As Duncan trudged up the stairs and into the loft, Richie found himself desperately searching for Tessa. Whether or not she had been awakened due to his late-night visitor could be crucially in how things turned out for him. A wave of relief overcame him as he realized she was still asleep in the master bedroom.
However, that sense of relief was only momentary. As Duncan carried him into his bedroom, settled him on the bed and pulled off the teen's shoes silently, Richie really began to tense. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence that hung between them, Richie passively allowed the man to put him back in the sweats Tessa had brought to the hospital. Even as the Immortal wrapped the blanket back around him, carried him out of the room and settled with him in the living room armchair, Richie shared in the silence.
Just as the boy was about to reach his breaking point, Duncan finally ended the hush that lay between them. "What on earth were you thinking?"
"I just needed to talk to Jason." Richie explained quickly, hoping to dull the anger that he knew was about to explode from the man. "I didn't want to freak you out by leaving again so I asked him to come here."
"You didn't think finding you out in the alley in the middle of the night would 'freak me out'?" Duncan asked, unconvinced by the explanation.
"It was just for a couple of minutes." Richie defended himself, pulling his upper half free from the blanket, should he need to make a quick escape. "I didn't even think you were awake."
"So you figured you'd sneak out as I slept?" Duncan questioned evenly. "I think we've been down this path before, Rich."
"I just wanted to talk to him, Mac." Richie replied, desperately attempting to lessen the anger he knew Duncan was feeling towards him.
Leading nicely to Duncan's next question. "What was so important you had to sneak out to see him?"
"It was just..." Richie briefly considered trying to hide his reasoning. But as he looked into the eyes of the man holding him, he couldn't think of any answer other than the truth. "I wanted to know what he said to you."
"And you couldn't have asked me?" Duncan replied flatly.
"I did." Richie responded quietly, knowing that would be the straw to break the camel's back.
Duncan stared at him. "But?"
"I just wanted his side." Richie told him, amazed that the Immortal had not yet lost his composure.
Duncan was far from convinced. He responded flatly. "You wanted to see if our stories meshed."
"Mac, I just..." Richie didn't even know what to say. He had never intended to hurt the man's feelings.
But regardless of his intent; "You don't trust me."
"I do." Richie replied quickly.
Duncan was not born the day before, however. "So much that you snuck out in the middle of the night, putting your health at risk, simply to check whether or not I told you the truth about what we had discussed?"
"I just wanted to know what all he'd told you." Richie replied quietly.
Earning him a frown. "What are you so afraid of me finding out, Rich?"
"Nothing." Richie answered quickly. "I trust you, Mac. More than anyone else at least."
"That's not saying much, partner." Duncan told him with a sigh. "What am I going to have to do to earn your trust?"
When Richie shrugged sullenly, Duncan squeezed him briefly. "All right."
"Now what?" Richie asked quietly after a brief pause.
Duncan didn't even have to ask. He understood the full implications of Richie's words. The boy wanted to know what was going to happen to him now. He still didn't believe Duncan was going to keep him. It was a belief that tore at the Immortal's heart. "I guess I'll just have to keep trying to show you that I'm going to be here; keep protecting you; taking care of you; loving you. I'll just have to keep at it and hope one day you'll learn to rely on me."
"Loving me?" Richie practically whispered; overwhelmed by the word that he had always wanted to hear.
Duncan pulled him even closer. "Don't you know how much I love you?"
It was just too much for the teen to process. As tears began to stream down the boy's cheeks, Duncan wrapped his arms tightly around the child and gently rocked with him. Resting his chin on top of the teen's head, he responded resolutely. "More than anything, Rich. I love you more than anything."
After a few minutes Richie's sobs subsided and Duncan gently placed his hand under the boy's chin to turn the teen to face him.
"What happened to your head?" Duncan said.
That was not what Richie had been expecting at all. "What?"
"Don't you have enough sense to put on a coat, little boy?" The Immortal asked calmly, gently rubbing Richie's exposed arms.
The teen laughed at the unexpected question. "I meant to." He finally replied.
"But?" Duncan prompted, not seeing the humor in the question.
Richie looked up at him, realizing that the man would not be pleased with his reasoning. "Well, I had planned to get a sweatshirt out of my closet."
"And?" Duncan replied.
Richie blushed slightly. "And I didn't want to trudge over to my closet, so I just figured I'd grab your coat when I got downstairs."
"All the way to the closet, huh?" Duncan replied, knowing full well how tired out the teen must have been to find the few steps too far out of his way. "What about the coat, then?"
"Well, it wasn't in your office and when I was standing on the stairs I saw Jason was already here, so..." Richie trailed off.
However, Duncan was stuck on something other than Jason. "Why were you standing on the stairs?"
"Well," Richie had really not intended to mention the pause in his descent, knowing it would upset the man. But he couldn't bring himself to lie about it. Duncan had just been so kind and he couldn't lie to him. He simply admitted his reasoning. "I was taking a break."
"A break? From walking down the stairs?" Duncan pressed. "And what, exactly, made you need a break?"
"Worn out and dizzy." Richie said softly.
Duncan wasn't satisfied, however. "What?"
"I got kinda dizzy and was tired out." Richie admitted, slightly louder this time.
"You're too sick to walk down a flight of stairs, but you're roaming around outside, late at night, with no coat." Duncan stated flatly.
Richie looked up at him. "I'm sorry, Mac."
"You're sorry? Richie, you can't just..." As he felt the teen stiffen, the Immortal stopped himself. Really, what was the point? What was done was done. All that mattered was making sure it didn't happen again. "You know what, it doesn't matter."
"It doesn't?" Richie asked in disbelief.
Duncan paused briefly. "There's nothing we can do to change it now, is there? But let me be perfectly clear, Rich. You are not to get out of bed again. Until you are told otherwise, you will stay put."
"All right." Richie replied quickly.
The Immortal was far from satisfied, however. "I mean it, Rich. You don't go to the kitchen, the bathroom, your bedroom dresser or anywhere else without permission. Not one foot out of bed."
"I get it." Richie told him.
Duncan continued, though. "But you holler if you need something. You don't just wait it out. No matter how trivial you think it is. No matter what Tessa or I are doing. You don't wait for us to come in and you don't try to get things on your own. You yell for us. Clear?"
"Yes, sir." Richie replied, surprising himself with the pleasure he felt from hearing the command.
When a yawn escaped the teen's mouth, Duncan once again realized that it was the middle of the night. "Come on. Let's get you some medicine and back to sleep."
As Duncan once again rose with the teen in his arms, Richie couldn't resist questioning the man. "Mac?"
"Yeah?" He replied, already headed towards the boy's bedroom.
Richie was afraid to look him in the eye. "Are you mad about tonight?"
"I'm not mad, Rich." The Immortal said after a slight pause. "I was scared. And frustrated. But I'm not mad at you. I'm just glad to have you safe."
Depositing the teen in his bed, the Immortal added one more comment for good measure. "Don't you EVER sneak out like that again."
"Got it." Richie agreed seriously.
Turning on his heals to get Richie his next dose of medication; Duncan was relieved to realize that he actually believed the teen when he said he wouldn't sneak off anymore. It wasn't much. But it was a start.