A/N: Well, well. Looks like it's time for my 25th chapter, and that's a big achievement. Something extra good should happen in this chapter, right?
Disclaimer: I am a nerd who reads her reviews over and over again to make herself feel better about her story and where it should be heading and to show herself how lovely every reviewer (friend) is. Would a real Intelligence writer do that? (Well, you'd have to ask Michael Seitzman and his gang.)
Chapter 25 – Holding hands
The door was right there. She could easily leave. Just a couple steps and Riley would be in the hallway. But then they'd know.
What would anyone else who was trying to make their colleagues believe they weren't sleeping with their partner do?
Stand their ground and deny it at all costs, of course.
Nelson's mouth was agape like his father's, both still forming the word they'd simultaneously repeated. And loudly, at that. Cassidy was glancing slowly from Gabriel to Riley, like he couldn't decide who he was more confused at – and she hadn't even done anything other than stand stock still.
Riley was hyper-aware of her every movement under the scrutiny of her coworkers. Was her face red? She willed herself not to look embarrassed, thereby making herself look guilty. Was she looking shifty? She should stop moving. Normally she would've gotten angry at Gabriel and glared at him, so she made sure to do just that.
He was scratching the stubble on his chin, not paying attention to the silent commotion going on around him. For a split second, Riley was distracted thinking about how much smoother his face would feel later if he was given a razor.
Later? Focus, she told herself. There wouldn't be a 'later.'
Slowly, menacingly, she asked, "Gabriel, what are you talking about?"
Her idiotic, handsome, idiotic partner stuck his neck out as if to hear her better and raised his eyebrows. Realization must have dawned on his face when he saw the way that Nelson was looking at him. Riley swore she saw his ears redden only slightly. "What did I say?"
Nelson snickered at the confused agent like he knew a dirty secret. "Think about it, buddy."
While Gabriel squinted up at nothing in particular, screwing his face up in concentration, Riley looked to the other men. It appeared she'd successfully planted tiny seeds of doubt in their minds about what Gabriel had said. She didn't want them getting any ideas about how far they'd really gone at the cabin.
As far as they were concerned, the only contact Riley and Gabriel shared was a platonic hug or two.
It was the longest minute of Riley's life when Gabriel finally laughed. He stopped when he saw her glower. "Jeez guys, I didn't mean it like that."
While he muttered something about their minds being in the gutter, Nelson asked, "Do you mind elaborating for the rest of us?"
"Son, it's none of our business what the agents do in their off-time," Cassidy chimed, but the little smirk in the corner of his mouth disappeared when Riley turned on him, and he added, "Or don't do."
Dammit. She'd thought she was so close. Riley knew she should keep up the façade, and the best way to do that was to ask him what she least wanted to know. Her glare softened into a wary look. "What are you talking about, though?"
Gabriel let out another quick, nervous laugh. "In my dream, I was trying so hard to wake up that I just couldn't. Then I figured I just had to relax enough because I was concentrating too hard."At the utterly confused looks around the room, he added, "It made more sense in the dream."
Now that he was awake and thinking about it, it didn't make much more sense to him either. Gabriel struggled to string his words together coherently. "See, sometimes I get these nightmares that are enhanced by the chip, where I'm aware I'm dreaming but I can't wake up. It's happened before, but not as bad as this time."
Riley was sure she looked a little too concerned about him now. Instead of reaching for him again, she stuck to the matter at hand. "Go on. What happened?"
"You know how we were saying our stay at the cabin was like a vacation, right?"
Cassidy and Nelson watched Riley nod, oblivious of how blatantly they were hanging on Gabriel's every word.
"Well, I guess I just started thinking about that. I rendered up the same kind of scenario in my head, and fell asleep in the dream. Just like how I fell asleep next to you on the couch the one time," Gabriel finished, looking to his partner again. It was almost true.
Everyone in the room seemed to deflate. Nelson almost looked disappointed. He twisted his smirk into a frustrated frown. Under his breath he mumbled, "Nothing scandalous ever happens in this office."
"Nelson," his father sighed, "Can I speak with you in the hall a moment?" Cassidy walked out the door after giving an apologetic look to Riley.
He begrudgingly followed and gave a wave to the two agents, leaving them alone
Riley threw a small smile and nod at Gabriel. He reciprocated with a wink. "I covered that pretty well, don't you think?"
"Yeah, real well," Riley told him with sarcasm in her tone. She stepped closer to his bedside again. Gabriel's fingers twitched when her hand neared his, but he didn't move otherwise. "I can't wait until you're back to normal so you can control your verbal diarrhea."
Gabriel smirked at that. "I didn't tell them anything."
"They think we're sleeping together now, probably."
"Cassidy doesn't."
"Nelson does."
"Well, it doesn't matter. We're not sleeping together and we don't have anything to hide," Gabriel insisted.
"I'd say we have something to hide," Riley shot back at him, letting the words slip out unintentionally. There was a lot that happened on that camping trip that should probably never be mentioned aloud to anyone. Ever.
"So you thought there was something?" Gabriel asked abruptly. His eyes were searching hers, staring straight into her. Gabriel's fingers twitched again and his eyes seemed to grow dark.
Riley was caught off guard by the question and by the way her partner had gone completely serious. Her breath caught and her mouth opened, but no sound came out so she closed it again. She was working up the courage to at least give him a nod, but never got the chance.
They were interrupted when Cassidy burst into the room again. "Came back and you're already fighting? Just like old times," he chuckled.
Both had jumped and avoided each other's eyes, but the doctor chose not to comment on it.
"Anyways," Cassidy continued, "I told Nelson to tell Lillian you've awakened. It's a good thing you did, too."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Gabriel, I think you would've made us all even more worried had you stayed asleep for a couple more days." He looked significantly at Riley, who suddenly found her feet to be quite interesting. "Concussions can be tricky when you have a chip in your brain."
"What even happened to me, anyway?" Gabriel asked. "I got a headache whenever I tried to use the chip. I felt sick and passed out. That doesn't usually happen."
Riley chimed in. "We thought something was seriously wrong. You don't look like you're worried."
Calmly (annoyingly), the doctor chuckled again. "I hate to disappoint you, but it was indeed just all of the effects of the concussion. Now, it is a serious injury, but one you can recover from. You must have hit your head just right," he said, pausing to touch Gabriel's head in a specific spot. Gabriel flinched, and the doctor nodded.
"Some swollen tissue expanded around the chip. Normally, this wouldn't affect you as badly. I specifically designed the location of the technology so that it would be as out of harm's way as possible. What did you get hit with to have such a bump, my boy? A tree?" The doctor asked.
"Try a branch," he grumbled. "How many painkillers did you give me? I can't really feel anything except for a dull ache." The agent reached back and skimmed the sore spot on his head, wincing only slightly this time.
"You were dead asleep, so I didn't need to give you many. I'm prescribing you the same medication as Riley, though. It'll be a lot worse if you don't take them," he told them. Riley suspected Jameson had told them of his difficulties having Riley take her meds, because Cassidy sent a knowing look her way.
"Thanks," Gabriel said. He reached out to shake the doctor's hand. "Can I go home now?" He glanced at Riley.
"I suppose. But I'm sending someone with you to make sure you're alright," Cassidy warned.
Gabriel frowned. "Why not just send Riley and I home together?"
Riley snapped her head up. She widened her eyes meaningfully at Gabriel, trying to convey how stupid she thought the suggestion was. Riley looked at Cassidy, expecting the man to agree on how unnecessary the idea was. On the contrary, he smiled like it was an ingenious thought.
"Ah, yes! You two live close enough that it should be no problem, right?"
"No problem at all," Riley forced out. If looks could kill, Gabriel might not be alive. It was almost comical how he physically recoiled when he saw her death-stare.
"Perfect," Cassidy smiled. "I'll go get your prescription and give it to you before you leave." The man bumbled out the door, once again leaving them alone.
Gabriel looked a little frightened when Riley neared him again. She noticed that his voice was a little higher than normal when he asked, "What?"
"Everything you say sounds suggestive," she growled, and only grew more frustrated when that damn smirk reappeared on his face.
"Only to you," he told her. The accompanying dimples were too much. Her resolve to be angry at him was not waning. It wasn't.
"Yeah, right." That, apparently, was the best comeback she had at the moment. With a crack in her voice, she added, "Don't give me that look."
"What look?" His eyes had clouded over again. When it looked like she was going to step back, he grabbed her hand and brought her over to the bed using her own momentum. "You're standing so far away, that's all."
Yeah, for my own safety, she reminded herself. They were surrounded by their coworkers and probably in the view of some camera or another. She hoped Gabriel's daze would wear off soon enough. If they weren't careful, they'd probably get in trouble with their boss.
Then, the cameras reminded her of something. "Gabriel, why don't we get you up and go pay Lillian a visit?"
Gabriel noticed the diversion tactic and tugged on her hand so that she came even closer to him. Riley was unprepared and fell quite nearly on top of him, stopping herself with her other hand on the pillow at the side of Gabriel's head. "Sorry," he said gruffly, yet he still managed to sound completely apologetic.
Inches from his chest, she tried to push back off of him, but he held her in the position for a moment. "Looks like I'm not going to make this easy for you."
He's said it in a way that implied he had little control of his limbs, but Riley was sure that he was referring to her trying to distract him by changing the subject. Upon releasing her, he remarked, "Yeah, we should go see Lillian."
Before she stepped out of his space, he thoughtfully tucked the hair that had fallen in her face behind her ear.
Standing up straight, Riley felt like she could breathe again. She huffed angrily, though. What would've happened had someone walked through the door just then?
"You're right," she told Gabriel, "We're having a serious talk when we get home." Hmm, Riley thought. She was momentarily stuck on the phrase 'when we get home,' reflecting on how natural and completely domestic it had sounded when she hadn't meant to say it in that way at all.
Gabriel gave her a look like he was sharing the same thought, but his expression was a little less terrified than Riley was sure hers was. His look disappeared though when they both realized they were staring a little too long at each other. Riley was the first to break eye contact.
"Can you help me out of this bed?" he asked charmingly. When she nodded, the bed sheets were shoved aside and Gabriel placed his feet on the side of the bed, much like Riley had done when she'd first woken up. He closed and opened his eyes slowly, like he was trying shake off dizziness. "Standing up is what's going to be a problem."
"Are you okay?"
"The room is tilting just a little bit, that's all," he said, still blinking. When he was ready, Gabriel held out both of his palms so that Riley would take them.
"On three," she told him. When she finished counting, he pushed off and stood on wobbly legs. She saw his knees buckle and let go of his hands to hold his hips steady. Gabriel's hands went to her shoulders and he put his weight on her. "Whoa, Gabe."
A few beads of sweat reappeared on his forehead from the effort to stay up. His shoulder seemed to be in a bit of pain, still. Despite the fact that Gabriel was completely leaning on Riley and about to topple them both over, he had the nerve to joke. "Did you just call me Gabe?"
"What? No. Forget I said it." she breathed, and felt her own legs buckle. She was determined not to fall backwards, though, and shifted their weight back towards the bed. His grip on her shoulders tightened for a moment before falling back on the bed, sitting upright. He'd brought Riley along with him.
Riley's pulse leaped when they'd stilled. Her hands had slipped around past the edges of his hospital gown, reaching the bare skin of his back. Thankfully, Gabriel was still wearing boxers underneath. She was standing between his knees and his hands had fallen to around her middle back to keep her steady. Their position allowed for even less space between their heads than before. Gabriel's voice was barely above a whisper. "I actually thought it was kind of cute."
His eyes had glanced towards her lips, and Riley felt herself involuntarily lick her lips. Gabriel's grip on her tightened again and he pulled her body impossibly closer to his. Feeling the heat of him, she whispered, "We shouldn't do this here."
"Why not?" he asked, and she could hear the smallest hint of frustration.
"Someone could be watching." Riley hated the anxiety she was experiencing, but she couldn't deny that being back in his arms was one hell of a distraction from it.
"I checked. There's only one camera nearby, and it's pointing towards a hallway past ours."
"Using your chip doesn't give you a headache anymore?" Riley asked. "Good thing the swelling subsided."
"Don't try and change the subject," he told her gently. He moved the hair out of her face again and let his fingers trail along her jawline on the way back, settling softly against her skin. When he moved his thumb to take hold of her chin, her lower lip twitched.
A look passed over her features. As much as something deep inside her made her want to stay in this position forever, Riley also feared the possibility that someone could throw the doors open at any moment. If they were caught doing whatever it was they were doing this time, she wasn't sure she could make up a good enough excuse that would allow her to keep her job.
Gabriel noticed, but didn't move an inch. He recognized her anxiety, so he told her, "We're not done here. Promise we'll talk later?"
She didn't trust herself to speak, so she just nodded.
"Good," he said. He kept staring at her lips though. Riley was having trouble taking steady breaths and kept waiting for him to release her. Before he did, she felt his heartbeat speed up and Gabriel finally, thankfully tugged her mouth down just an inch so that he could place her lips on his. Riley couldn't hold back a sigh at the way he was scarcely touching her. He just barely took her lower lip between his, and she felt his hands give her sides a quick squeeze. Surprisingly, he let go of her then and watched her dark eyes stare at him in their own personal bubble of space.
A pained smile reached his face. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave the room."
"What? Why?" she asked. Didn't that sound just a little too needy? She cursed him internally for affecting her like this.
"I'm going to change," he said, and that killer smirk reappeared. She was so ready to kiss it off of him, but screamed at herself to get a grip. "You could always stay around to watch me undress if you like, though."
Riley really questioned why she was attracted to this man and the way he teased her all the time. As much as she hated to admit it, Riley realized she wouldn't have it any other way. She pushed off his chest and ignored him as he kept trying to convince her to come back.
She didn't stick around after she made sure he was good to stand. Once in the hallway, she paced back and forth, trying to wipe the smile off her face. Damn the man and his mouth. She bit down on her thumb, seriously hating that Gabriel wasn't letting her act nonchalant at their workplace. God forbid Jameson came down the hallway at that moment and saw the grin on her face. He would probably take one look at Riley and see right through her.
To calm down, she tried thinking unhappy thoughts. Soon enough, it hit her that they would be going to face their boss and give her their official report.
There went her smile.
Gabriel and she were also going to confront Lillian about the security cameras in the cabin. It gave her an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach. She'd had a lot of respect for Lillian, and was hurt when their boss felt the need to spy on them without their consent.
At least she'd get some answers, Riley thought.
Then, an even worse feeling came over her. Riley realized that Gabriel and she would evidently be going home together, and somehow she'd promised him they were going to talk about their relationship together.
She was almost comforted by the fact that they at least had to go see Lillian before they went home, so she had time to mentally prepare.
"Ready?" Gabriel asked, making her jump. It was as if thinking about Gabriel had automatically summoned him.
He'd appeared suddenly at the doorway of his room, fully clothed and ready to go. He looked a little less haggard, and she noticed that he'd tried to comb his hair back using his fingers. She nodded at Gabriel and allowed him to take her arm without resistance. Riley did, however, look up at him with knitted eyebrows when his hand traveled down her wrist and took her hand.
The corners of his mouth tugged upward. "Relax. We've at least got until the end of the hallway before anyone comes close enough to notice."
Riley really wanted to let out an exasperated sigh, but she missed the feeling of Gabriel too much to be angry. She'd been overjoyed to find out he'd essentially be as good as new. After all, what good was she at her job if she didn't make sure Gabriel was safe?
He squeezed her fingers reassuringly. The action released a whole swarm of butterflies in her belly. She cleared her throat. "So what do you think Lillian's going to say?"
"We'll have to figure out next time. I just checked in with Nelson," Gabriel was explaining, tapping his head as he often did to allude to his use of the chip. "It looks like she took the afternoon off."
"Oh," Riley thought. That was awfully convenient. Although, Riley supposed that Lillian really didn't even know that her agents were both up and walking yet.
"I'll call a cab?" Gabriel asked. He massaged his thumb over her fingers, keeping them warm.
There went her stalling tactic. They really had no reason to stay after getting Gabriel's medication from Cassidy, and it seemed like they were going straight home together.
Nothing could go wrong at all.
A/N: I hope there was some more feels in this chapter! Was it alright? I'm sorry if there were lots of inaccuracies (I wrote this at 2 AM). I tell you, for whatever reason I have listened to so much Christmas music today and I am so in the mood to write a Christmas Intelligence fic. It'd be short, but do you think any of you might read it?
Thank you SO MUCH to all of my marvelous reviewers: Guest 1, Kathleen Murphy, Scalet22, nrdhrd3, Lelylith, Blue Obsidian Butterfly (I loved your review and our twitter chats!), sunshineforever13, clay cowan, Chymom, Nastya Rey, TearsInTheDust, kwisteria, Midgardian Avenger, and evincis! Do you even know how much I appreciate you all? SO much.