Bad Cop was curled into bed, his body limp and wracked with exhaustion. His brain was just as tired, but he couldn't go to sleep. Lying there, shaking and twisting the pillowcase in his hand, he tried to will himself to sleep.

He had to see Business today. For some sort of organizational bullshit. What kind of protocol was that, forcing him to interact with the man who…

He hugged himself and shuddered. He'd thought he'd built up a wall, a tolerance, that being in the same room was hardly going to bother him…

But that voice. That horrible fake smile. It split him, making everything he'd wrapped up neatly and locked away inside spill out, grimy, disgusting. /Vulnerable./

He had to check his breathing in the car. He stumbled home. Barely made it up the stairs. Put a couple of nice scratches in the keyhole of his apartment door.

And now he couldn't fall sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, Business' smug face greeted him. Every time he began to drift off, he could feel his hands all over him, sometimes bringing pleasure, most often bringing pain. Those hands wrought suffering to everything they touched.

He grabbed his hair, ripping it until his breathing was proper again. He let go and sighed, moaning miserably into his pillow.

"B?"

Bad Cop gasped and jolted. Then breathed, a calm washing over him. Ah, Ben, sweet Ben…

"Ben." He groaned, turning to face him. "When did you get home?"

"Hey, B." Benny smiled. "Just now actually." He paused. "…hey, are you ok?"

Bad Cop hesitated for a long time. "Just…J-just a rough day at work…" He muttered.

Benny cocked his head. He frowned, his brow knit with concern.

Bad Cop sighed, burying part of his face in his pillow. "I had some old paperwork to pick up from Octan today."

Benny inhaled sharply. Bad Cop imagined his mouth curling inward into that taught line that meant he was angry and suppressing it.

"It's nothin' Ben."

"It's uncalled for B."

"Well, nothin' we can do now…" he sighed again and rubbed his eyes.

Benny walked over, setting some of his things down on a chair near the door. He stopped by the nightstand on Bad Cop's side of the bed. "Hey…" He reached out and ran his fingers through Bad Cop's hair.

Hmmm, that felt good…

The tension left his body a little. His furled hands opened and relaxed like flowers blooming slowly into the light.

"You know what I do when I can't sleep?" Benny grinned.

"Pot?"

"Hahaha very funny…" Benny said. "I have some music that's really good for sleeping. You'll really like it."

Bad Cop nodded after a moment. "Ok, let's hear it."

Benny patted Bad's head, turned, and bounced out of the room, taking off his shirt and pants as his went. Bad Cop smiled to himself.

Benny returned with a boombox and a cassette tape with an enormous spool of magnetic ribbon in the middle.

Benny waved the cassette around. "This is one of my favorites!"

Bad laughed softly. "Alright then…"

Benny set it down on the nightstand, pushed the tape in, and pressed play. A strange, glorious music filled the air. It was odd, full of vast, alien sound. It was so soothing though, so peaceful…like…

"It's like drifting through space." Benny sighed. "This is one of my space ambiance tapes. I really love it."

Bad Cop exhaled and shut his eyes. "Me too." He murmured sleepily. Business was there, but he was getting farther and farther away, space swallowing him up.

And then Benny was snuggling next to him and Business had lost all hold on Bad Cop. There was a strength in their gentle touching, their quiet warmth…

Bad Cop was going to fight that bastard to his grave for it.

Benny sighed contently, arms around Bad, legs tangling with his. He leaned into his neck and whispered into his ear. "Come dance with me and the stars…Let's sleep…let's dream…" he hugged him and giggled.

Bad grinned and gripped his hands with his own. The darkness was rapidly overtaking him, leaving him soon with no trace of consciousness but the impression of Benny's even breath on his neck and the sounds of stars in his head.