A/N: Can I just say this is one of the nicest fandoms I've ever had the pleasure of writing for. Thank you so much for the reads and the reviews. Made my day. You guys are the sweetest 3 so the angst will continue…
Disclaimer: I do not own MacGyver or these characters, just borrowing for free fun.
Moments Like This
Chapter Two- Excuses
The moment Riley knew she had to come up with a good excuse was the moment she was done for. Sitting in a car with Mac would have been fine, even with her new feelings it would have been fine. She had been just his friend for so long, it was surprisingly easy to pretend to be just that, his friend. Trying to triangulate the phone of an animal smuggler was plenty distraction but the previous night they had made things incredibly awkward.
After fleeing Mac's house last night, she had showed up at Bozer's place with her laptop bag and a pout.
When he swung open his door he was exasperated…but not surprised. "Again?" he stepped aside and let her into his apartment.
She trudged in, head hung low and headed for the couch that she knew so well at this point.
"Where do they think you go?" he said, referring to the many nights she had shown up at his apartment. Riley shrugged, no one ever really asked what her 'plans' were.
She started to unloaded her laptop bag when Bozer lowered himself on the coffee table in front of her.
"You can't keep living like this you know," he stated, "one of these nights I'm going to have company already."
As unlikely as it sounded, she still nodded. She already felt guilty about dropping by unannounced. It had become something of a habit. Whenever Mac and Desi's love life became too much for her to bear, she jumped shipped and landed on Bozer's couch.
"I thought you were looking for apartments…"
Riley opened her laptop, fingers hovered over the keyboard and thought for a moment. Bozer was a good friend solely because he always called her out.
"I was. I am-I mean…" she fumbled over her words and his expression softened.
"After everything that happened with his aunt, I just thought I would stick around to see if he needed me." It was half true. She was worried about him, opening up wasn't his thing and if she were honest, it wasn't her thing either.
Bozer nodded and said, "and has he?"
He didn't wait for the 'no' he got up from the table and retrieved a pillow and blanket from his hallway closet.
"I'll see you in the morning." He left her with a tight-lipped smile and returned to his bedroom.
Looking back at her blank browser, she took a deep breath and typed in .
Unsurprisingly, she didn't get the best sleep on Bozer's couch. She left his apartment pretty early the next morning and was back at Mac's just before six am. She tried her best to be quiet opening the door, she even went as far to take off her shoes. As she backed into the house she heard, "good morning," Her heart lurched and her shoes went flying out of her hands. When she spun around Mac was waiting by the door with a banana and a cup of coffee in his hands.
"Eh-em, good morning." She thought he had more to say as he didn't move, perhaps he wanted her divulge where she had been all night but she wasn't going to, how much more pathetic could she get?
"I'll see you at headquarters," she scurried off to her room but she felt his eyes burning holes in her back.
At headquarters, they were in the break room waiting for Matty to call them in for a briefing. Mac was telling Desi about the time he escaped custody at the Russian consulate with just a wire hanger and cardboard box. Riley was half listening but she was scrolling through apartments when her battery flashed red for critical. She had been in such a strange headspace last night into this morning she must have forgotten her laptop charger. In fact, she couldn't even remember where she had last seen it.
"Damn it," she said, gaining the attention of Mac. "What's wrong?" he said.
She looked up from her laptop, shaking her head, ready to dismiss it to him but he was perked up, ready to listen.
"I just must have forgotten my laptop charger at-" She swallowed her last words. She didn't exactly have been a plausible lie about where she was last night so she just let it hang in the air and closed down her laptop.
She got up and gathered her things. "I'll see you guys in the briefing." She had just closed the break room doors when she bounced up Bozer, who was on his way in, he was holding her charger wrapped up in his hands.
"You forgot this in your rush," Bozer said.
"You're a life saver," she said. Only when her eyes followed Bozer into the break room did she realize the breakroom doors were glass. And Mac had seen the whole interaction. And he was looking right at her. And his expression told her he had put two and two together. And she was dead.
She was mortified, she hurried off, in hindsight, making herself look even more guilty.
He had probably thought her 'plans' were exciting excursions or even clubbing. Now he knew it was just Bozer. She had turned down so many plans with Mac and sometimes Mac and Desi using the excuse of 'fun plans'. Now, she had major damage control to do.
That's why she wants to be anywhere but in this car with Mac. The tension is all consuming and she can hardly concentrate on the hack. They have to wait until the smugglers contacts the buyer but the minutes stretch long and slow.
Another minute rolls by and she finally cracks but he beats her to it before she can open her mouth.
"So your plans have been with Bozer this whole time?" he says. She swallows hard before nodding slowly, not trusting her voice yet.
He pauses for a moment of thought before saying, "So, what is it that you guys do?"
She shrugs, "nothing special. Just hang out. Play video games, talk."
"Right," he nods, "you could do all those things at my place is all…"
He sounds so hurt, it throws her off. It's not what she was expecting, she was expecting pity.
He scratches the back of his head and says, "I guess what I'm asking is, what can you talk to Bozer about that you can't talk to me about?"
He so did not want to know Riley thought. He continues saying, "we're the three musketeers is all…"
She loves how Desi isn't part their history but hates herself for it immediately. None of it was Desi's fault, and that made her angrier. She didn't ask for these feelings, nor could she pinpoint the exact moment she had started seeing him as more than just a friend.
"If you don't want to hang with me, you could have just said so. You didn't have to-"
She finally finds her voice and says, "Mac, it's not like that," She takes a deep breath and twists her body to look at him in the driver's seat.
"I just…I want to give you and Desi the space you need. I'm sure you don't want me hanging around all the time,"
He looks at her like she's crazy. "You're our friend and we love having you around. It's your home too Riles." Relieved that he buys her excuse she tries to seal the deal with a reassuring smile.
"You know," he chuckles, scratching his forehead, "Desi thought you were dating someone and that's where you always run off to."
She shakes her heard. "I'm not dating anyone. I'm not ready to put myself out there yet. Once I do, heart break is inevitable."
The smile falls from his lips as his gaze intensifies. "That's kinda grim Riles," He looks at her serious now, with prying eyes and she feels like she's naked and in a glass box under his gaze.
She shakes her head, "with my luck, not grim enough."
Mac is about to push the subject further but her laptop lights up as the trace begins.
Back at headquarters, Riley is logging the case file onto Phoenix's mainframe when Mac strolls into the lab. He looks so easy going after risking his life all day. It's something she always admired but as of late she finds it extremely sexy.
"Hey, I'm taking off. You ready to head home?" The word home sounds ironic to her, she hadn't felt at home anywhere in a while. And now the last thing she wants to do is share a car with the Mac and Desi. Though Desi isn't officially living with Mac, she's there so often she might as well be.
"You guys go on, I'll catch up." He seems disappointed but she doesn't change her mind. He bows his head then leaves her in the lab alone. The file upload is complete ten minutes later but she stays in the lab and continues searching for apartments. When she's narrowed it down to five possible, Bozer enters the lab with a bag of Chinese takeout.
"I figured you wouldn't want to go home yet he says, sliding unto the chair opposite hers.
"Thanks Bozer," she starts unloading the boxes of food, "this is exactly what I needed."
"I know exactly what you're going through, remember," he says and she nods.
A sixth sense tells her she's being watched and she looks up and sees Mac behind the heavy glass doors. What was he still doing here? Waiting on her? Literally looking on the outside in, he gives her a nod before turning on his heels and leaving.
Bozer was waist deep in fried rice and looked back to see what Riley was looking at. When he sees nothing, he turns back around with an inquiring look.
She shakes her head, "It's nothing," she was going to need a strong drink to get through the night.
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