the masked man say, "Something's not right, we're being watched." She freezes up. Her ears twitch nervously, hoping he isn't talking about her. The man approaches the window. She gets nervous, diving back down and calling her finder fish.

Bipsy isn't alone though. Something else is watching from the sky.

#mermaid #assassins #romance #action #adventure #original worlds #original series #original story #original character

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shellelynfandom-blog · 7 years ago

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Rileyisms: Part Two

"I'm full." Riley leans back against the couch and sighs.

I look over at him and could swear his stomach grew three sizes in one night. "Are you sure about that?"

He gives me this 'Are you kidding me' kinda look and I realize 'Okay, he's done.'

"Time for bed?" I ask, standing up, gathering some trash as I go.

"I'm not sure. Didn't you hear what is coming on next?" He points to the TV with determination in his eyes.

"Sorry. I was too distracted by your stomach."

He laughs, and so do I.

"It's a special about Area 51 and Roswell. We gotta see this!"

I sit back down next to him and he drapes his arm around my shoulders. I guess I sorta knew why. Area 51 has always been our thing. Ben and Abigail Gates wouldn't take the time to really listen to Riley and I about our assumptions of Area 51. So, it made perfect sense he'd want to stay up even later to watch this show. And really, so did I – because during the commercial breaks it made me remember the time when Riley and I had our own little adventure in the Nevada desert.

It was meant to be a little vacation for us and Ben and Abi. We had spent the day by the pool, walking around various casinos, and taking in the sights of the Las Vegas Strip. When we stopped for an early dinner, Riley struck up the inevitable conversation of Area 51.

"You know, we're probably not too far from Area 51. I wanna try and find it."

Benjamin Gates rolled his eyes, "Riley, we've been over this. Even if you could get a great car with four-wheel drive and somehow manage to drive through an endless desert with no marked roads and suddenly come across what you think is THE Area 51, you'd be shot by law enforcement long before you even THOUGHT about crossing that fence."

Riley wasn't letting up, "Yeah. That's what you would assume. But, my tracking models on my computer will no doubt find me a covert way in."

I sat and listened with heightened interest. Riley's book was full of evidence of the secret base's existence. I don't remember doubting him for one second as he continued on explaining to Ben the possibilities of finding a way in.

Sure, the odds of actually finding the base were slim. I mean, who could drive on that kind of rugged terrain without getting caught by someone or some…thing. Like a cactus.

"We could go tonight!" Riley exclaimed.

"Abigail and I have a little thing to go to. But Riley, by all means…you can go."

I looked at his face, he seemed quite letdown. "I'll go." I whispered, to which I received a bright smile.

Later that night, while Ben and Abi were gone Riley and I made preparations to go. We packed food, bedding (in case we got lost), our laptops, and miscellaneous gadgets that Riley swore we needed.

The drive through the desert was hot and never-ending. But, I didn't mind…I was with Riley. This was our element, and I knew we had to find SOMETHING in order for his night to have been "worthwhile." Our truck seemed to handle the terrain well, though it was bumpy and on more than one occasion I slammed my head into the ceiling. Riley was relentless… so we kept driving, and driving… and driving. I kept an eye on the tracking models, but it seems like the farther we got from the highway… the more… lost… we became. Lost? That thought had never entered my mind until I saw this kinda nervous look on Riley's face. "So…" He began. Great, here it comes.

Before he could speak the truck seemed to leap into the air and land with a hard thump. We were at a complete standstill.

"What did we hit?" Riley exclaimed, shutting off the engine and grabbing his flashlight. He hopped out and began to survey the scene. "We hit a flippin' cacti."

"Cactus, you mean?" I corrected. "Cacti is plural."

He just stared at me blankly, "Kate, I know you got a minor in English. But, please. Now is not the time. This is a rental truck!"

I smiled and then said, "I'm sorry. I'm coming." I hopped out of the truck; we didn't cause much damage, except the front was a little scratched up.

Riley sighed. "I'm a dead man."

"No, you're not. It's just a scratch. We can cover that." I tried to console him, but he wasn't easily convinced.

"Maybe if I had more than one percent."

"Riley," I laughed, "It's okay." I walked around the front of the truck and wrapped my arms around him. "No worries, mmkay?"

"Yeah. Well, what are we gonna do now? We're LOST!" He said it, finally.

"You're tracking modules…..?"

"Yeah, they aren't really workin right."

I sighed, "Okay. Look… it's dark out here. We can't get our bearings. I say we just camp for the night and we'll start with the sunrise."

He shrugged, "Yeah alright. But I'm not sleepin on the ground. Have you noticed the freaky critters everywhere?"

Luckily, the truck we rented had a pretty good sized bed in the back. And, being the smart guy Riley was he had remembered to bring a big ole air mattress. After pumping that up, and piling a lot of blankets on top we climbed into our home for the night.

"There is one good thing about being in the middle of nowhere." I said, trying to find a comfortable spot on the lumpy "bed".

"What's that?"

"The stars, Riley. Look at them!"

He leaned back, "Yeah. Wow. They sure are." He continued, "I'm just really kinda ticked about not finding what we were looking for."

"Trust me Riley, we'll find it someday. We'll keep looking."

He smiled over at me and began to rummage through his bag until he pulled out his book. I rolled my eyes and laughed, "Gonna tell me a bedtime story?"

"Yeah. C'mere." He pulled me toward him, wrapping his arms around me from behind, and I gladly leaned back into his embrace.

He began to talk in a very serious toned British accent, "Ello my dear, today we are reading from the lovely book, "The Templar Treasure and Other Myths That Are True." "This is an amazing epic, which will go down in history forever," He scoffed and pulled me in tighter and then continued on with his commentary, "Chapter 10: Area 51 and Roswell." He continued on with the story, pausing to laugh when he'd mess up the accent.

After his reading was finished, he set the book down and held me close. I was shocked by his affection. It was very rare he was this way with me; I wasn't "his girl" or anything… right? Maybe it was just the fear of the dark? Or was he cold? How can you be cold in a desert?

I sighed, just enjoying the warmth of being next to him. We both looked up in the sky and he whispered into my ear, "Watch for UFO's okay?"

Somewhere between 3 and 5 in the morning, I drifted off to sleep. But, not before we had seen several strange objects darting around the sky. This seemed to satisfy him enough, and I think he must have fallen asleep too, his head resting on mine. I can't be sure, but I think I felt him kiss the top of my head… or maybe that was just a dream.

The show is near over. Riley turns to me with a really happy, content smile on his face and I can't help but just want to squeeze him tight. Yet, like I said… it is a rare moment for that to happen, and I don't want to push it. I smile back and tuck my hair behind my ear, looking towards the screen. He's still looking at me, I can feel it. It kinda… scares me. Or makes me nervous. Or something.

And then, I feel his hand slowly sliding into mine… it literally sends a shiver through me… I didn't expect it at all. I entwine my fingers with his. The show comes back on and his attention is immediately on the television. Yet, I sit there… a small smirk on my face. I look down at our hands clasped together and it makes me want to… cry. It's so sweet and innocent. So, Rileyistic.

I study his hand. For some reason, I can't help but look at every detail… and I adore the way his thumb rubs my finger… up and down. So soft. I love his hands. I've always been mesmerized with the way they fly over the keys on his laptop. Mmm… I adore him. All this, and I'm not even "his girl." Strange.

"What do you say we step outside and get some air before going to bed?" Riley yawned and stretched his arms above his head. I looked at my watch. 2am. "Sure." The show had just ended, and my hand feels cold now he has let it go. I secretly feel sad about it… but I can't tell him. I watch as he goes over to the coat rack. He pulls a black hoodie over his head. I grab my corduroy jacket and without saying a word to one another we walk out onto his front steps. He breathes in the night air. It probably feels good considering all the food he has eaten. His stomach needs to breathe. I find myself giggling. Funny, this is the first time in awhile that he doesn't have his laptop with him. I try and choose my words carefully… I'm not really sure how to act, and that is a strange feeling.

"Beautiful night." He says, looking up towards the sky.

"Mmm. It sure is."

"Wasn't that a great show? I swear… we were so close that time in Nevada. Ugh. It just frustrates me…"

I sit down on the steps, and soon he plops down next to me. "Whatcha thinkin'?" He asks, a smile on his lips.

"I was just… I wasn't."

"You were."

"Nah."

Riley laughs and looks straight ahead, probably staring at his Ferrari. I stuff my hands into my jacket pockets, realizing how truly cold they are.

"You know…" He begins, "I don't know if I ever told you this… but I really appreciate the time you take to listen to me."

I shrug, "I'm just glad you let me hang around you. I've learned a lot from you, I really have." I slide one of my hands out of my pocket, and begin to play with a string that is hanging off my shirt.

I can feel him watching me, and I'm nervous. I start to fidget a bit. I pick up a little twig and begin to play with it.

"Kate…"

"Hmm?" I don't look up into his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

And then I realize I have to tell him. It's been a secret, but I don't want to hold it in any longer. I'm just scared of how he'll react.

I look up into his eyes, "I'm… I… Riley… I've been writing a book… and I had a meeting yesterday with a publishing company, and they're really interested."

His eyes get big and curious, and I can't breathe until I hear him say, "That's great!"

"Wai…what?" I thought he'd be upset. I pictured him getting angry… because I was "stealing his ideas" or something.

"No, no… Kate! That's wonderful. It's always been a dream of yours. What's it about?" Riley asks, getting closer to me, a passion in his eyes.

"It's about some conspiracies, the City of Gold… I… just some ideas I came up with."

"Oh… Hmm…" Yup, there it was. My heart sunk into my stomach. I knew he'd be upset.

"I've been meaning to tell you… I…" I can't seem to form proper sentences anymore. I have so many emotions running through me. I want him to hug me. Congratulate me. Something.

He bites his bottom lip, and I feel like crying. Say something, Riley!

"Well… maybe…you'll have better luck than I did." He stands up and stuffs his hands into his back pockets. A tear slides down my cheek. Who would have thought that less than 15 minutes ago he was holding my hand and smiling at me? I shouldn't have told him, but what was I supposed to do? I can't lie to Riley. When there is something wrong, he sees through me. Maybe he has X-Ray glasses or something that can peer into my soul. I shuddered.

I stand up and face him, "Riley…"

"Hm?" He takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes.

I cup his chin in my hand, "Do you want to add some of your thoughts into it? Perhaps a chapter or something?"

He smiles and shakes his head no, "Kate, I'm happy for you."

"Are you?"

"Yes."

He wipes a tear away from my eye with his thumb, "What's that? No tears." He opened his arms to me, "Get in here," I hesitated, "Right now!"

I lean into his hug, burying my face in his neck, letting the tears flow freely. Yet, he just holds me… rocks me back and forth like a child.

I adore him. He's my best friend.

And even though I know he didn't appear upset with me now… there have been times.

I shudder thinking about all the things I said to him that night as he was sitting at his desk. "Riley! I don't understand you! All you ever do is sit on that computer! You don't even pay attention to anything BUT that… Ben has called like…what… six times tonight? Why won't you return his call? Is this all because HE seems to get the glory for finding the treasures…or what? What is wrong? He's your best friend! I guess that means nothing to you."

I know I shouldn't have said all that to Riley. Although it was partly true, it wasn't what he needed to hear at that moment. What I had needed to do was tell him that everything would be okay. I didn't want to be another reason for him to be stressed out or worried. And he had been lately.

When I had gone to see him earlier in the day he told me that Ben had invited him to a convention in New York City at the end of the week. For some reason, he wasn't too happy about it… he told me it was just gonna be a bunch of business people who couldn't care less about HIM being there. For some reason, Riley didn't seem to understand his worth to Ben.

So, the next day while at home I had basically spent the whole day at my computer desk. Thinking. I had a table next to me that was covered in pictures. Out of nowhere I looked up and saw Riley leaning against the doorframe. I whispered, "Riles, hey…how did you… come here."

He seemed shocked to hear my voice and stumbled over himself as he entered the room. He walked over to me and I gently handed him a photo.

"That was a happy day, wasn't it?"

He kneeled down next to the chair I was sitting in, "Yeah. It was fantastic. The day Ben, Abigial, Patrick and I found the Templar Treasure. Wow. I wish I could go back and relive it... incredible."

A small smile formed upon my lips, "I was in New York, visiting some family and such. My friend, who happened to attend the press meeting, called me sometime the following morning and told me what an amazing event it was. I remember him talking so much about you... I was so jealous. I thought I'd never be able to meet you." I laughed softly.

Riley looked up at the side of my face, he seemed to want to be there in my mind, seeing these memories, he placed the photo on the table and grabbed another... "Ah yes, the President's Day bash at the Library of Congress. What a night that was, hm?"

"It sure was. We met that night…""

"I remember." Riley breathed in deeply.

"It was beautiful."

"Yeah, I was total freak." He laughed and stood up and I couldn't help but notice how he was dressed. He wore blue jeans with a black fitted sweater and on his feet were his favorite black dress shoes. His hair was messy just how I had always liked it and his signature glasses perched on his nose. There was no denying he looked amazing. I could tell he was getting ready to go be "famous" at his convention.

He walked around the room a bit, I don't know why, must have been trying to pick his next words. He came towards me, and his eyes seemed to melt into mine. I could barely breathe, just sitting there, taking him in. Somehow, I found my voice, "Are you...getting ready to go?"

"Yeah. You know how I was supposed to leave Friday? Change of plans... they got me on a flight to New York in about 3 hours." He sighed, sitting on the chair next to mine, "I have a headache."

I didn't say anything, just kept staring at his lips as he spoke.

"Are you...okay?" He asked, turning to face me. "You're quiet now."

I pursed my lips tight, to force back the tears and turned away from him, "I'm sorry."

He didn't buy it; he stood, and then kneeled down in front of me on the ground, his chest against my knees. I tried to choose my next words carefully, "I'm sorry about this morning. I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable... and what I said about you and Ben. It's not my place."

I was staring at the top of his head, trying not to make eye contact.

"I'm comfortable when I'm with you... and so it confuses me, I want to help you...make you happy... but I can only make things worse when I act like this. I won't do it again. I'm sorry." My tone was completely serious and sincere. At least, I thought so.

I swallowed back my emotion, my hand had found its way to his hair now, and I played with strands of it delicately, while trying to keep focused. I just wanted him to accept my apology, move on, go on his business trip and still be his friend. The silence was deafening.

I opened my mouth to say something, but he quickly placed his finger on my lips, "No. Don't. Shh.. You need to wait." He began to stand up, my hand sliding down his chest, "I have to go."

I felt a little bit of my heart breaking, not wanting to be parted from him just yet. He leaned down and gently kissed my forehead, "I left some extra pizza in the fridge for ya. If you need to get into my apartment… here's the key." He handed it to me.

Is that it? Is that all you can say Riley? I SAID I WAS SORRY!

He squeezed my hand, and then slowly made his way to the door, leaving me with silent tears falling down my face.

Is that seriously… all?

He turned around, slowly, "Kate… you have nothing to worry about. I'm Riley. And believe me, I deserved what you said." He smiled, "You know I adore you Kate. Just, thank you for making me understand that a bit more." He turned to leave, and I didn't want him to… not at all. "I'll call ya from the car."

After I told him about my book, we both decided it was finally time to go to sleep. Knowing he wasn't upset really comforted me a lot, but I made a promise to myself that I would involve him in every bit of the process of my book release. And maybe, just maybe… he'd want to come with me on my book tours. I wasn't really sure at this point if it would be much of a success, but whatever happened, I wanted Riley to have a part in it.

As I lied down on the couch, finally drifting into sleep, my heart began to swell up within me. There were things about Riley I wouldn't admit to myself, and I was starting to feel it come undone. I rolled over and fluffed my pillow, trying to find a comfortable position so I could clear my mind and get the sleep I desperately needed.

It didn't help that I could hear Riley "tinkering" around in the next room, getting ready to go to bed. I rolled around again, slamming my head into the pillow. This is ridiculous. I looked at my watch: four am. Was it even worth sleeping anymore? This couch wasn't nearly as comfortable as it had been in the past. I laughed, and sat straight up.

Riley was still bumping things around in his bathroom. I heard the sink come on and my silly heart couldn't take it anymore. I just HAD to see him AGAIN before I could fall asleep. I stood up, and adjusted my tee-shirt and pajama pants Riley had let me borrow. Slowly I walked toward his bedroom door, wondering what I would say to him when I saw his face. I stood in front of his closed door, and took a deep breath. Here goes nothin'.

I knocked twice. I heard some footsteps, shuffling and a bump which was followed by a whiny, "Owww.." Ha! That's so Riley. He quickly opened the door, and I just stared at him. He wore only jeans and his hair looked like it had been through a whirlwind. I blushed slightly, "Hi…" I squeaked out.

Riley smiled and looked past me into the living room. "Everything… okay?"

"Mmm, yeah. It is." I bit my bottom lip, and looked straight into his eyes. "I… ehhm…"

"Do you need some sheets? Another pillow?" Riley asked, stepping towards the hall closet. When I didn't say anything, he turned around towards me with sheets in his hands. "Is this –" He looked into my eyes and licked his lips, "Kate? Is this fine?"

A small smile formed on my lips as I shook my head yes, taking the sheets from his hands.

"You sure?"

"Yes… well, no… no, I just… I can't sleep…"

"Oh." Riley chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "Um, tell ya what… you can sleep on my bed, I'll take the couch."

I was shocked. "Oh… no, Riley. I couldn't."

"Come on…" He took me by the hand and led me into his bedroom.

I felt myself blushing even more. Why couldn't I say what I felt?

Riley turned down the covers, "Now you climb on in here and get all cozy."

I couldn't say no to him.

And truth be told, climbing into his sheets was so comforting …

A lot of things are, when it comes to Riley.

For one thing there is something so stable about seeing him at his laptop, typing away and creating some masterpiece. Often times when I'm working at the library he will come and do some research there… I will watch him when he doesn't realize it. He has such focus in his eyes, and it brings me comfort knowing he's content to sit and play on his laptop until closing time.

More often than not he offers to give me a ride home from work. He told me it's because he worries about the creeps that come out at night in that part of town. I can't help but give in to him, and since I moved here I have barely put 300 miles on my car. Riley takes me everywhere, and it's… comforting to him. And to me. I like it that way.

Even though he wears a dress shirt and tie lately, I love when he's simply comfortable Riley. I always have this urge to cuddle him when he wears his signature outfit: blue jeans, a tee-shirt, and a navy blue hoodie and converse shoes. Yet, I still haven't cuddled him. Sigh. Will I ever get that chance? There's something so wonderful and familiar about him when he dresses like that.

I can't help but memorize the way he looks sometimes.

Like that one night about two weeks ago.

"How you two doing?" Benjamin Gates asked, pouring more champagne into his Abigail's glass.

Riley smiled, glancing towards me and then back at Ben. He swallowed, "WE are doing fine."

I couldn't help but notice the emphasis he put on the word – 'we.' I blushed and looked down towards my plate of food.

Ben and Abigail were always taking us on "double dates" and yet, neither Riley nor I ever admit that is what they were. We simply accepted them as "friendly business meetings" because usually Ben and Riley would spend the majority of the evening talking about treasure. Abigail and I would laugh it off and talk about our own lives and work. She and I had always seemed to get along. We were both interested in museums, old artifacts and the men we had dinner with. So, it was always comforting to have her to talk to… though, I never mentioned my thoughts about Riley to her. For some reason, I couldn't. I knew she would tell Ben and then Ben would tell Riley and Riley would hate me. Sigh. At least, that's what I always told myself.

But, hearing him say "we" like that really stunned me. I wondered what it all meant.

"That's great." Ben said, cutting a perfectly bite-sized slice of steak. "Any plans for the weekend?"

"I thought we had that exhibit opening in San Francisco." Riley began.

"No… that's next week. Riley. Didn't you get the memo?"

Riley laughed, "No, I guess I missed that bit of information. It didn't send to my satellite." He shook his head, as if in disbelief.

"Well, since you DON'T have anything going on… maybe you could… FIND something to do. You know - something worthwhile." Ben raised his eyebrow and looked sternly at Riley.

I caught that. I looked back and forth between them. Riley looked totally perplexed. Ben looked like he was going to hurt him. Abigail looked at me and we both smirked. Riiiight. Something was OBVIOUSLY going on. Probably another treasure hunt or something. I sighed. I was going to be without Riley for a whole weekend. I could feel it coming… I just couldn't figure out why it made me feel - sad.

Maybe Abi and I could go shopping.

And I don't know why I was shocked when I realized a treasure hunt was exactly what this was about.

"Riley, I need your help this weekend. How's your computer doing?"

Riley grinned, "It's perfect. As always."

Yup. That's definitely it.

After dinner was over, Riley wanted to go for a walk. I agreed. The weather was beautiful, the moon was full and as we walked around the grounds in front of the Lincoln Memorial I couldn't help but feel my heart beating faster.

"I love this place." Riley said, sitting down on the steps.

I looked up to the statue of Lincoln and smiled, and then took a seat next to him.

"So um… gonna be alright this weekend? You can stay at my place if you want. It's closer to Abigail. Maybe you two can hang out." Riley's face was just a few inches from mine.

"Sure, yeah… or maybe I'll offer to work on Saturday. I could use the extra hours." I bit my lip.

I began to take him in. I literally felt myself looking him up and down, memorizing every detail. Riley wore a white dress shirt, black vest and black slacks. He looked good. Amazing, even. He wore contacts tonight, and his eyes were crystal blue. I watched as he loosened his tie and unbuttoned his collar.

Breathe.

"Mm," He stretched his arms behind his head, "Yeah, that sounds good."

BREATHE! I could literally feel his breath on my cheek, as he scooted closer and draped an arm around my shoulders.

"You alright?" He laughed, obviously noticing the strange look I had on my face.

I smirked, "Yeah. Sorry. Just thinking about how quiet it will be without you for a couple days. That will be NICE!"

"HEYYYY!" Riley whined. "I thought you liked IT!"

"I do." I whispered.

The smile that formed on his lips was adorable. I looked into his eyes. Kiss him.

KISS HIM. I so wanted to kiss him. I longed to know what it would feel like… those soft, happy lips against mine. I just… wanted to know.

Riley reached over and took my hand into his, and I was shocked… I breathed in deeply. It was the first time he had ever done that… I watched him carefully. He squeezed my hand tightly and lifted it up towards his mouth. I nearly trembled as his lips pressed against the palm of my hand.

Oh, Riley… My heart was screaming inside my chest, I wanted so badly for him to know and understand that.

I looked up at the side of his face, finding myself staring at his cheek. It looked so soft, and his eyes reflected the Washington Monument in the distance. At some point he must have realized I was staring at him like some idiot.

Riley turned towards me, a delicate smile on his lips, "What are you looking at?"

"You." I whispered, squeezing his hand a little tighter.

He blushed. I couldn't believe it.

I looked into his blue eyes, and moved a little bit closer towards him. He smiled, and leaned into my embrace. Finding some inner courage I suddenly found my lips pressed against his cheek, near the side of his lips. I kissed him softly and then backed away, nervously awaiting his reaction.

Riley smiled and pulled me into a tight hug. And somehow, I just knew that the simpleness of that affection was more precious than any lip to lip contact. I knew that beautiful things awaited us… and that somehow, when it came time for us to actually TALK about our feelings… it would have been worth the wait.

If only I could keep those thoughts with me all the time.

I snuggled down into his soft sheets that smelled like him. I felt so comfortable and happy. Riley walked over and flipped off the light.

"Need anything else?"

Besides you? I thought to myself.

"No… Riley I…"

"Hmm, Kate?"

"I… thank you."

"Don't mention it!" Riley smiled and turned to walk away.

I sighed and breathed in deeply, "I love you."

He didn't hear me, because he had already flopped onto the couch.

The Next Morning

I was awoken by the sound of a constant buzzing noise inside of my head. It was getting louder and louder to the point where I was about to scream. I sat straight up, rubbing my exhausted eyes and looked to the source of the noise. Riley's laptop had some "alert" message blinking on the screen. Great. I looked at my watch – 9am. So much for getting more than 6 hours of sleep! I stretched and leaned back against the bed frame, taking in my surroundings. Riley's room was one crazy mess. Did the boy ever clean up after himself? I saw piles of clothes and shoes scattered about. Even his suit coat had found a little corner to live in. But, I couldn't help but smile at the remnants of his clothes he wore the night before folded neatly on his dresser. How is it that amid so much mess he took the time to treat his hoodie and favorite tee-shirt with such care? His converses sat right next to the dresser on the floor, neatly placed – ready to slip into at a moments notice. Well, at least he was prepared.

The buzzing was getting intense. I stood up, stretched my sore limbs and pulled my oversized tee-shirt down. I walked over to the computer and looked at the screen. The message simply said, "Alert: New Data Found. Click here for more details." Surely Riley would want to know about this. I stopped in front of the mirror on my way out his bedroom door, taking in my grungy appearance. The sweat pants and oversized Batman tee-shirt of Riley's hung on me like a dress. My light brown hair was tousled all over the place, like I had been riding in the Ferrari with the top down all night. And the slight bags under my brown eyes made it look like I hadn't slept in awhile. Sigh. Lovely.

I contemplated hopping into the shower real quick to wash away the night before but the buzzing continued and I didn't want Riley to miss out on whatever this "new data" was. No doubt something for Ben.

I opened the door and looked into the living room. Instead of a sleeping Riley I found a WIDE awake Riley, perched on the couch stuffing his face with Froot Loops, watching Saturday morning cartoons. I couldn't help but smile.

As he lifted the spoon to his lips, about to take a gigantic bite of sugary goodness, his eyes met mine and he stopped, "Heeeeyyyyy… G'mornin Sunshine."

The smile on my face spread wider, "Good Morning."

"Did you sleep okay?" He patted the spot on the couch next to him, motioning for me to come and sit. The buzzing was behind me, and I knew it was important. But, I couldn't help but want to have him all to myself… even for just a few minutes.

I sighed, sinking down next to him, noticing he still wore the same jeans from the night before only now he had a blue tee-shirt on. It brought out his amazing eyes, and I felt butterflies in my stomach. Not to mention his messy, feathered hair that I just wanted to play with. Crap. Why was this happening to me?

"Want some Froot Loops?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

I smirked, "Maybe in a bit."

"No. You have to try them. They are SO good." He scooped a spoonful up and held it out towards my lips, "Now darling, be a good girl and eat your breakfast."

Riley's eyes were full of joy, as he fed the cereal to me. "There ya go. That's a good girl. It's yummy, huh?"

I burst into laughter.

"Shhh… Dexter's Lab is back on. I'm trying to calculate how probable his experiment actually is." Riley sunk back into the couch as he continued to eat, his eyes fixed upon the television.

I couldn't help but study him. It had become a habit of mine lately… and there was no stopping it. I became fascinated with his arms, and how they moved as he would scoop up a bite of Froot Loops. His tee-shirt fit tightly to his slightly toned biceps and as he would move they flexed. My eyes wandered down to his forearms. I admit it; I'm obsessed with that part of Riley. I have a strange fetish. Oh my. I'm a mess. This is pathetic. I found myself holding back a giggle.

This was RILEY. MY BEST FRIEND. You're not supposed to feel like this about your best friend. It's not right.

Riley finished his cereal, by lifting the bowl to his lips and slurping up all the milk. "Ahhhh." He let out a content sigh and leaned back, a small smile on his face. "That was good."

Thoughts of the "alert" in the next room entered my mind… just as I was about to cuddle him.

"Riles, the um… your computer was buzzing. That's what woke me up."

"Oh! Really!" He hopped off the couch and ran towards his bedroom. The next thing I know he's cheering. "YES! I KNEW IT! IT WORKED!"

I jumped up and shuffled into the room, he looked like a five year old on Christmas Day. "Ben's gonna flip!"

"Wha..? What is it?"

"Remember that cipher – code – thingy - whatever - we found on that old coin in Ben's treasure box?"

Oh, I remembered. That was the whole purpose of the excursion two weeks ago. Ben had been rummaging around in the attic of his house when he came across an antique box, inside of a hole in a crumbling wall. Upon opening it up he had found photographs, old coins, and letters from Charles Carroll to Andrew Jackson, about the Declaration of Independence.

Fascinating stuff.

"There was an actual cipher on it? Can you make it out?"

Riley's fingers were flying over the keys. "I'm GOING to. Ben and I have never had to try and read something off a material other than paper." He smirked.

I felt excitement rush over me. This was going to be good, I could tell. Maybe Riley would actually let me go with him and Ben on whatever adventure was to come next. My mind was spinning at a hundred miles per second.

What was today? Saturday. When do I work again? Tuesday. School? Heck, I could skip a couple of classes. Do I need anything from my apartment? No. I have extra clothes in my car. My car… does it have enough gas to get to Ben's? Maybe we'll take the Ferrari. What about my book? I had a publishing meeting at 8am Monday morning. Oh well, this is more important. I can deal with that when we figure this out.

"Kate?" Riley's hasty voice broke my intense brain meltdown. "Can you go get my glasses?"

I noticed that he was squinting at the screen.

"Sure."

"They're on the coffee table, I think."

I ran out of the room, my eyes darting everywhere as I searched for his signature glasses. "Where…where… where…" I breathed in deeply, and let it out as I saw them on top of a pile of books Riley had obviously been looking through earlier that morning. Grabbing them off the table, I darted back into the room not paying any attention to where I was going. Before I could even think about it, I tripped and fell flat on my face as I entered Riley's bedroom.

"Are you alright?" Riley ran over. He grabbed under my arms and lifted me up, making sure I was steady. We walked over and sat down on the side of his bed.

"Yeah…I dunno…what happened." I laughed.

Riley scanned the room, "My shoes!" He walked over and kicked them out of the way. "I'm sorry; I've been meaning to clean up this place."

"It's okay. How's the hacking going?" I smiled, offering his glasses to him. Riley took them from my hand and smiled, placing them on his face.

"Great. But, I need Ben. I gotta go." Riley smiled, "Which means I better get in the shower, right?"

I looked down, the sudden thought I might be left behind entering my thoughts. Riley lifted my chin, "And you're coming to." He smiled.

"To the shower?" I held back my laughter.

"Noooo… to Ben's. I'm sure Ben and Abi would love to see you." Riley winked and stretched. "I'll hurry. So, you can take one too before we go."

"Is there time?"

"For you? Absolutely." A wide smile spread across his face, and my heart started beating quickly.

Riley began walking towards the bathroom door, grabbing his favorite hoodie and tee-shirt on the way.

I stood quickly, "Riley!"

"Hmm?" He turned to face me.

"Umm…" I walked closer towards him.

"What is it?"

"You have some milk there." It was true. Remnants of his breakfast had formed a slight milk mustache on his upper lip.

"It'll come off in the shower." He winked, and began to turn away.

I reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him dead in his tracks. Riley furrowed his eyebrows, and squinted. "Hey, is everything oka-?"

My hands trembled slightly as I lifted his glasses off. I folded them carefully and placed them on the computer desk next to us. His lips curved into a confused half smile. "Thank you?" He whispered. I reached up and moved some hair off of his forehead, as our eyes locked.

Becoming slightly afraid of what to do next, I let the same motherly instincts that had taken care of him when he was sick come over me. I licked the back of my thumb and used it to rub the dried milk away from his lip. He blinked… slowly.

"Kate – you don't have to –"I cut him off by pressing my lips gently against his. At this point, he dropped the clothes he had been holding and wrapped those same arms I was in love with around me. He kissed me back softly, as I ran my hands through his tousled hair.

As our lips separated, I closed my eyes burying my head into his neck. Riley held me tightly, his fingers entangled in my hair.

Breathless, he stuttered, "Wha… was… that… for?"

The butterflies in my stomach were more intense than ever. "Mmm.. sorry love, I couldn't help it."

Riley played with my hair softly. I felt so safe wrapped up against him. His warmth was all around me, how I had longed for this moment – and I was reluctant to let it end.

He patted my head, and lifted my chin to look into his eyes, "We'll deal with you a little bit later." Riley laughed, and bent over to gather the clothes he had dropped.

"Right." I smiled, "We gotta get to Ben's."

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