Chapter 32

~Riley's POV~

"Tell me about your family."

I don't know how many questions I'd asked him since we'd come out here, but like all the rest he took this one in stride and told me what I needed to know.

"Not much to tell really, my mom died when I was too young to even know what it meant and I grew up with my dad. He's...well he's my dad, I haven't seen or heard from him since I blew off law school to become an agent."

He picked up another stone and skipped it across the surface of the lake, where it bounced a few times before plunging in. We had walked for about an hour before we'd come upon this place, then we'd made our seats on the lake's edge, sitting side by side and taking in the beauty of the earth around us. It was quiet and serene. The lake itself was large and green from the refection of the trees that surrounded it and it seemed all the plants here flourished.

I picked up a rock of my own, brushed away the dirt and twisted it in my hand a few times before throwing in into the lake...it didn't skip, it just sank.

"Don't you miss him?"

"He told me he'd disown me if I left and I left so that's the end of that story." He didn't answer my question but I could read between the lines well enough and I inched closer to him so that our sides were pressed together.

He picked up another rock and I watched him turn it around and around slowly before he dropped it and picked up another.

"I can't imagine you as a lawyer...guess you really wanted to join the FBI huh?"

"I didn't actually, I always wanted to be a lawyer, my dad groomed me for the job from the day I was born." A small smile curved his lips and I thought that maybe it would be good for him to see his dad again. He clearly loved the man.

"Then why didn't you go to law school? Why join the FBI if it wasn't something you really wanted to do?"

He didn't answer right away and I remained silent as I watched him contemplate my question.

"The year I was supposed to go was the year John lost his entire family. He was...troubled, said he was gonna join the army, said he was sick of the bad guys getting their way and wanted to do something about it. I tried to talk him out of it but he wasn't thinking straight."

He paused.

"Eventually I managed to convince him that the army wasn't the best fit for him and told him that if he wanted to do something he should join the FBI, he still wouldn't listen so I told him we'd do it together, if I hadn't, he'd have enlisted."

To say I was shocked wouldn't do my emotions justice.

"Jesus are you saying someone killed his entire family?"

He nodded.

I shook my head "Wow, I had no idea...jeez...poor John. But would it have been so bad to let him enlist? I mean he was hurting, it might have been a good place to lose himself, maybe take his mind off all that."

"He wasn't going there to take his mind off things Riley. He wanted to die and probably figured that was the best way to go."

My eyes widened of their own accord "How do you know that?"

"Because I know him."

My mind was a jumbled mess then. To lose your entire family like that, I guess I couldn't really blame John for wanting to die and I wondered what I'd have done if I was in the same position.

"So you gave up your dream to help your friend.... And now you're risking everything to help me...you're a good person Nathan."

He turned to me then, eyes serious, "I don't see it as giving up my dream, John's my family and there's never been a day that I've regretted my decision. I won't regret helping you either."

He was so selfless and I couldn't believe I was the lucky guy to get him.

"So did they ever get the person who killed his family?"

"It was more than just one guy...but no, they never did. Anyway, no more John, we just got into a relationship shouldn't we be talking about happy things?" he joked and nudged my side. I grinned.

"I can't think of anything else to ask you."

"Alright, then it's my turn to ask the questions...what do yo-"

"Oh wait!" I cut him off midsentence "There's this one thing I've always wanted to know."

"Okay shoot."

I bit my lip. "Have you and John ever...you know..." I trailed off hoping he would catch my meaning and after a pause he chuckled.

"No never, I'm not John's type." He said playfully and I grinned, it was the best feeling experiencing him like this. It was rare seeing him smile, this new happiness; it was breathtaking and I soaked up as much as I could, hoping to save what little of it that I could for a rainy day.

"That's crazy you're perfect."

He raised an eyebrow and I rolled my eyes. "Fine then what's John's type?"

"You'd have to ask John." He replied though we both knew Kyle was the answer.

"Okay...then what's your type?" I asked softly, pretty sure that my face was blazing beet red by now.

"Apparently I'm into effeminate guys who can't skip rocks or play poker."

My face grew hotter and I pushed him. "Shut up... and I'd be able to play if you could actually teach."

"I spent an entire day trying to teach you."

"No you spent an entire day glaring at me every time I made a mistake...I didn't learn because you were making me nervous." I countered with a mock glare and he laughed again. Just about the richest, manliest sound in the world and I all but melted.

"What am I gonna do with you?" he shook his head and this time when I picked up a rock he took it from me and handed me another.

"Hold it like this." He instructed, fixing my fingers and positioning my hand to throw the stone.

When I finally threw it, it sailed through the sky then fell into the lake and sank.

"You're hopeless." I pushed up from my place beside him then bent to pull off my boots and socks.

"What're you doing?" he asked looking up at me in confusion.

"I'd rather swim than skip rocks any day."

"Don't be ridiculous, you can't swim in this, it's freezing." Then he reached up to take my arm and I hopped away, I let my pants drop to my feet, then pulled my shirt over my head. He stopped protesting only when my boxer briefs fell too and then he could only stare.

It wasn't until I ran and jumped into the lake that I realized that maybe Nate had a point. When I broke the surface of the water and came up sputtering he only sat watching; shaking his head. I gasped.

"Shitshitshitshit!" It was freezing to the point where I couldn't feel my balls anymore and I was pretty sure my blood had permanently froze in my veins. When I stood, the water came to my chest and I waded through as quickly as I could then ran the rest of the way when the water became shallow.

"I don't just say things to hear my own voice you know." Nate drawled as he watched me jumping up and down on beside him as I tried to gather my clothes, then even after I'd piled them on I didn't feel much better and I glanced his way with a frown, trying desperately to rub some warmth back into my skin.

He chuckled, "Come here."

I went, trembling limbs and all and he took my arm and pulled me until I was standing in front of him, after which he pulled me down to sit between his legs, my wet hair pressed against his chest.

"D-d-didn't think it w-would be t-that c-c-cold."

"The word freezing generally means more than just merely cold."

I said nothing in response, just continued to shiver and he rubbed his hands along my arm over and over again while pressing his body closer to mine.

"Guess it's my turn to do all the talking then."

His smugness made me want to reach up and smack him.

"Alright, so before you completely commit yourself to this you should probably know some things about me."

I turned my head so that I could warm my cold ear against his shirt.

"Like the fact that I'm not the tidiest person you'll ever meet which means if you can find the floor in my house you're lucky. Ah... I'm thinking of quitting the bureau and opening a securities company. My life was never designed for relationships, I've always been a casual hookup guy so this would be my first."

I rolled my eyes.

"What else? I'm not rich by any means, just an average guy with an average salary so if you're into guys with money you might want to go hook up with John."

"Oh p-please...I don't w-want your money, I've only ever w-want-ted you N-Nate."

I felt a slight pressure on the top of my head and I wondered if he'd just kissed me. I smiled to myself.

"I don't like doing dishes but I'll cook and even if sometimes I don't show it, it doesn't mean I don't care."

"I know." Then something occurred to me.

"You're m-making it sound like we're moving in t-together."

I felt him shrug "Just want you to know what to expect when you do."

I could imagine that life with him and it made me happy. "And let's not forget your husky."

"Never...we'll have to think of a name for him and your poodle."

I scoffed "I n-never said I wanted a poodle...j-just something small and fluffy...like a shih tzu."

"Uhuh."

He was rubbing my palms now and I wrapped my fingers around his to stay his actions.

"I'm sorry for how I was before. I shouldn't have treated you the way I did." He said quietly and this time I pulled away from him slightly to turn in his arms. The sincerity in his eyes warmed my insides and I reached up to hold his face in my hands before I leaned into him and pressed my lips to his.

His response was immediate and thrilling and when I pressed closer, his arms went around me but all too soon he was pulling away.

"You're still shivering, come on." He stood and stretched out his hand and I took it, allowing him to pull me to my feet.

"I'm fine we can s-stay."

"There's no hospital for miles, if you get sick up here we'll have to leave you to die." He joked and I elbowed him.

"W-whatever."

.........................................

It didn't take us very long to get back to the cabin but the shivering had stopped awhile back and after sneezing for about the third time since we'd set out, I figured I was coming down with a cold.

I pulled off my boots and damp socks at the door and made my way pass the kitchen and into the family room where John was stretched out on the sofa, hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling.

"You talk to Kyle yet?" I asked and he turned to me with a raised brow.

"Is there a reason I should be talking to him?"

I shook my head, and left him there to himself, deciding it was in my best interest not to continue that particular conversation. When I pushed open his room door, Kyle was sprawled out on his bed fast asleep, so I pulled it shut again and made my way to the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later, warm and feeling fresh, I padded into the room I shared with Nate. He was sitting cross-legged in bed, shuffling a deck of cards and he looked up when I dropped my dirty clothes into a nearby chair.

"What're you doing?"

"Poker." He held out the cards and I shook my head.

"This time I promise not to glare." He said with a wide, happy grin.

"I swear if I see so much as a narrowing eye I'm done." I countered, hopping up onto the bed across from him.

He stretched across the mattress, grabbing hold of the blanket and throwing it over to me. I caught it and wrapped it around my body, settling in to hear his instruction.

He laid out the cards between us. "Alright, the first thing you need to know is..."

AUTHOR'S NOTES

JUST A CHILL CHAPTER..HOPE YOU LIKED IT.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME OUT TO READ, YOU GUYS ARE JUST AWESOME!

-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.