Author's Note: Sorry about the wait. I had a little trouble with this chapter. I hope it isn't too bad :P Really quick, I want to let you know that this is NOT slash. If that's what you were looking or hoping for, sorry :( I hope you will stick around anyway to see what happens. On a lighter note, I want to give a special thanks to those of you who have taken the time to comment! It really helps me write more and update faster!

Chapter 7

A hazy mist engulfed the bathroom as scolding water cascaded down his back. Riley sighed with pleasure. His body melted as the last of his drowsiness was seemingly washed down the drain. Closing his eyes, Riley felt the dark circles beneath them be erased as he turned and let the water splash down over his face. He didn't have time to enjoy the relief though. Reminding himself he had somewhere to be, Riley quickly washed up and hopped out.

Throwing on a black T-shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans, Riley grabbed his towel, slung it loosely over his shoulders and walked back into the humid room to brush his teeth. The mirror was still foggy, but he could see himself in the patches that had begun to clear.

As he finished, he placed both hands on opposite sides of the sink and let his head hang for a moment, towel draped over his still dripping hair. Looking up, Riley's eyes were drawn to the faint scar that ran down the tail of his left eyebrow. It was barely visible, and no one noticed it unless they were really looking. Raising his hand, Riley's fingers gently traced its smooth surface as his mind drifted back to one of his first adventures with Ben.

**FLASHBACK**

Laying a hand against the nearby brick wall, Riley struggled to catch his breath. The layer of sweat covering his brow and flushed cheeks turned sliver in the pale moonlight. Heat coursed through his body, his temperature rising with each passing minute. Why was he so hot?! Thinking back to that morning, Riley remembered waking up with a slight headache. He had stayed up all night tracking a group of poachers they were tailing, so he hadn't given it much thought, but now...

"Maybe I should have just stayed in bed," he muttered. It sure would have saved him the trouble of running through various side streets and alleyways after stealing back a collection of ancient jewels, but then Ben would have had to face the danger alone. Even though he hadn't known the man long, Riley wasn't the type of person to just sit back and let someone get hurt if there was something he could do to help.

Beginning to feel a little lightheaded, Riley turned until his back hit the wall and slowly sank to the ground. Ben was now checking to make sure the coast was clear before they headed back to the hotel. Riley pulled his legs in close until they touched his chest and buried his face in his jeans, his knees pressing into his eye sockets as he attempted to keep the sudden wave of nausea at bay. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel the world spinning around him.

He didn't know how long he sat like that, but Riley's head snapped up at the echo of approaching footsteps. It took a few moments for his eyes to focus, but he soon recognized Ben as he came jogging towards him.

"Okay looks like we're good to go..." Ben started as Riley pushed himself to his feet. He swayed slightly as the world tilted. "You alright, kid?"

Riley waved him off dismissively, concentrating hard until his vision returned to normal. He was seeing double, perfect.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Let's g-" he stopped as everything finally settled and fell into place. A man stood in the entrance of the alley, nothing more than a silhouette cloaked in the darkness of the poorly lit space. Riley's eyes were glued to his hand as he raised it, cocked the SIG, and took aim, his finger inching towards the trigger.

Oh god.

BAM!

He was floating. Waves of darkness lapped at the edges of his mind, gentle but persistent as they threatened to pull him under. Riley hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time, the silence mysteriously comforting. He could stay like this forever.

Riley?

He stirred. The voice sounded so familiar, but he was too tired to think any further and decided to ignore it.

Riley!

His ears perked as a sense of urgency suddenly tugged at the corners of his mind. Riley flinched. The voice was closer this time, but with it came a heatwave. As he tried to shrink back into the cool depths of unconsciousness, Riley wondered why whoever it was, wouldn't just leave him alone. Wait. He knew that voice...Ben! Why did Ben sound so concerned? Was he in trouble? The heat intensified as he remembered. The stolen gems. The alley. The gun.

His left temple exploded in pain.

RILEY!

Eyes snapping open, Riley jerked upwards. He didn't make it far before a set of steady hands caught him by the shoulders. Looking around, Riley realized that he was now laying on the cool pavement. Riley groaned inwardly. He passed out. Smooth.

Ben's face moved into his line of vision, features laced with concern. "You with me, kid?"

Riley nodded. He couldn't seem to find the words to answer. His tongue was like sandpaper and his body was once again radiating heat. Ben was crouched by his side and holding something against his left temple. Riley winced as he applied pressure.

"What happened?" Riley groaned as he struggled to maintain what was left of his dignity.

"You don't remember?" Ben asked, eyeing him warily as he removed what looked like a rag from his head.

Raising a hand to the still throbbing area, Riley tried not to freak out when he drew it away and found blood on his finger tips. That can't be good. "Uh...I remember we stole back those gems and you were checking our escape route. Then I saw a guy with a gun." He paused to take a look around. "Where'd he go?"

"He ran. The bullet just grazed you and he probably thought he killed us." Suddenly, Ben's eyes drained of all worry and burned with anger. "Why didn't you tell me you were sick?" he demanded.

Riley blinked. This was definitely not where he thought this conversation was going. Considering the fact that he had just collapsed and was basically a portable space heater now, if Ben hadn't noticed then they would have had a problem. But he hadn't expected him to care.

Recovering from his surprise, Riley shrugged. "It wasn't that bad," he muttered as he struggled to his feet. "It was just a headache."

"Well, it looks like a lot more than a headache now, doesn't it? Even if it was, it doesn't matter," Ben argued. "I need to know you're up to whatever we need to get done and if you're not, you need to let me know. Your safety is my number one priority. You can't keep these things from me."

Riley was tempted to point out that the way they spent their free time was not exactly safe to begin with, but he could see what he meant. This line of work was built on one thing. Trust. And for some reason or another, Riley found that strangely easy to comply with when it came to working with Ben.

"Alright, look I'm sorry," he sighed. "It really wasn't that bad. Well, at least up until a little while ago. It's not like I don't trust you or anything."

"Yeah, I know." Ben nodded as he held out his hand. "Just don't do it again."

Riley took it and they shook hands in agreement. He was startled when instead of letting go, Ben drew Riley's arm over his shoulders and took on half of his weight.

"Now let's get you to bed" Ben grunted. "You look like hell."

**END FLASHBACK**

Riley groaned, marched into his room, and threw his towel onto his bed. His hair was somewhat dry and as he looked at his phone, he saw he had lost about ten minutes. Plopping down on the edge, he let his head fall into his hands. He rarely ever kept anything from Ben. Now the guilt was practically driving a stake through his conscience.

You can't keep these things from me.

Resigned, Riley stood and walked towards his front door, snatching up his keys on the way.

He needed to tell Ben the truth.

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