A/N - Introverted GCBC and extroverted Benny forcing him out of his shell is what gives me life.
In a tiny cafe, just around the corner in the city of Bricksburg, a happy group of Master Builders had congregated, chatting and simply enjoying each other's company in the relief after the battle. Emmet sat in the very midst of the crowd, one arm draped around the shoulders of his girlfriend Wildstyle, the weird, Unicorned Cat sleeping peacefully across their laps. The Spaceman levitated next to them, right above the Robot Pirate who had managed to wedge part of his mismatched body through the doorway, and Batman sat with Superman in a booth by a window. Even Lord Business had been welcome and was now chatting animatedly with Emmet as if the two were the best of friends. There were plenty of others as well, whose names Bad Cop couldn't be bothered to remember, each of whom had managed to find a spot near the man who had saved the day.
Occasionally someone would cast a nervous glance over at the lone man, sitting slightly away from the others. Bad Cop ignored them. His body tense, he hunched over a tiny wooden table at the far side of the room, a small cup of coffee clutched in his claw hands. Had it not been for Emmet's insistence that he stay, the cop would probably have just returned to his apartment. It seemed ridiculous to just do nothing. He felt like he should be doing something productive, not sitting here, drinking overpriced coffee. But Emmet had been adamant.
"Come celebrate with us!" he had exclaimed eagerly. "The more the merrier!"
Bad Cop, however, simply felt out of place among the cheerful crowd, and decided it was better to just keep his distance. Besides, nobody would be interested in getting acquainted with the man who had hunted, captured, and put them into the Think Tank against their will.
The man took a sip from his cup, not really tasting the beverage, but enjoying the warmth it provided.
Ye wanna go home?
There was an overwhelming relief that came with hearing his counterpart's voice in his head. Good Cop still sounded a little weak, but he was there. And he was alive. And Bad Cop was never going to let anything happen to him again.
"Yep," the man mumbled under his breath.
We can leave any time, y'know.
The man glanced over his shoulder at the chatty crowd, before returning his attention to his coffee.
"Five minutes," he muttered. "For the Special."
Really he didn't know why he was choosing to stay. Neither of them particularly liked crowds. Bad Cop didn't particularly like people either. But something kept him from standing up and just walking out. Maybe because it was easy to zone out, to let the garble of voices wash over him until he was lost in his own quiet thoughts.
"Hey there! Why are you sitting way over here all by yourself?"
The cheery voice pulled the cop out of his reverie, and he looked up to see the little astronaut, floating on the other side of the table, a friendly smile splitting his face.
Bad Cop huffed in annoyance.
"Get lost, kid," he snapped.
Unperturbed by the man's gruffness, the astronaut grabbed another chair and pulled it around to the table. He then tried to sit down, but the constant zero-gravity he seemed to radiate kept him airborne. After several failed attempts, Bad Cop sighed in exasperation and grabbed the astronaut by the forearm, tugging him down into the seat.
"Thanks!" the younger man said with a grin. "I have a hard time staying grounded when I'm excited. My name's Benny by the way!"
The cop held out his mug in acknowledgment, before bringing it back up to his lips.
Resting his elbows on the table, Benny propped his chin in his hands, politely preoccupying himself with the details of the room and not bothering the cop with questions. Bad Cop was grateful for this. Surreptitiously, he examined the astronaut in mild interest. He was easily one of the younger Master Builders he'd come across. He didn't believe he had ever tracked this one before. Come to think of it, Bad Cop hadn't even known of his existence until the events of the day.
"So how are you two holding up?" Benny suddenly piped. Bad Cop coughed as he swallowed his drink the wrong way, and the astronaut had to whack him on the back a few times before he was able to answer.
"Uhhh..."
He was unaccustomed to other people concerning themselves with his well-being, so he wasn't surprised when he felt the familiar tug at the base of his neck. His head whooshed and clicked as they switched faces, and the man straightened slightly as Good Cop took the lead.
"Fine. We're both fine," Good Cop said, his scribbled mouth uplifting in an attempt at a smile. "Still adjusting to the calm, but y'know. It's nice, being on the nice side." He quickly switched back.
"Ahem," Bad Cop said awkwardly. "What he said." He took another swig to give himself something to do, and at the moment Benny's stomach growled.
"Are ye not having anything?" Bad Cop asked.
The astronaut quickly crossed his arms over his stomach in embarrassment.
"Me and caffeine? Nooooooooooo. Not a good mixture. I'm not too good with too much sugar either." He leaned in and whispered, "I get pretty hyperactive and literally start bouncing off the walls." His stomach tried to grumble again, but he quickly tightened his arms to stifle the noise.
Bad Cop rolled his eyes and pushed his uneaten croissant towards him. "Here," he said.
Benny's eyes widened. "Are you sure?" he asked.
"I'm not hungry."
Benny needed no telling twice, gobbling up the sweet bread in just a few seconds. Amused by his eagerness, the corners of Bad Cop's mouth lifted slightly.
Benny gasped. "Wait...is that a smile I see?"
The cop quickly pursed his lips. "No."
"Uh-huh," Benny smirked, his enthusiasm already causing him to levitate above his chair again. Bad Cop merely grunted.
"Hey," the astronaut continued. "Why don't you come sit with us?"
Bad Cop's face immediately hardened and his grip tightened on his mug.
"Thanks, but no thanks," he said. He figured his five minutes were up anyway and now it was time to take his leave.
"Awww, c'mon! Please?" Benny clasped his hands pleadingly.
"Trust me kid," Bad Cop growled, pushing his chair back. "Nobody here cares to have us around."
"I care!" Benny said, as if it should have been obvious. He hopped into the air and grabbed a hold of the cop's arm, tugging it towards the group.
"Let go!" Bad Cop said, trying to wrench himself free. But the astronaut was, surprisingly, quite strong. Quick as a flash, he flew around behind the cop and reach under his arms, pulling him to his feet. Bad Cop tried to resist, but Benny literally had the upper hand. With one great shove, he forced the cop among the others.
"Hey, guys!" Benny called happily. "Can we join y'all?"
The silence that accompanied the stares of surprise was agonizing. Bad Cop grimaced to himself, wishing he could have melted into the ground. But something kept him from making a break for the nearest exit. Perhaps it was the inclusion of himself in the "we." Obviously Benny was welcome amongst the circle of friends, but the way he said "we" was as if he wouldn't stay if the other man was deemed unwelcome.
Emmet's smile was instantaneous. "Of course!" he said. "Pull up a chair!"
Benny did it for him, practically pushing the cop into the seat. A couple of the other Master Builders edged away from him nervously, but Benny levitated above him, arms crossed on top of the cop's helmet, keeping him in place. And then, just like that, the conversation picked back up as if nothing had changed.
"See?" Benny whispered. "That wasn't so bad."
Bad Cop merely growled under his breath in response. He would make no attempt to join in on the conversation. Benny too maintained silence, occasionally commenting or laughing at a joke or just grinning from ear to ear, as if it was the best thing in the world to be surrounded by all these people he'd just met.
It wasn't long though, before the astronaut's weight suddenly left the top of the cop's head, and when Bad Cop looked up to see where the astronaut had got to, he saw that Benny had fallen asleep, arms still crossed, legs now drawn up to his chest. Slowly, he began to drift toward the floor, so Bad Cop pulled up another chair and guided the astronaut's decent onto the seat.
"Awwwww," Wildstyle quietly giggled, watching the two. "Look's like someone made a friend!"
Bad Cop glanced down at the sleeping astronaut, just as Benny leaned against the cop's arm in his sleep, mouth hanging open, snoring lightly.
The woman smiled fondly. "Poor guy's exhausted!" Her gaze shifted to the other man. "Bad Cop, if he's bothering you..."
"No, no it's...fine. Just leave 'em." Even he was surprised at the words that came out of his mouth. But somehow, the added weight of another human being was kind of nice. In fact...simply being surrounded by other human beings, who weren't completely opposed to his presence, was somehow...not unwelcome.
Wildstyle nodded and returned her attention to her new boyfriend.
Ye got this, Good Cop whispered in the back of his mind.
The man smiled.
This wasn't so bad.