Ben spins the beer bottle he’s been sipping at for the last half an hour around absently as he watches Riley and what’s-her-name joke and hit it off.
“Ben?” Riley calls to him, tilting his head to meet the elder’s eyes. “You alright?”
“Fine.” He answers sharply. “Just thinking.” He doesn’t specify that he’s thinking about Riley and missed opportunities and yet another annoying what’s-her-name standing in his way. He’s loved Riley since they started this whole plot to find the Charlotte and now he’s hell bent on finding a girl for himself – since they always seem to be swooning over Ben.
It’s stupid, he knows. Riley’s… obviously not inclined to be interested in him. Not with all the girls he chases.
Suddenly overcome with the desire to get away from the bar, he downs the rest of his drink – all of perhaps two sips since he’s had it for so long – and begs off for the night. He claims some ridiculous excuse involving research, as if they haven’t already done all of that umpteen times.
He doesn’t even wait for acknowledgement before he’s out of there, walking back to the hotel they’re crashing at before they head out to the site of the Charlotte in the morning. Riley is sharing a room with him, so he heads to Ian’s instead. Just in case Riley does finally convince someone to come home with him. He doesn’t want to have to know.
“Ben.” Ian says, grinning at the unexpected visit. He stops typing on his laptop and pushes it closed. “What’re you doing here?”
“Just thought I’d drop by.” He answers with a noncommittal shrug. “So, you ready for tomorrow’s project?”
“Yup. Are you and your tech guy?”
Ben nods. “Yeah. Riley, he’s out. Should be back soon.”
Ian smirks. “I’m sure he will. Perhaps with one of those lovely young girls from the bar you two were at?”
“You’re following us?” Ben asks.
“Just protecting my investments, is all, Ben. Don’t need you two getting smashed and sleeping in tomorrow with nasty hangovers.” Their benefactor replies nonchalantly.
Ben leans against the desk in the room. “I’m not sure how creeped out I should be over that, honestly.”
Ian crosses the room to hover dauntingly in front of Ben, but his phone buzzes on the desk before he can respond. He picks it up, reads the message. “You’ll be pleased to hear that Riley’s on his way back now. Without any of those girls.”
Ben frowns. “Whatever Riley’s doing, it isn’t any of your business.”
But, Ian’s in his face again, looming with rather intimidating ferocity in front of him. “Oh, but I bet you want it to be your business.”
The door to the hotel room opens, revealing Riley. “Hey, Ben, I-” He stops, taking in the sight of Ian and Ben so close together. “Oh. I, sorry.” With that, he’s gone again.
“Riley…” Ben says, in an attempt to go after him, but it has no effect on the already closed door. He ignores Ian’s mocking laugh and crashes on the couch in Ian’s room because he doesn’t want to face Riley again just yet.
***
“I never liked him.” Riley mumbles, as he and Ben go trudging through the snow in the freezing cold Arctic air. “Hated him. All along. God, this sucks.”
Ben laughs, tugs his hood closer over his head. “You and I both.”
Riley pauses in his steady momentum forward, looking surprised. “Really? But, last night you…”
“Really. I don’t know what Ian was trying to do, but whatever you think you saw, you didn’t.” The elder answers, stopping as well. “I’m not… interested in Ian.”
“If he weren’t a deranged criminal out to steal the Declaration of Independence, would you be?”
Ben stares at Riley. There’s no way that Riley can be asking him what he thinks he is. “No. Ian’s not my type. I kind of… like someone else, anyway.”
Riley grins. “Oh, yeah? Who?”
Ben grins back. “Oh, you’d like to know that, wouldn’t you?”
Ben/Riley
“Ben?” Riley calls to him, tilting his head to meet the elder’s eyes. “You alright?”
“Fine.” He answers sharply. “Just thinking.” He doesn’t specify that he’s thinking about Riley and missed opportunities and yet another annoying what’s-her-name standing in his way. He’s loved Riley since they started this whole plot to find the Charlotte and now he’s hell bent on finding a girl for himself – since they always seem to be swooning over Ben.
It’s stupid, he knows. Riley’s… obviously not inclined to be interested in him. Not with all the girls he chases.
Suddenly overcome with the desire to get away from the bar, he downs the rest of his drink – all of perhaps two sips since he’s had it for so long – and begs off for the night. He claims some ridiculous excuse involving research, as if they haven’t already done all of that umpteen times.
He doesn’t even wait for acknowledgement before he’s out of there, walking back to the hotel they’re crashing at before they head out to the site of the Charlotte in the morning. Riley is sharing a room with him, so he heads to Ian’s instead. Just in case Riley does finally convince someone to come home with him. He doesn’t want to have to know.
“Ben.” Ian says, grinning at the unexpected visit. He stops typing on his laptop and pushes it closed. “What’re you doing here?”
“Just thought I’d drop by.” He answers with a noncommittal shrug. “So, you ready for tomorrow’s project?”
“Yup. Are you and your tech guy?”
Ben nods. “Yeah. Riley, he’s out. Should be back soon.”
Ian smirks. “I’m sure he will. Perhaps with one of those lovely young girls from the bar you two were at?”
“You’re following us?” Ben asks.
“Just protecting my investments, is all, Ben. Don’t need you two getting smashed and sleeping in tomorrow with nasty hangovers.” Their benefactor replies nonchalantly.
Ben leans against the desk in the room. “I’m not sure how creeped out I should be over that, honestly.”
Ian crosses the room to hover dauntingly in front of Ben, but his phone buzzes on the desk before he can respond. He picks it up, reads the message. “You’ll be pleased to hear that Riley’s on his way back now. Without any of those girls.”
Ben frowns. “Whatever Riley’s doing, it isn’t any of your business.”
But, Ian’s in his face again, looming with rather intimidating ferocity in front of him. “Oh, but I bet you want it to be your business.”
The door to the hotel room opens, revealing Riley. “Hey, Ben, I-” He stops, taking in the sight of Ian and Ben so close together. “Oh. I, sorry.” With that, he’s gone again.
“Riley…” Ben says, in an attempt to go after him, but it has no effect on the already closed door. He ignores Ian’s mocking laugh and crashes on the couch in Ian’s room because he doesn’t want to face Riley again just yet.
***
“I never liked him.” Riley mumbles, as he and Ben go trudging through the snow in the freezing cold Arctic air. “Hated him. All along. God, this sucks.”
Ben laughs, tugs his hood closer over his head. “You and I both.”
Riley pauses in his steady momentum forward, looking surprised. “Really? But, last night you…”
“Really. I don’t know what Ian was trying to do, but whatever you think you saw, you didn’t.” The elder answers, stopping as well. “I’m not… interested in Ian.”
“If he weren’t a deranged criminal out to steal the Declaration of Independence, would you be?”
Ben stares at Riley. There’s no way that Riley can be asking him what he thinks he is. “No. Ian’s not my type. I kind of… like someone else, anyway.”
Riley grins. “Oh, yeah? Who?”
Ben grins back. “Oh, you’d like to know that, wouldn’t you?”