Archive of Our Own ^beta

Benjamin Gates was enjoying a relaxing flight so far, the first class seats were wonderful, most especially the extra leg room, and the book he was going through interesting enough to keep his attention. So, yes, he was enjoying the flight, if only. If only a certain 5'9", blue-eyed computer geek wasn't snoring in his ear and drooling on his shoulder. He had to find a way to wake Riley soon; otherwise he'd wake up with a crick in his neck and a whiny mood for the rest of the flight.

Placing his book on the tray table, Ben turned his head and looked at the face so close to his. Just by looking at Riley asleep was making him smile, and he honestly didn't want to know what other people thought of that; it was enough that his father and Abigail had almost thrown the two of them together by playing matchmakers. It was embarrassing, to say the least, and he was a lovesick idiot, a lucky idiot, though, because when Riley was awake, he had the same silly expression on his face. Even though Ben wanted to kick him every time he mentioned that for the first time in his life, he had "gotten the girl". Honestly, young people. Just because he loved the nerd didn't mean he was the girl!

But still, he was back to thinking of how to wake Riley up and not have him whining for the rest of their flight to the UK. He moved a little in his seat without dislodging Riley, and tried to just sit there and look out the window. Look at nothing. Clearly this was not working; Ben was not accustomed to just sitting in a chair and doing nothing. He should at least be able to move his arms or his upper body, really. Turning slowly again, he raised his hand and cupped the other man's jaw, just holding him up and trying to make Riley move over to the headrest of his seat.

"Mphfff, whaaa?" A barely awake Riley was always one of the cutest things, but this was certainly not the place for it. In a plane full of other people, a place where Ben couldn't just swoop in and kiss his partner silly. 'Oh well, here goes nothing,' Ben thought.

"Come on, Riley. Time to wake up, you've been slobbering all over me for the past hour." Ben found himself amused by the whole position he was in, even though the passing flight assistant did a double take every time she passed by. . With one hand he was holding Riley's head, and his other hand? Well that might be a problem since it was on the younger man's thigh, and every time he moved, Ben's fingers inched closer to a place that was definitely inappropriate for him to touch while in public. At least on US soil or even a US plane.

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Riley Poole was having a good dream. Hell, he was having a great dream! Ben's hands were on him and he was warm and comfortable and dammit why wouldn't Ben touch him any closer to where he wanted? That was of course until a new voice, other than Ben's baritone, cut into his sleep-fogged brain.

"Is there anything I can bring you gentlemen?" the ever helpful flight assistant asked.

"No, we are fine, thank you. Being on a plane always puts my friend to sleep." Ben firmly pushed Riley's head over to his side of the seat and raised his other hand to keep him there.

"Maybe a coffee would help?" the still trying to be helpful assistant asked.

"A coffee would be great, miss, thank you." A sleepy smile and a few polite words and women seemed to melt for Riley. He turned slowly, still half asleep, to look at Ben. "Did she catch us doing something naughty?" He tried to fit better into his seat and turned sideways so he could still see his lover, fully aware of the people in the seats across the aisle sneaking looks at his back and wondering what on earth was going on. First with Ben holding him, and then with the assistant, and now with his turning around, and oh maybe the waist on his trousers was a bit low?

Ben just kept looking at Riley and smiling, and just in general trying to not make a fool of himself, thus taking the lightweight blanket from the side of his seat, unfolding it and then spreading it over Riley's waist and legs. "I'm guessing that your modesty needs some protection?"

Riley yawned again and looked at Ben through half-lidded eyes. "I don't suppose that I could change my mind now and go back to DC and just, you know, never land in the UK, never have to see him and most definitely not go to that place that we have an invitation for? Please?"

Oh, oh not the puppy dog eyes of doom. Ben closed his eyes for a minute, turned and sat properly in his seat and took a deep breath. "No matter how much you plead, Riley, we will have to meet with both of them. I would have thought that a former associate would not scare you so much." He wiggled a bit more in his seat and then grabbed the corner of the blanket and dragged it over his middle.

A sound to his left and a hand lowering his tray table made Riley almost fall out of his seat. "Here's your coffee, sir, would you be needing anything else?" Ah, the ever-perky assistant.

"No, that would be all, miss, thank you." Smile, dimple, hands moving towards the coffee. 'Oh and if you have maybe a parachute I could use?'

"Stop thinking and just drink your coffee, Riley, only thirty minutes before landing." And here he was leaning back into his seat, one hand underneath the blanket, touching Riley's leg and trying to look cool and relaxed ,and just in general a happy customer.

One hour later

Standing just outside the Heathrow International Arrivals exit, Ian felt like a bloody idiot, especially surrounded by four men in dark suits that screamed from a mile away that they were some type of government employees. Just his luck that he had had to meet Benjamin Gates and his geek sidekick off the plane, and escort them to where they had to go. Clearly he was being punished for something. Was it the arrest? Or the inability to actually perform better than a glorified historian like Gates?

One of the black suits moved forward. "They are coming through, sir."

"Thank you for the brilliant observation, Lieutenant, since I do actually know what they look like, I can tell for myself." Just because he'd happened to be arrested did not mean that he'd turned into an idiot overnight. No matter what these government types thought of him, after all, he got his orders from someone so high up that there was nothing they could say to him that would have any effect.

"Benjamin Gates, a pleasure to see you again." Ah yes, always good to enjoy the shock on someone's face. "And Riley Poole, still the loyal sidekick."

Shock. Anger. Suspicion.

"Ian." Angry words coming from the man next to him caused Ben's exclamation to be lost.

"You were sent to prison! The FBI arrested you! Those charges were enough to put you behind bars for a long time." Riley couldn't believe this. He just couldn't. How on earth was that bastard free and waiting for them?

The dark suits took a step closer and the lieutenant took charge of the conversation. "Gentlemen, Mr. Howe is here to escort you, would you please follow us to the car?" They turned as one and started walking away from the exit. Ian was the first to follow them.

The car turned out to be a limo, big enough for six people, although only Ian, Ben and Riley went in the back seats. The dark suits were split between the front seat and a dark sedan following the limo.

"So, Ian. Free? How did that work out exactly?" Ben was doing his best imitation of ’am cute and curious and only interested in learning’,while Riley next to him was seconds away from a scream loud enough to compete with a college girl watching horror movies.

Legs crossed, sprawled across the seat and appearing very relaxed, Ian looked the picture of a gentleman in repose. "Please, Ben, you didn't think that I was working alone and for myself,, did you?" He sat up straight in his seat. "Ian Howe, at her Majesty's Service, how can I be of assistance to you?" To say that Ben and Riley were rendered speechless was probably an understatement. This called for a drink, and as the perfect host, Ian opened the small mini bar and poured everyone a shot of Bushmills. "To your health,gentlemen, and to the hope that I won't have to be arrested again for trying to do my job."

"Your job?" Riley choked out. "What are you? Some sort of modern Francis Drake? Employed by the Queen and operating as a privateer? Seizing treasure and other things as you go?"

"Riley, stop harassing the man. If he's working for the government, then I'm sure that there were reasons for doing what he did and how he did it. And of course he will take the time to explain to us why he played the friend and then tried to blow us up." Ben turned to look at Ian. "You will explain, won't you?"

"Yes, Gates, I will. Or rather my employer might." Half-smile, let them sweat it out.

Ben looked and was feeling calm; there was nothing he could do to Ian right now anyway, "Before we get into that though, there is something that I would like to do and I have been looking forward to it for a few hours now." He turned towards his lover and slipped Riley's glasses from his face, gently caressing it with the tips of his fingers, while his other hand stroked down his arm and twined their fingers together. Tugging Riley to him, Ben leaned up and brushed a kiss over his lips. The younger man smiled and kissed back, pulling away from his hands, so he could wrap his fingers around Ben's shoulders and hold him close. Ben sank into the kiss; he hummed and stroked one hand through Riley's hair while the other massaged at his shoulders.

"We have company, " Riley mumbled between kisses. "He's going to shoot both of us."

"Yeah, it's pretty annoying. This wonderful limo and no opportunity to abuse it." Ben pressed a light kiss to Riley's cheek and turned to face Ian. "I don't suppose we have the time for that story now, do we?"

And Ian realised there was nothing he could do, but stare at them and tell them a story. Damn, Benjamin Gates, he always managed to get the last word.