Riley blinked quickly in hopes of removing the swirling blue and red spots that dotted his vision. The computer screen stared back at him, its pages completely blank save for a few sentences that didn't even make up a paragraph. He sighed tired and rubbed his eyes, pushing his glasses to the top of his head to give his eyes a break. The night had been one dead end after another and Riley was beginning to lose track of what it was he was supposed to be writing.
Reaching to the half-full coffee cup beside the computer, the young treasure hunter took a drink of the long-cold beverage, wincing at the all too familiar taste. In reality, he didn't like coffee but it was the only think that kept him up and focused, especially when he had a deadline to meet. True, the deadline could have been met a lot quicker had he not waited until the last minute but hey, that's what procrastination is all about.
Riley ran his fingers over the mouse, watching the little arrow swirl around on the page in the silly patterns he created. He smiled lightly, amused by the simple movement and rested his chin on his forearm. His whole body ached from sitting in the same position for such a long time and he was beginning to develop a headache that throbbed behind his eyes. The mouse ceased to entertain him anymore and he sat back in the chair, once again staring blankly at the equally blank screen.
The front door creaked open and the familiar footsteps of his best friend came in through the foyer. Ben set down his keys on the desk by the front door and shrugged off his coat, hanging it on a coat rack in the corner. "Riley?" He called into the quiet house, looking into the front rooms as he passed.
"In here." Riley called back, turning his attention back to the screen. He stifled a yawn and leaned back in the chair to see Ben coming around the corner. "Hey, how was the party?"
"Oh, you know, a lot of people asking questions about the treasures and wanting tips for finding their own. Even more people asking for charity or donations. Same old, same old. Abigail was there, she was asking about you. I told her you were busy with something and couldn't- " Upon seeing the computer Ben sighed heavily and gave the younger man a look of disapproval. "Riley, I thought I told you to give it a rest for tonight."
"Yeah, I thought you did too." Riley smirked tiredly and shook his head seriously. "Sorry, Ben but I have to finish this chapter before tomorrow or else."
"Or else what? I thought you just finished, like, four other chapters yesterday?"
"I did but I have to finish this one as well or else I'll be another penniless writer living in his best friend's back bedroom."
Ben shrugged a little and shook his head. "You were doing that before you became a writer. You know, pushing yourself this hard can't be good for you...repercussions down the line and all." He paused and glared accusingly at the fluttering curtains behind the computer screen. "Why is the window open? You do know it's about 26 degrees outside, right?" He said, noticing the frost covered window seal and the thin layer of condensations that had begun to form on the desk behind the computer.
"It was keeping me awake." Riley's face was slightly flushed in the illumination of the computer screen and he wrapped his arms around his middle in a failed attempt to conserve body heat. He was wearing a long sleeve t-shirt and grey flannel pants he'd had since high school, hardly enough clothing to keep him warm in the freezing weather.
Ben frowned as he saw a tiny shiver run through the younger man, almost hidden by the way he was sitting. "Riley, how long have you been sitting there?"
"Uh…since about 6:15 I think? Right after you left for the party."
Ben glanced at his watched and cursed softly. It was a little past 11:30 meaning Riley had been sitting in front of and open window for more than five hours. He walked over and pressed his hand to the younger man's forehead, sighing deeply and looking at him in irritation. "You have a fever."
"So? It's not lethal." Riley protested, refusing to look his friend in the eye.
"Yeah but pneumonia can be." He rolled Riley away from the computer and into the kitchen. "You're taking a break."
"Ben, I can't. My editor will kick my ass if I don't have this finished on time."
"Yeah, well I'm going to kick your editor's ass for pushing you to the point of illness. God Riley, everytime I've seen you this past week it's been on this damn computer working on some new chapter. How many hours of sleep have you gotten this week? If you tell me less than 10 I'm going to punch you in the forehead."
"Good, then I won't tell you. Saves me a punch."
"Fair enough." Ignoring further protests from his sick companion, Ben walked over and unplugged the laptop, turing it off and locking it in the safe below the stairs. "When was the last time you ate a decent meal?"
"This morning…?"
"Toast doesn't count."
"Damn…uh, what's today?"
"Riley!"
"God, I don't know, uh Wednesday?"
Sighing again, Ben began to rummage through the refrigerator, pulling out various containers and bags. He put a pot of water and spaghetti noodles on the stove to boil and pushed a container of spaghetti sauce into the microwave. While that was heating up, he walked over to the medicine cabinet and pulled out the thermometer, turning it on and presenting it to Riley.
The younger man scowled and took it, placing it under his tongue and resting his head in his hand. After a few seconds it began to beep and Ben moved over to take it, reading the screen and turning it off. "102.3" He cast Riley and annoyed yet concerned look and put the thermometer away. "No more work until you get better."
"But Ben I need to finish that chapter."
"No, what you need is a good night's sleep and a hot meal." Almost on cue, the microwave went off. Removing the warm sauce from the microwave, Ben proceeded to drain the pasta as well and place all of it on plate which he set in front of Riley. "Eat." He said simply, patting his friend on the back gently.
"What are you, my mom?" Riley rolled his eyes a little but dug in anyway, the pangs of hunger becoming too much to ignore.
"Might as well be." Ben called over his shoulder, walking into the bathroom and turning on the bathtub faucets. He twisted and adjusted the knobs until it had reached the temperature he was happy with and allowed the tub to fill. Pulling out a pair of warmer clothes from Riley's closet, he set them on the bathroom counter and walked back into the kitchen, surprised to see the younger man was already done eating. "Wow, that hungry huh?"
"Shut up…"
Ben laughed and gently pulled him out of the computer chair, walking him into the bathroom and handing him a towel. "Take a bath, get warm, and I'll meet you when you get done."
Seeing as there was no point in arguing, Riley simply nodded and closed the door behind him, undressing slowly and climbing into the wonderfully warm water. He closed his eyes, allowing his mind to wander as the steam relaxed him from the inside out.
Ben walked back into the kitchen and put the plate in the sink, rinsing it lightly and leaving it in the corner. He picked up his cell phone and dialed a number scribbled on a piece of paper by the computer table. The phone rang a few times before a sleepy male voice answered on the other line.
"-Ngh…hello?"
"Yes, is this a Mr…Timothy York?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Well Mr. York, my name is Ben Gates and I happen to be a very close friend of Riley Poole."
"Oh, Poole? That slacker…he was supposed to have those chapters to me last week…Wait, The Ben Gates?"
"That's right. Listen, I was calling to tell you to either back off or find yourself a new writer. My best friend has made himself sick because of you and quite frankly, if it happens again, I'm going to visit you personally."
"But…he has a deadline…"
"Yes, I understand that but I'm not going to let him kill himself because of deadline. I asking you nicely, back off." Without waiting for a reply, Ben hung up and turned his phone off in case York tried to call back. Leaving the phone on the counter, he turned and walked back into the bathroom to make sure Riley hadn't fallen asleep in the bathtub. It had happened once before and wasn't an overall pleasant experience for anyone involved. Instead, he found Riley with his head resting against the side of the tub, staring blankly at the ceiling. The younger man's modesty had led him to leave on his boxers, even in the tub, and he blinked up at Ben as he walked in.
"Hey…" He said tiredly, smiling lightly as the older man crouched beside him.
"Hey there." Ben ruffled his friend's hair lightly and smiled. "Well, I think I got you an extension on your chapter."
Riley laughed a little. "What, did you threaten him?"
"Close enough…"
Blue eyes widened sharply and Riley sat up in a flash. "Ben, you didn't-!"
"No, I didn't. I should have but I didn't." He slipped an arm behind Riley's back and gently pulled him from the tub, handing him the towel and turning around as he got dressed. "I just told him to back off and not push you so hard."
Riley blushed a little and pulled the shirt over his head. "Aww, my hero." He teased, laughing softly as Ben rolled his eyes and pulled him into the bedroom. He was gently pushed onto the bed and handed a few aspirin and a bottle of water. "What the-?"
"For the fever." Ben explained, pulling the blankets back and nodding for the younger man to get beneath them.
Riley laughed in embarrassment and slid beneath the sheets, blinking up at his best friend with fever bright eyes. "Are you going to tell me a bedtime story?"
"No, but I am going to make sure you go to sleep. Scoot over." Riley complied and Ben slipped his shoes off, sliding into the bed next to him and pulling the younger man close. Riley wanted to protest the sudden closeness but found himself drawn to the warmth and decided to stay quiet instead.
"Mmm…this is nice…" He muttered tiredly, nuzzling his head against Ben's shoulder.
Ben laughed softly and felt Riley's forehead again, happy that the fever seemed to be weakening a little. "Just get some sleep, okay?" He didn't need to repeat himself as Riley began to softly snore against him. Ben smiled warmly and pressed a soft kiss to the brunette's temple, stroking his hair gently to help him stay asleep. His movements became slower as sleep began to tug at him as well but he had no intention of getting up. Instead, he pulled the blankets higher around them both and sank deeper into the mattress, keeping a comfortable hold on Riley. Deadlines could always be met later.
Whoo!! Okay, so like I said if there are any big mistakes just let me know and I'll be sure to fix them!! Loves ya!!