"Hey Ritchie, you okay?" Methos asked, coming over to where the younger
Immortal had gone to after the meeting had ended.  A plan had been made and
it had been decided that the attack on the Initiative would begin in two
days.  That gave everyone a chance to get to know the others and form a
sense of how the others fought.
"Just trying to take everything in, ya know."  Methos looked down at
Ritchie, who moved over allowing him to sit down.  "I mean, all my life I
had always imagined that vampires and demons were stories that Hollywood had
made up."
"The stories have been around a lot longer than Hollywood," Methos
pointed out, trying to lighten the mood the other man was in.  Ritchie just
looked over at him.
"You know what I mean," he replied.  "I just didn't expect to actually
be in a room full of vampires, demons and witches.  It sort of boggles my
mind."
"We're Immortals, Ritchie," Methos pointed out.  "Until you met
MacLoed, you didn't know we existed, let alone that you were one.  It would
only make sense that vampires and demons would exist.  Although I never
imagined that I would be working alongside of them."  At this, Richie
chuckled.
"You have to admit, Joe does have interesting friends."
"That he does."  Methos was glad to see Richie smiling.  Methos placed
his hand on Ritchie's thigh, careful to make sure that no one was looking.
"You know what I would like to do right now?"  Ritchie smiled at the other
Immortal.
"Oh I have a good idea," he answered, covering the hand on his thigh with
his own.  He leaned into the other man, who wrapped his arms around him.
"Probably the same thing that I want."  Ritchie looked up at Methos and
the elder man found himself losing himself in the chocolate orbs that stared
at him.  "DO you think anyone would miss us if we disappeared for a little
while."  Methos couldn't help himself.  He bent down and placed a kiss on
Ritchie's lips.
"I think that the others will be too interested in everyone's stories to
look for the youngest Immortal and a researcher who just came along for
kicks," Methos stated, smiling down at his lover.  "Even the boy scout is
having a hard time surpressing his excitement at meeting vampires."
"Is that why you asked Joe to just introduce you as Adam instead of as
Methos?"  Ritchie inquired.  He hadn't been all that surprised that the
five thousand year old man had ask the Watcher to keep his true nature a
secret, as it was something that Methos preferred to do.  He didn't want
people to know that the myth was actually a reality.  He knew that it would
probably mean more people looking for his head.  And it kept the Watchers
from finding him.  Unfortunately it was also one of the many reasons that
they had to keep their relationship a secret, other than the fact that
Duncan would probably go after Methos for his seduction of Ritchie.  Never
mind the fact that it was actually the younger man that had done the
pursuing.
"Its one of them," Methos confirmed.  "Let's just say, I prefer to keep
a low profile among this particular group of people."
"In that case, I better make sure no one is looking when I do this,"
Ritchie muttered as he began to nuzzle Methos neck, placing small kisses
along it.  Methos couldn't help the moan that escaped his lips at the
attention his lover was giving his flesh.  "Or this."  Methos felt a hand
slide up his leg to cup his growing erection.
"Let's go find someplace a little more private to continue this
discussion," Methos suggested, his voice husky from lust and desire.  He
still hadn't figured out how it was this boy had such an effect on him, but
he had to admit that he didn't really care.  He knew he had the same effect
on Ritchie.  The two men quietly made their way out of the crowded room,
going off into one of the spare rooms where they knew they wouldn't be
disturbed, completely unaware of the pair of eyes that noticed their little
display.
"So, Amanda, how long have Ritchie and Adam been a couple?" Willow asked
the female Immortal.  Amanda looked at the spot that the two men had just
left and then back at Willow, confusion clearly written on her face.
"Ritchie and Adam?  They aren't a couple," she denied.  Willow and
Jeanette shared a look.
"If they aren't a couple, mon petit," the vampiress said, "then they
have the strangest idea of platonic that I have ever seen."
"What are you two talking about?"  Amanda was confused.  'Methos and
Ritchie?  No way.  I mean, okay, so I'm sure that in over five thousand
years, Methos has probably gone both ways, especially during that whole Four
Horsemen thing, but Ritchie?  He's totally straight.  I mean, hello.
Kristen?  Felicia?  Need I say more?'  "You guys must be imagining things.
  There's no way that the two of them are a couple."
"Ummm, Amanda, okay granted I'm probably the youngest person in this room
other than for Cordelia, but trust me when I say, I'm pretty sure when I
can tell two people are a couple," Willow explained.  "And one of the
surest signs I can think of is one person cupping the other one's crotch."
"What?"  Amanda shouted, drawing everyone's attention to the trio of
women.  She looked sheepishly at everyone.  "Sorry about that.  Jeanette
just told me something I couldn't' quite believe.  Go back to whatever it
was you were doing."  The Immortal glared at Willow and Jeanette, daring
them to tell her what they had seen.  "Who had their hand where?"
"Well, ummm,"  Willow began to blush, really wishing she hadn't started
this conversation.
"That would be Ritchie's hand on Adam's crotch I believe," Jeannette
volunteered, having none of Willow's shyness.
"This can't be," Amanda tried to rationalize.  "I mean.  Ritchie?  He
isn't gay.  There's no way he would be involved with a guy."
"Well, from the way they were holding each other and everything, I would
say he is very involved," Willow told her new friend.  Amanda looked around
for the two Immortals, not spotting them anywhere.
"Where did they go?"  She demanded.
"I would say they went off somewhere to be alone," Jeanette answered,
completely unprepared for what happened next.
"METHOS, GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE THIS MINUTE OR SO HELP ME I'M GONNA FIND
YOU AND TAKE YOUR HEAD MYSELF," Amanda yelled, once again gaining
everyone's attention.  Especially LaCroix who recognized the name of a man
he thought was only myth.
"Methos?" The blonde vampire repeated.  "Where?"
"What the bloody hell is all the racket?" Methos demanded, entering the
main room, his appearance showing that he had hastily dressed upon hearing
Amanda's shouts.  Before he could say anything else, he found himself with
Amanda's sword at his throat.  "Ummm, Amanda, what's wrong?"
"Amanda, what's going on?" Duncan asked, coming up beside his irate
girlfriend.  He had seen her like this on only a few occasions and knew that
there was a very good chance that someone would lose their heads over
whatever it was that had happened.
"What did you do to Ritchie?" She hissed.  She held her sword tight
across Methos' neck.  If he moved so much as an inch either way, it would
cut right through the soft flesh.
"What do you mean, do to Ritchie?" Duncan questioned, turning form his
lover to his friend.  "What happened to Ritchie?"
"Nothing, Mac," the boy in questioned answered, coming from the same room
as Methos.  "I'm fine."
"What is going on here?" Joe demanded, coming from where he and Giles had
been going over the plans for the attack.  "Amanda, put your sword down."
"Not until he tells me what he did to Ritchie," she growled, sounding
remarkably like the vampires that she had so recently met.
"I haven't done anything to him," Methos declared.  "He's perfectly
fine as he just told you himself."
"Amanda, what has gotten into you," Duncan asked his lover.  He didn't
know what had caused her to get so angry but he wanted to try and diffuse
the situation before it got any worse.
"Tell me it isn't true," she ordered the elder Immortal.  At his
confused look, she elaborated her meaning. "Tell me that you and Ritchie
aren't lovers."  Methos didn't say anything, instead looking over at the
younger man.  Ritchie saw the question in his eyes.  It was up to him as to
whether Methos would admit anything or not.  The elder man wouldn't say
anything if that was what Ritchie wanted.  Ritchie smiled at his lover.
"It's true, Amanda," Ritchie told her, going over and removing her sword
from Methos' neck.  Methos moved his hands to where the blade had dug into
his skin, finally taking a breathe that he had been holding in since Amanda
had shouted.  Ritchie looked over his lover, making sure that he was all
right.
"Ritchie?" Duncan whispered, not finishing his question.  The younger man
looked over at his teacher, seeing the shock and confusion that was written
on the Highlander's features.
"Methos and I are lovers," Ritchie confirmed.  "And before you go
accusing him of anything, let me just say that it was all me.  I was the one
that convinced him to start a relationship. I was the one that did the
pursuing."
"Well, well, well, it seems the innocent one isn't so innocent after
all," LaCroix muttered.
"You have to admit, it is always nice when the young ones can shock the
ones that could have sworn that they had seen it all," Barnabus agreed.
"Especially when it is the student shocking the teacher," added Lestat.
"Ritchie, why?" Duncan asked his student, his disappointment in him
evident in his voice.
"Why?"  Ritchie quirked his eyebrow.  "You even have to ask that
question Mac.  *You who have allowed Amanda to walk all over you no matter
how many times you've caught her in some lie or scheme.  You who couldn't
kill Kristen, even after everything that she had done, instead leaving it to
Methos.  Methos allows me to be who I want to be.  He lets me learn who I am
all the while giving me the support I need to make my own mistakes.  He's
everything I could have ever wanted in someone and I love him."  Methos
looked at Ritchie sharply at this declaration.  Sure, he and Ritchie had
said they cared about each other but they had always stopped just short of
saying the L word.
"You do?"  Ritchie turned to face his lover and nodded his head.  "Good,
because I love you too."  At this Ritchie leaned over and placed a gentle
kiss on the elder man's lips. Someone clearing their throat reminded them
that others were present.
"Well, not that the excitement is over, maybe we should get back to
training," Giles volunteered.  Everyone slowly made their way back to where
they had been before Amanda's outburst, including the two lover's who had
been interrupted.
 

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