In the morning, Mac, thanks to his "spider senses", like Riley loved defining them, started to feel her moving on his chest, probably she would have awaken in a few moments. He inhaled deeply the delicate perfume of her hair.

"It would be fantastic waking up in this way every morning." He thought, even if he still had to understand if Riley had the same opinion. Although with a heavy heart, he tried to stand up without waking her up. Luckily, he managed the "operation", even if with a lot of "moves".

Once upright, he headed to the kitchen to make her, her favourite pancakes. It was known that he was a liability for the "safety" of the burners, but cooking pancakes was principally chemistry, his "bread and butter", to stay on topic!

Mac, knowing her really well, had noticed she has been trying to avoid him for a while, especially with Desi in the proximity. Probably, she felt a bit in the way.

"Damn me, all this mess is due to my stubbornness on keeping up toxic relations when I had Riley near to me all this time and I kept making her suffer, unjustly." He guilted himself. He would have liked to punch himself. Riley's entrance in the room distracted him from his thoughts.

She was adorable with messy hair and her pyjamas with little hearts. Her shorts, unfortunately for poor Mac, didn't leave anything to imagination. He had to use all his self – control not to let her notice of his "evident interest". She mumbled a good morning, sitting at the table.

<<Good morning sleepyhead, at least, this night you remembered how better is sleeping in a bed than on a sofa.>> He suggested her, smiling, while offering her a mug of hot coffee.

<<Have you carried me to bed?>> She asked him in such a quiet tone that he almost didn't hear it.

<<Well, once at home, I found you collapsed on the sofa. There still are the donuts that I bought coming back, but at my arrive you were already asleep.>> Mac confessed her, a little embarrassed.

<<It would be a waste not eating them, let's take them to work since that you have already made the breakfast and you haven't burned nothing.>> She complimented to him, laughing and making laugh him too.

<<By the way, it's unhealthy that you work so much. I know that you do it for me, but I assure you that now I'm fine and that we will destroy them together. Are we a package deal, right?>> Mac asked her taking her hand in his, making her blush for the embarrassment.

<<Yes, and if we still want to have a job, it will be better not making Russ and Matty angry for being late.>> She suggested him, before going getting dressed.

Suddenly, her phone rang for the arrive of a message. Thinking it could from Matty, Mac gave a look, but when he opened it, he couldn't believe at his own eyes. It was a message from a realtor who informed her that an apartment was now free. But why was she looking for a house? Didn't she get well with him? Had he just imagined hearing her, even if asleep, saying she loved him? In his life, Mac had gotten through too many tragedies and he had started feeling even more lonely since the death of his father and his aunt and after having discovered the truth about his mother's death, and now even Riley wanted to leave him? He couldn't allow it, at least, she should have told him, looking at him in the eyes and she should have also told him the reason why she has been avoiding him for a while. He deserved it! Knowing her, she would have avoided this topic, so he decided he would have preceded her and facing her directly. He really wanted to start a relationship with her, but he wasn't sure if being returned. Maybe he had misunderstood her signals, but he had to be sure. He could accept not being his boyfriend, but he couldn't stand losing her as her best friend. She was the only person who Mac could really trust. Obviously, he trusted all his "cheerful family", but with Riley it was different, something which couldn't be explained with words.

<<Hey, I'm ready, can we go?>>

<<Sure, I take the keys of the car and I'm ready too.>>

"Ah, dear Riley, I won't let you go so easily, this is a promise."

In the car, they talked like nothing happened, and at the Fenix, Riley once aware of the break - up of Mac and Desi, remained high and dry and that reaction didn't pass unobserved to Mac. He was sorry of not having informed her personally, but seeing her reaction, it was undoubted that he was returned!

Due to the fact that there wasn't so much to do, with Russ and Matty on a negotiation and Desi at the gym, Riley decided to go see if Bozer needed a hand, well this was what she told Mac. Lately, the two of them were stranger than usual; for example, they suddenly stopped talking when he arrived or they changed the subject of the conversation. Surely, Riley opened up with him and so the only one who could know her true feelings, was his best friend. He headed to the lab, maybe he could have had a chat with him.