Whoo! Hey guys! Sorry it took me a while to update, I took a short break from this in order to write Jitterbug because this chapter was bothering me. The way it sounded in my head was choppy and didn't flow well so I put it off for a few days. I'm sorry! Anyway, hope you enjoy it!!

Quick note: This story is not meant to be slash but I guess it could be considered that way if you like, it doesn't bother me either way! The whole point of this chapter was to express the close friendship between Ben and Riley so please don't be offended by any of it, I promise it was not my intention :D Also, I'm not sure if the Washington comment is true or not, it just seemed like something Ben would point out...

Ben carefully nudged open the door with his knee, absurdly proud of himself for not dropping Riley on the ground in the process. He kept the young man close, cradling him against his chest as he guided the door closed with his back once they were inside.

It had become very apparent in the minutes following his rescue that shock and cold had taken its toll on Riley. Although he insisted he could walk just fine, his actions were slow and deliberate like he was unsure of the movement and his breathing was becoming increasingly labored with each step. On more than once occasion he'd stop and look around, suddenly confused as to how they got out on the ice, his glassy blue eyes attempting to focus on some obscure point in the river. By the time they'd reached the shore, Riley was shivering so badly he couldn't stand and he collapsed onto his knees on the river bank, breathing harshly.

Ben had knelt down beside him, dark eyes clouded with concern. Riley attempted to flash him a weak smile but it ended up looking more like a grimace than anything else. Realizing that walking was no longer an option for his shivering best friend, Ben carefully slipped one arm beneath his knees and the other behind his back, scooping him up into a fireman's carry and making his way to the house.

The treasure hunter whispered quietly to him the entire time, trying desperately to keep him awake until they got to the house. Riley would sometimes nod or mumble an answer when asked a direct question but for the most part he just clung to Ben like he was a walking furnace. By the time they'd reached the house, Riley was barely conscious.

Ben breezed through the house quickly, heading straight for the bathroom. He very carefully set Riley on the bathroom counter, propping him against the wall and retrieving a towel from below the sink. He draped the towel over Riley's head and scrunched his hair gently, squeezing the excess water into the fabric. Riley blinked slowly, his eyes rolling back and his head falling to the side as overwhelming fatigue suddenly assaulted him. The younger man's body swayed for second and Ben reacted quickly, catching him by the shoulders.

"Riley, hey!" Ben said quietly next to his ear. "I need you to stay awake for me for a few more minutes, okay? You think you can do that?"

Riley blinked again and made a soft noise in the back of his throat, glaring at the older man to the best of his abilities. "Killjoy…" He muttered softly but he sat up straighter and shook his head a little to keep himself alert.

Ben smirked faintly, relieved that Riley was still able to make jokes at a time like this. He tossed the dripping jacket into the bathtub and peeled off Riley's shirt, throwing it into the tub as well with wet slap. Taking the towel off of Riley's head, Ben secured it around his trembling shoulders and rubbed his back briskly.

"Alright kiddo, think you can get out of your jeans?" Ben asked, knowing how paranoid his best friend was about nudity. For some reason, Riley was convinced that the minute he took of his pants a hot chick with a camera would wander by and decide to take his picture. It seemed silly, really, but it had happened before and the internet had proof.

Riley made a face but nodded, fumbling with the button and zipper on his jeans. He fought with it for a few seconds, his shaking fingers never managing to get a good enough grip on the slick metal for him to accomplish much of anything. With a frustrated sigh, his let his head fall back against the mirror.

"Ben…" He began quietly. "You're my b-best friend…and y-you know I wouldn't say t-this without good reason…" He sighed deeply, a very faint blush appearing on his too pale cheeks. "I n-need you to take off my pants…"

Ben suppressed a smile, realizing Riley's dignity was now in shreds, and nodded. He unbuttoned and unzipped the jeans, tugging the wet denim off in one fluid motion and tossing them into the tub along with the other wet clothes. "Uh…Riley…"

The younger man looked down, noticing his soaked Futurama boxers and let out a loud sigh. "Oh Ben…Come on…!"

"Riley." Ben said sternly, giving his best friend an honest look. The quicker he could get him into dry clothes the better.

Riley sighed dramatically again, his thin frame shaking violently beneath the towel. "Fine…but y-you can't l-look…."

"Riley, we've been best friends for almost ten years. It's nothing I haven't seen by now."

"Ben…"

Ben laughed quietly but understood and nodded. "You got it, kid." H said, patting him on the shoulder and walking into the bedroom. After rummaging around in his dresser for a few minutes, Ben managed to find a pair of dry boxers that Riley could fit into and returned to the bathroom.

The younger man sat red-faced on the bathroom counter, the towel tossed modestly over his lap. Ben laughed again and handed him the boxers, turning his back as Riley slowly but surely wiggled his way into them. Once he was partially dressed, he collapsed back against the counter, breathing heavily. "C-Checkmate…" He breathed, what little color he'd gained from blushing now completely drained from his face.

Ben nodded and, noticing the way Riley was swaying, walked to his side and slipped his arm behind his back to steady him. "Think you can make it to the bedroom?"

"Yeah…" Came the quiet reply but Riley was leaning way too heavily into him for it to be believable. Ignoring the weak protests, Ben scooped him up again and carried him into the bedroom.

Keeping one arm wrapped firmly around his waist, Ben folded the blankets back and gently deposited his best friend into the bed. He pulled the blankets up around Riley's shoulders and walked around to the other side of the bed, kicking off his shoes.

Riley blinked slowly, trying to focus on older man's movements. "What are you d-doing…?" He asked tiredly as Ben slid, fully clothed, into the bed next to him.

"I'm sharing my body heat with you." The treasure hunter answered matter-of-factly, pulling Riley's trembling form into his arms and holding him close. "And the safest and easiest way to do it is through close contact to the victim-"

"Ben…"

"Body heat is also the fastest way to stabilize the body's core temperature without sending the victim into shock-"

"Ben…"

"And I don't think I could handle another cardiac arrest today…"

"Ben…!"

"Yeah?"

Riley smiled and laughed, which turned into a cough. "I'm not complaining…I w-was just asking what y-you were doing…"

Ben laughed, pulling the blanket a little higher around Riley's shoulders. "You know when Washington crossed the Delaware, his men sometimes had to sleep five people to a blanket just to stay warm."

"Ugh…!" Riley went to punch Ben in the leg but what little strength he had left was depleted as he completely lost consciousness.

Ben smiled and moved into a more comfortable position. He gently tightened his grip around the younger man as a quick shiver passed through him. Riley shifted one last time, tucking his head beneath Ben's jaw and letting out a slow sigh as he was finally becoming warm and comfortable.

Satisfied that Riley was sleeping peacefully, Ben closed his eyes and held his breath as a hitched sob tried to escape him. It was something he'd been holding in since rescuing his best friend from the ice. His last words, "stay the hell away from me" echoed around in his mind like a broken record. He had no idea what had driven Riley out onto the ice but the fact that it had almost been the last time he'd seen him terrified him and gnawed a painful hole into his stomach.

His shoulders hitched ever so slightly as he let out a slow, ragged breath. "God…" he whispered quietly, squeezing Riley close as if he were afraid to let go. After a few deep breaths, Ben managed to regain his composure but refused to loosen his grip. As long as Riley was safe and well within his grasp he could relax but the idea of letting him go anytime soon was a little overwhelming.Ben sighed softly and pressed and brotherly kiss to the younger man's forehead, content to simply lay in the silence and listen to him breathe.

The body heat thing is tried and true! I've heard and read about it hundreds of times :D Love ya!!