Title: What Riley Poole and Ben Gates Know
Rating: PG
Pairing: Ben/Riley, of course!
Summary: Lots of people claim that they truly know Ben Gates and Riley Poole, but only they
truly know about each other.
Disclaimer: I don't own National Treasure or Ben or Riley, sadly.

Riley Poole knows a lot of things. He knows basic trivia. He knows almost everything about computers and technology, and how to hack into some of the most well-developed systems on Earth. He also knows how to come up with some pretty witty comments. But he knows more than that. He knows a whole lot about Ben Gates.

He knows the everyday stuff about Ben. He knows that Ben drinks his coffee without sugar with his breakfast, daily without fail. He knows how Ben does his laundry every Sunday afternoon, no matter what. Riley knows that Ben sets a "quiet hour" every night, so he can either work or relax. He knows how Ben must read something about history, every day, even if it is only one sentence.

He knows how determined of a person Ben is. Riley knows that even it seemed like Ben should have just given up his search for those treasures, he did not until he achieved his goals. He also knows that Ben always works to achieve (or at least tries to) whatever he sets his mind to. And he doesn't mind if Ben forgets the occasional important date (such as birthdays or anniversaries) because he always makes it up to him afterward. It's the heart that counts, after all.

Riley also knows some of the weird and personal things about Ben. He knows that Ben will never actually admit it, but he has a secret addiction to country music. He knows that Ben is very particular about where he likes to get his cappuccinos…only Starbucks will do. He also knows that Ben has a pet goldfish in their room. When Riley found out that the fish didn't have a name, he immediately took care of that, naming it Steve Jobs, after the famous technological entrepreneur.

And Riley knows how Ben's teenage years sucked. He knows that Ben's parents split up during the middle of his sophomore year of high school, and how his relationship with his father became strained after that. Riley knows how much Ben's mother's bitterness toward his father somewhat rubbed off on Ben, and how that bitterness lasted until they met and they had to go visit Mr. Gates to get some clues for finding the Templar Treasure.

But no matter what, Riley will always love Ben.