Chapter Text
While Ben sorts through the possible channels, Michael continues to move through the documents for anything to help Harvey. Though he thought it was a good sign that he found that weak spot earlier, that was about the only thing he found.
The sound of a movie distracts him for a moment. Looking up, Mike recognizes the movie immediately.
"You like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?" Michael asks, leaning towards Benjamin.
The man hums in response, "Never watched it. Do you?"
"Yeah, I watched it with a friend," Mike smiles as if he's remembering something pleasant, "Harvey and I watched it to celebrate a win. He said I had a couple years to go until I was Sundance. Until then, he's both of them."
Neither of them speak for a while after that. Mike sits on the floor, leaning his back on the couch. Benjamin relaxes on the couch, watching the movie instead of observing Mike's activity.
"Got bored of watching me work?" Mike smiles, looking over his shoulder. To his surprise, Ben wasn't watching the movie. Whether he had just started Mike or had been watching this entire time was unknown to him. The fact that he was watching at all made his heartbeat thrum irregularly in his chest.
"Guess not," Mike mumbles, his cheeks tinted red. At this— for some reason unknown to Mike— Benjamin moves closer, his head so close to Michael's that, if he let gravity take its course, his head would lay directly into the crook of Mike's neck.
Though he ached to talk more to fill the thick atmosphere, the pressure seemed to increase, forcing the words back down. For what feels like years, neither of them move a muscle, not even a twitch. Michael's breath comes in short puffs, somewhat tickling Ben's face. Usually disgusted by other people breathing on him, it's a surprise to Benjamin when he feels himself drawing even closer to Michael.
So close that their noses are practically touching.
A loud shot rings out through the room, startling Benjamin into snapping his head towards the television. There they are. Butch and Sundance.
Feeling awkward, Mike turns back to face his work. The weight of Ben's gaze, however, doesn't dissipate in the slightest.
Benjamin whispers something under his breath that Mike can't catch. "Huh?" The technician resembles a fish as his mouth opens and closes indicisively.
"…You are useful, Michael," he says slowly as if thinking about them deeply.
Mike straightens up slightly. "I know—"
"-I'm not sure you do."
Attention completely away from his work, Mike argues, "I know I'm useful, I just need Harvey to see that I am."
"You don't deserve that," Benjamin snaps, "You deserve someone that can see you without you having to… to go out of your way to show it. Anyone with half a mind should be able to tell that your mind is one in a billion, Michael."
Mike rolls his eyes. "Harvey knows that."
"But he doesn't treat you like that."
"Why do you even care, Ben?" Mike huffs, "Harvey shouldn't be giving me special treatment just because I'm—"
"-Mike, it's not about special treatment, it's… it's about what you're feeling. You shouldn't be adding more stress onto your plate just because he can't see how incredible you are. I can't stand the thought of you going home every day and thinking you're useless because some stuck up guy told you that you're anything less than… than exemplary," Benjamin rants, his words slightly trailing off at the end.
Speechless. That's the only word to describe Mike's expression. Even when the movie ends and the credits roll across the screen, words seem to fail him.
Benjamin releases a long, drawn out breath as the next movie starts to play. "I-I hope you weren't recording that too." The movie Maurice starts to play, drawing a short, disbelieving laugh from Mike.
"Have you ever seen this one?" Mike asks.
Benjamin thinks for a moment. "No."
"It's got a bit of a sad ending, but," Mike explains, "Maurice eventually meets the man meant for him. The man that values him just for being him."
In a fraction of a second, Benjamin tilts Mike's head towards him and kisses him aggressively. The texture of their lips is completely different— Mike's lips, bitten and chapped and Benjamin's, plush and smooth.
The position puts Benjamin's neck at an odd angle, provoking him into sliding off the couch as carefully as possible without breaking away. Once getting on the same level, Benjamin surges forward, catching Mike as he falls backwards.
Stradlling Mike, Benjamin runs his fingers through his mess of hair, caressing him as Mike tilts his head for a different angle. In the background, the sounds of Maurice and Clive falling deeply in love spur the lover's heated passion.
Benjamin opens his eyes for just a moment and almost chokes at how red Mike's face has turned. As soon as he does so, Mike is tapping out, gasping for the air their kiss had so long denied him.
"Michael… Mike," Benjamin starts, "You are perfect."
"So are you, Benjamin."