This is a MacRiley fic. I promise I haven't given up on my multi-chapter fic but I had this story in my head and I wanted to write it down.

If you don't like it at first just please, at least read until the dialogue starts and I believe you will want to read further.

I hope you enjoy it.

Pouring their hearts out in the pouring rain

It's been three months since the events of Codex. Three months since Riley followed Mac to the end of the world without hesitation. Three months since Mac's then current girlfriend, Desi, was the first one to question his loyalty. Three months since Mac lost the last blood relative he had left. Three months since all this mess and things were finally picking up.

After their trip to DC, Mac and Desi had both decided to end things for good this time and work on their trust issues in order to be able to work together as a team. Russ and Desi both apologized for their actions to Mac and Riley and this way they could all start healing their wounds. In their job, trust is everything as Jack used to say and maybe it would take time to earn it but at least it looked like they were going in the right direction.

Riley had prepared herself emotionally as well as she could to move out Mac's place as soon as they would return from DC, but when he broke up with Desi she decided to stay a little longer because Mac wasn't in a good place and she wanted, needed to keep an eye on him. The "a little longer" quickly became three months and even though her realtor still sent her apartments to inspect, she couldn't bring herself to make the decision to leave. She never told Mac about it and she made Bozer swear he wouldn't either.

Mac was an emotional shipwreck at first. Losing his father, his aunt, learning his mother made a plan to take out a quarter of the human population, having to choose between a family man and the lives of many and seeing how quickly his own people turned on him when he tried to do the right thing really did a number on him. But this time it wasn't like when he left everything behind and went to Nigeria, this time he had finally realized that no matter how hard his dark thoughts would try to convince him otherwise, he wasn't alone. He wasn't. Because when Phoenix declared him a traitor, he quickly discovered that there was someone who didn't agree with that declaration, someone who believed in him, someone who trusted him. When Riley literally came to his rescue and told him she trusted him, when she was standing next to him when they were about to die, keeping the promise she gave him in Germany, when he reached for her hand and she was there to reach for his back, he knew he would never be alone. Maybe it would be hard at first to get through everything but knowing he had Riley by his side, his best friend, his partner, he had every reason to be optimistic about the future.

So now, after three long months, and after they returned from DC and they started going back on missions like before, it looked like things were returning to normal. Mac and Riley spent most of their time at his place, well their place as Mac liked to call it. Whenever they had a day off and those were really hard to come by because of their job, they preferred to stay home and rest. Their list of activities was rather small. They enjoyed the little things. Watching movie marathons, drinking beers by the fire pit, having Bozer over to cook them dinner or calling Jack to talk about their days. They would play video games for hours and argue about who was kicking whose ass, although we all know Riley would always prevail unless she felt like Mac needed the win. Riley loved lifting his spirits whether she would do it by letting him win in Mario kart or by making him help her cook and compliment on his non-existent cooking skills. Mac wasn't stupid. He knew all the effort Riley was putting into making him feel better whenever his train of thought would take dangerous routes. He was hoping he was doing his best to help her too. What had happened was hard on her too. She needed someone to cheer her up. But that was the thing with them. Each making the other feel better was what they needed to bounce back from their depressive thoughts.

It was a sunny Sunday morning in March and Riley woke up earlier than her usual time. It was definitely not because Mac was making loud noises. Not this time at least. She was just feeling full of energy and she wanted to get out of her bed early to start her day off as sooner as possible. She grabbed a cup of coffee from the kitchen and headed towards the terrace. She found Mac already there which didn't surprise her since he always woke up earlier than her. He was standing by the railing with folded arms and staring at the morning city sky.

"Hey," she greeted him. He didn't answer, not right away.

"Oh, hey. I didn't hear you come out," he replied massaging the back of his neck after Riley placed her hand on his shoulder. When he turned to face her, she immediately understood what was wrong. There were small black circles under his eyes meaning he had been standing there a lot longer than he should.

'He had a nightmare,' Riley thought.

"Did you have breakfast?" was the first thing she asked him. She knew he wouldn't want to talk about it. Besides, it was happening a lot and they had already talked about it more than a few times. Riley was getting them too, but they had started to go away the last couple of weeks. She hoped Mac's nightmares had stopped too. Apparently, that wasn't the case.

"No, not yet. Just coffee," he answered and turned away again.

"Great! How would you feel if we were going out for breakfast?" Riley asked because she had already made plans in her mind.

"I don't know Riles. I don't think I'd be a good company today," he replied.

"Okay, let me rephrase that. Get your butt to your room MacGyver. Get dressed, we're going out for breakfast," she ordered him with her serious face on trying to keep herself from laughing.

"Yes ma'am," he simply agreed saluting her. Mac knew that whenever Riley was calling him with his full name there was no point in arguing with her. He then left for his room and Riley went to the kitchen to prepare as quickly as possible what she had planned.

She heard the water running and thought she had a few more minutes since Mac was taking a shower. She filled a picnic basket with sandwiches, water, fruits, wine, basically everything she could find or make and she thought they might need. She also grabbed a picnic blanket and ran to put the things in the car so that Mac wouldn't see them. She entered the house again and went to get ready.

"Did someone come?" Mac shouted sticking his head out of his bedroom door. "I thought I heard the front door open."

"No," Riley shouted from her room so he could hear her. "I just wanted to pick something up from the car."

"You're still not ready?" Mac said grinning.

"I'll be out in a minute," she replied.

"First you order me to get my butt to my room and get dressed and now you make me wait? I wasn't expecting that from you Miss Davis," he said and his mood had already started to change for the better.

"Oh, come on Mac. I told you, I only needed a minute," she said standing behind her door ready to go out. She opened her door, rushed out of the room and while doing so, she crashed into Mac who was standing exactly outside her door. Her head landed on his chest and she immediately moved back putting her hands up.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were outside my door," she said trying to hide her embarrassment and the fact that she liked those split seconds her body was against Mac's.

"No worries. I guess I shouldn't be waiting that close to the door. It's a good thing it opens inwards otherwise I would probably have a concussion right now," he told her giving her smirk.

"Yeah! Well, I wouldn't be in a hurry if you hadn't told me I was making you wait, so…"

"Oh! I see. This is all my fault. It won't happen again ma'am. You have my word," he said making his voice even deeper.

"Oh, come on. Stop calling me ma'am," she looked slightly annoyed, even though she secretly enjoyed it.

"I will if you stop bossing me around," he declared because he knew she would react to that.

"Stop what? Bossing you around? I'm not bossing you around. That's not fair. I'm just…" Riley was trying to find the words to explain what she was actually doing. Giving orders and telling him he is to blame for that last not so unpleasant incident could be described as bossing Mac around, but she wasn't going to admit it.

"Hey, its okay. I'm just kidding. Besides if you hadn't ordered me to go out for breakfast with you I would probably just spend the rest of my day lost in my thoughts and we both know what that means," he admitted and Riley's heart almost broke when she heard his words. She did indeed know what that meant and that was the last thing she wanted to happen.

"Okay then. Let's get out of here," she grabbed his hand and run towards the front door. Mac just started laughing and followed her because that's the only thing he could do. Her grip was strong, and Mac was now running after her.

Riley opened the door still holding Mac's hand and kept walking towards the car.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" he asked her just before they exited the house making her stop. She turned around and looked at him forcing her eyebrows together into a pronounced frown like she was asking "What?"

"Car keys," he replied his own question and Riley nodded in realization.

"We need the car keys to use the car," he elaborated.

"I got it the first time. Go get them. What are you waiting for?" she told him. So much for not bossing him around.

Mac looked back and forth at her and at their joined hands and only then did she realize why he wasn't moving.

"I-I'm so sorry Mac, I totally spaced out," she said unable to meet his eyes while releasing her grip and putting her now free hand to her cheek trying to hide her blush.

He gave her the widest of smiles and went to grab the car keys. When he returned, he gave Riley the keys because she was obviously driving since this whole breakfast was her idea and they got inside the car.

"So, where are we going?" Mac asked.

"What makes you think I will answer that question?" she asked instead of answering his question giving him a smirk before starting the car.

"What's the big secret? Are we going to a new place?" Mac asked completely oblivious to Riley's picnic plans.

"You'll see when we get there. It's not that far away. That's all I'm saying."

"Fine, I'm not gonna ask again," he said trying to look annoyed even though he liked the mystery.

After a few minutes of silence Mac suddenly spoke again. "So, how's it going with that new guy?" he asked with a blank expression trying to look indifferent like he did every time he would ask about Riley's love life.

Thank God they had to stop at a red light otherwise she would really have to explain why she hit the brakes like they were about to crash into something. Their bodies moved forward like it normally happens when someone is stepping on the brakes and then returned to their original position hitting their heads at the head restraints.

"Whoa! Riley, are you okay?" Mac asked looking worried and placed his hand on her shouder.

"Yeah! Sorry, I didn't see the red light," she said trying to hide her shock. Of course, she wasn't okay. What new guy was he talking about?

"I'm sorry. I didn't think talking to you would distract you. It's just that we always talk in the car. I didn't…"

"It's not your fault, Mac. I was trying to think what turn I should take next and didn't notice the light," she said to reassure him he wasn't the one to blame for her little nervous breakout, even though his question was.

"What new guy?" she asked trying to keep her cool and started driving again.

"Oh, come on Riles. You tried it this before, remember? It didn't work," Mac said.

"If by before you mean Aubrey then I assure you there is nothing similar going on right now," she replied. She really had no idea where all this was coming from.

"Yeah, this time you're not living with the guy but there is a guy," Riley was ready to deny it but he continued, "And before you say anything, I heard you and Bozer talking about him."

She was really in trouble this time. There was a guy she's been talking to Bozer about, but he was definitely not new, and Mac was wrong about another thing. She was most certainly living with him. Now was when the real panic was taking over.

"You must have heard wrong. I-I wasn't…" she mumbled trying to find the right words.

"I don't wanna push you. I just thought that you would tell me you had a boyfriend after what happened last time. I don't know why you think you couldn't talk to me about it." As much as Mac didn't like the idea of Riley having a boyfriend, he hated even more the fact that she didn't tell him she had one.

"Mac, I promise. I don't have a boyfriend. Besides, we're together all the time. Where would I even get one?" she explained.

"Then why did Bozer advised you to tell a non-existent guy how you feel? Is he someone from work? Do I know him?" this was really nagging away at him since the moment he overheard them in the lab. He needed to know. One could say he was devoured by jealousy, but he had yet to realize it.

'Yes and yes,' she thought. 'How am I going to make him let this go?'

"I'm sure you misunderstood. It's nothing like that. Oh look! We're here," she exclaimed with a sigh of relief because hopefully this would change the subject of their conversation.

"Yeah, right," Mac said quietly and rolled his eyes. He knew there was definitely something going on but decided to let it slide this time. He stepped out of the car and realized they were at a park.

"Wait, what are we doing at Griffith park?" he asked looking surprised.

"We're having breakfast. A little bird told me there are some great picnic spots up here," she replied with a smile and a wink since that little bird was him.

"I love it here," he announced walking a few steps forward to take in the beautiful scenery.

'I know' Riley thought while she was looking at him from behind enjoying the view.

Mac used to visit this park with his grandfather. They would go camping by the river, visit the zoo and the botanical gardens, but what he loved most about the park was the observatory. All the scientific exhibits and the telescopes made the place look like a playground to little Mac.

"You know this is where I first saw a Tesla Coil," he turned around to face Riley.

She knew that too. She had memorized all the stories Mac had told her about his childhood.

"I remember," she simply replied and her lips curved into a smile.

She walked to the back of the car, opened the trunk and grabbed the picnic basket.

"I'm sure you're aware there is a place called Bette Davis picnic area, named after the homonymous actress," she said while walking back to where Mac was standing. "But for today, we're gonna pretend she was my great-grandmother. Don't ask me why," she quickly said pointing her finger at him. "I just want to have a famous relative for a day."

"I wasn't gonna," he laughed. "Besides, she could totally be your great-grandmother, or an old relative and Bette Davis picnic area is a great picnic spot," he concluded.

"Good to know! Now, shall we go to that great picnic spot so we can finally eat? I'm starving," she confessed.

"Now that you mention it. What are we eating? What's in the basket and when do you manage to prepare all of this?" he wondered.

"Well, I made my research about this park when you told me you used to come here as a kid and I just thought it was a good day to finally visit it. As for the basket, I just grabbed a few things from the fridge while you were in your room, which reminds me, we need to go shopping," she elaborated giving him a push on his shoulder to make him start moving.

"Alright, alright we're going," he beamed while moving his hands up and down and took the basket from Riley's hand so she wouldn't have to carry it.

They walked about ten minutes before they reached the place they would picnic. The Bette Davis picnic area is just north of the Los Angeles River. It's a broad, open spot, one of the least crowded in the park. There are tall sycamore trees for shade and it's the perfect place to spend some alone time with friends and relax.

Riley had seen the pictures, but it was definitely different watching the place from up-close. It was spring and you could both see it and smell it in the air. There was green everywhere. Fresh grass and flowers, tall tries that provided perfect shade from the burning sun, the smell of the wet soil and the morning moisture were a few of the things that made Mac grateful for having Riley in his life thanks to whom he could enjoy all of this and Riley happy because she was there with him in that small earthly paradise.

"Mac, this place is beautiful," she exclaimed with a broad smile on her face. "I can't believe it's the first time we're coming here," she declared.

"I know. And to think it's so close to home," he agreed.

'Home' Riley thought. How good did that word sound coming out of Mac's mouth? His house was the only place she ever felt like home. She wasn't sure though if it was the house or Mac himself that made her feel like that.

"Okay, here's the deal. We're gonna agree to get out more often from now on. You know, like that time you took us camping with Bozer," she announced.

"Yeah, I guess almost getting killed is great motivation to continue our outdoor activities," he joked because that camping trip almost ended up with all three of them dead.

"I understand now that the camping trip was a poor example, but you get my point."

"Yeah, and you're right. We should go out more often. Now, help me with the blanket," he requested while taking the blanket out of the basket.

They laid the blanket on the ground under a big sycamore tree and sat on it.

"Let's see what else we have in here," Mac said raising his eyebrows and started taking things out of the basket. "Apples, oranges, sandwiches. Is this wine?" he asked.

"Yeah, I know it's too early for wine but it's not like we had anything else in the house and I should add that I prepared all this in haste. You could take out duct tape from in there and I wouldn't be surprised," she joked lifting the corners of her mouth.

"Well, you know how I feel about duct tape," he smirked. "Don't worry about it. Everything looks perfect," he continued.

He handed her a sandwich and before he could take a bite from his own she grabbed his wrist so he would stop.

Mac frowned and looked at her confused.

"Before we start, there's something we have to do," she began. "I know we can't turn our phones off because Matty might need us, but we are gonna leave them in the basket until it's time to go. Besides, if someone calls or we get a text, we'll hear it," she concluded taking out her phone from her jacket pocket and holding her other hand out waiting for Mac to give her his.

"Okay, I guess we can live without our daily dose of radiation," he teased her giving her his phone.

"Ha-ha! Very funny," she sneered and put the phones in the basket.

"So, can I eat my sandwich now," he looked at her and waited for her permission.

"Yes, you can," she smiled.

They ate their sandwiches and a couple of fruits, drank a glass of wine and lied down on the blanket facing the blue sky.

"It's so good you got me to come here," Mac began saying looking at the clouds. "I feel so much better. Thank you," he turned to face her.

Riley locked eyes with him saying, "You don't have to thank me. I love that we're here as much as you do."

"Still, if you hadn't brought me here, now…," he made a pause and Riley turned to lie on her side without breaking eye contact.

"Don't think about that right now. What's important is that we're here and we're having a good time," she comforted him and gave him a smile.

"Right," Mac said quietly looking right into Riley's eyes feeling he could stay like this forever.

After a few moments of silence just lying there looking at each other Riley swore if something didn't stop her, she would lean forward and kiss him and for a moment she thought he would do the same.

Mac pressed his lips together and said, "Would you like to play some frisbee?" He stood up and waited for her answer.

Riley was surprised by his question to say the least. The way she saw it, she was thinking about kissing him and he was obviously trying to find a way to get out of the awkward situation.

"I would if we had one. Unless you can make one," she replied forcing her eyebrows into a frown and rose to a sitting position.

"I could probably make one if you had actually packed some duct tape, but for now I'm just thinking of borrowing a frisbee from that family over there," he grinned extending his hand out towards the family.

Riley turned around to see what family he was talking about and before she could say anything, he had already started walking towards them. He asked them if he could borrow their frisbee and he returned with it in his hands.

"Like anyone could ever tell you no," Riley whispered when she saw him returning with the frisbee.

"Did you say something?" he asked.

"No, it's just that the weather looks like it's getting worse. Maybe we should start gathering our things," she replied hoping he hadn't heard what she had said.

You could feel a slight breeze. Warm, moist air was moving the clouds to their direction.

"We just got here. I don't wanna leave just yet," Mac announced and sounded like a little child asking his mom to let him stay.

"Okay, fine. To be honest I don't wanna leave either," she agreed and stood up.

They played with the frisbee like they were little kids, running around to try and catch it from wherever the wind was taking it. Hearing their laughter would be like music to your ears. Riley thought she hadn't been this happy in forever. What she didn't know was that Mac felt the same. Being there with her was making him feel like the happiest man alive and he wouldn't change it for the world, he wouldn't change her for the world.

After they played a little longer, they decided to stop because it had started drizzling and they thought the family would probably want to leave. Riley went to return the frisbee and Mac returned to their blanket and waited for her.

When he sat down, he heard Riley's notification sound. He opened the basket to find her phone so he could give it to her when she would come back. When he took it out, the message on the screen got his attention. Riley had a text message from someone registered as 'realtor'.

'Why does Riley have a realtor?' he thought. He looked closer to see if he could read part of the message without unlocking her phone and he could.

"I found you the perfect ap…" that was all he could see.

'Is Riley moving out?' he immediately realized.

Riley had thanked the family for letting them borrow their frisbee and she was now returning to where Mac was.

"Are you moving out?" he growled when he saw her.

"What? No. How…?" he caught her by surprise.

"Don't even try to deny it," he hissed showing her the text on her phone.

"Are you snooping through my phone?" Riley grumbled.

"What? No. I read a text that popped up on your screen. That's hardly snooping," he explained. "That's not the point. I asked you a question," he was persistent, there's no way he was letting this go.

The rain was getting heavier and Riley seized the opportunity to change the subject.

"We should gather our things. We can talk about this another time. There's a storm coming," she said and made a move to grab the picnic basket so she could start packing up.

Mac grabbed her by the wrist to make her stop and began, "I don't care if it's raining, if there's a storm coming or if the world's ending. We are gonna talk about this now. Are you moving out? Yes or no?" he was angry and was looking right into her eyes hoping they would give him an answer.

Riley had never seen him like this before. She knew this time she would have to lay it all out.

"Yes and no," she finally replied his question and only then he released his grip.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he frowned.

"Yes, I was moving out three months ago. I mean staying with you was supposed to be a temporary thing, and no I'm not moving out right now but I will at some point," she elaborated and she let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Three months ago? Why didn't you say anything? Why would you want to leave?" he wondered.

"At first I wanted to give you and Desi the space you deserved but then you broke up and with everything that happened I didn't want you to be alone, and if I'm being completely honest I was being selfish because I didn't want to be alone either, so I stayed. But since it's been a long time maybe I should consider leaving now," she admitted breaking eye contact. She was afraid that her eyes would say more than she wanted.

"Riley, what are you talking about? You don't have to leave. I told you, you can stay for as long as you want," he put his hands on her shoulders so she would look at him again.

"Okay, fine. Then I don't want to stay anymore," she exclaimed shrugging so he would remove his hands.

Mac quickly removed his hands after Riley's statement. Her words felt like someone stuck a knife in his heart.

"Why? Did I do something? Why won't you talk to me?" Mac was desperate. He needed to know what made Riley act so distant.

"You didn't do anything. It's just that we can't stay together forever. This was gonna happen sooner or later," she tried to make him understand he wasn't to blame.

"But it doesn't have to. My house is your house too. And yes, you can stay forever."

"Don't you get it? It's not that simple. One day when you find someone and when I find someone too it's not gonna be easy if we're living together," she thought maybe this way he would understand.

"Oh! Yes, I think I'm starting to get it now. This is about the guy you've been dating. I knew it," he shouted bringing his hand to his forehead.

"I already told you I'm not dating anyone."

"I don't believe you. You never tell me anything anymore. I feel like I'm losing you Riles and it's driving me crazy. You're my best friend. I need you in my life."

"You're not losing me Mac. I'm not going anywhere. Just because I'll stop living with you doesn't mean we'll never see each other again," she assured him.

"That's not what I'm saying. All these months you've been trying to make me talk to you and open up about what I'm going through but when it's your turn to talk you find an excuse and change the subject."

"That's not..." she tried to explain.

"I don't know why you didn't tell me about wanting to move out, I don't know why you keep shutting me out and I don't know why you won't talk to me about this new guy in your life," he concluded.

Riley couldn't take it anymore, "Because it's you. You're the guy," she was now shouting because they were in the middle of a storm and the sound of the water hitting the ground made it hard for them to hear each other. "Dammit Mac. It's always been you, and from the moment I realized it I've been going crazy," she finally confessed and raked her fingers through her damp hair.

"All this time, I've been trying to find a way to get you out of my head. At first, when you were with Desi it was easier because I would say to myself that you're happy with someone else and knowing you're happy makes me happy, but then, when you broke up and I stayed, things were only getting worse. Being around you all the time, knowing you're never gonna see me as nothing more than a friend, made it so hard for me to talk to you. I was afraid I might say something that would make you realize how I feel and it would ruin everything. I'm in love with you and no matter what I do, I can't change it."

Mac was just standing there, looking at her in the eyes without saying a word. Riley hoped he would do something, say something to give her hope, something that would make her understand if he feels the same. But Mac wasn't moving, he wasn't speaking. Her eyes were filled with water and it wasn't just from the rain. Tears were about to fall and she didn't want Mac to see her like that.

"I can't do this anymore," she said covering her mouth with the back of her hand and scurried away.

Mac couldn't believe his ears. His best friend had confessed her love for him and now she was running away. When he saw her leaving, he quickly followed her. Once he reached her, he grabbed her by her right wrist, made her turn around bringing her close to him, he leaned in and before she could react he cupped her face and their wet lips touched. He kissed her, he really did, and it was like time stopped when his lips met hers. Riley was surprised at first but she almost immediately kissed him back and ran her hands through his wet hair. Her heart pounded in her chest and she could only focus on how soft he felt against her mouth. Their first kiss was brief but intense and Riley thought if it lasted any longer her knees would give in.

They broke the kiss and stayed with her foreheads pressed together.

"I'm sorry," was the first thing Mac said.

"You're sorry because you kissed me?" Riley asked thinking he regretted the kiss and took a step back.

"No," he said bringing her back in her previous position.

He looked her in the eyes and began, "I'm sorry you had to say all those things to make me realize that you're the one."

"You're saying?" she asked.

"I'm saying, I'm in love with you too and I probably have been for a long time. Now I see why my eyes would always search for you when I would walk into a room or why I never liked your boyfriends or why every time we are about to die on missions I don't even care because in the end you are right there next to me. I know why you are the only one who can make me feel better just by smiling at me and why I could spend the rest of my life locked in a room as long as you're inside it too," it was his turn to open his heart and it felt good.

"Mac I," she was lost for words. She was almost certain she was dreaming.

"I can't believe I've been so stupid and blind all this time," Mac continued. "I love you," he said and this time she was the one who made a move. She rose on her toes so she could reach him and when she found his lips again, she didn't thought that the second time would feel even better. They were kissing like their lives depended on it, like this was the oxygen they needed to stay alive. Their kiss was passionate, and they soon started gasping for air.

"I love you too," Riley repeated almost without breath as soon as their lips parted and right before Mac locked lips with her again. They couldn't contain their smiles.

And while they were pouring their hearts out in the pouring rain the storm seemed like it was finally coming to an end. By the end of their third kiss and when Riley thought her day couldn't get any better, the rain stopped and the clouds started to dissipate allowing the sun's rays to break through.

They stared into each other's eyes and just stayed like that for a few seconds.

"We're soaking wet." Riley exclaimed with a big smile.

"It was worth it," Mac said grinning.

"It most definitely was but we should pack up and get back to the car before we catch a cold."

"Only if you promise you're not gonna move out."

"You still think there's the slightest possibility?" she asked.

"Just checking. You know, Matty would kill us if she found out we got sick because we were kissing in the rain," Mac joked.

"Assuming she doesn't already know," she teased.

"You feel like she's watching us too?"

"I'm almost sure she is but I have yet to prove it," she jested, and they returned to where the picnic blanket was to gather their things. Everything was soaked so they just put it all in the basket and they would deal with it later.

"I love the way the ground smells because of the rain," Riley announced taking a deep breath.

"Actually, it's not the rain that makes it smell like that," he wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her left shoulder. "The smell is caused by soil-dwelling bacteria known as Actinomycetes, which thrive in the soil when conditions are wet and warm," he continued.

"Of course, you'd know the reason the ground smells like that," she sneered turning her head left to face him.

"What? I read about it somewhere."

"I'm sure you did." she bobbed her head.

"Okay, fine, let's just go home," Mac announced, moved his body next to Riley and brought his hand around her shoulder.

'Home' she repeated in her mind. There was it again, and Riley was now sure that it wasn't just Mac's house, he was her home.

She put her arm around his waist and they started walking.

"Aren't you gonna tell me about the soil-dwelling bacteria?"

"I thought you didn't wanna know," he looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Are you kidding?" she tilted her head. "I love it when you talk all sciency."

Mac gave a loud laugh and began, "Well, then, where was I? Oh yeah! So, when the soil dries up, these organisms produce tiny spores that release a chemical compound called geosmin, meaning "earth smell" in Greek. We can typically smell geosmin after rainfall, because the humid air sends the tiny spores up into the air and directly into our noses," he explained while Riley was staring at him with loving eyes and a big smile on her face.

"I love you so much, Mac," she told him as soon as he finished his perfect explanation.

"I love you too, Riley," he immediately repeated after her, brought her closer to him and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead.

Thank you for reading!

Reviews are always welcome!