Chapter 2
"G'mornin'," Mike happily walks over to where Johnny is standing at the kitchen counter. He purposely stands in Johnny's personal space, obviously pleased with what he sees. Johnny is clad in only his boxers making breakfast. Of which consisted of pancakes, eggs, bacon and some sort of fruit syrup. How fancy. They haven't been able to have alone time together since the other night. Mike hoped that he wasn't annoyed or anything with him running off the next morning. Or the fact that he basically accused Johnny of having a thing with Carlito again…with the added bonus of Lucia.
He felt bad.
Mike should have been more than convinced Johnny wasn't mixed up in the relationship department as he was. Projection was terrible thing. As was hypocrisy.
"Mornin'," Johnny murmurs, glancing over at Mike briefly. He was somewhat distracted with mixing pale yellow batter in a bowl in front of him.
"Your turn on the wheel?" Mike finally asks. He finds an empty cup to fill it with a nearby pitcher of orange juice.
"Mhm. Want some?" Johnny questions. Mike makes a face, but he makes sure it's in a teasing manner. He takes a sip of the juice he held before responding with, "I don't know Johnny…the last time you-"
"Hey! I know how to make pancakes, Mike. C'mon."
Mike nods. "Okay, but-" He leans into Johnny, his mouth practically connecting with an ear while a hand glides over Johnny's exposed back. He was a mere half centimeter from touching the waistband of the black boxers Johnny wore. "Shouldn't you be wearing an apron while you cook?"
Johnny's mouth curls into a small smirk at the contact as he flips over a pancake. "You don't seem too upset about it though," he replies back with ease. Mike can't help put give a small smile back. Although, he did wish he could make Johnny as flustered as he used to get around him. It was a nice change of pace to see the usually confident, funny, sarcastically witty and trolling guy unravel for Mike. Mike saw that part of Johnny's personality as extremely sexy.
Footsteps suddenly began trickling up… or perhaps it was down? Somewhere on the staircase, causing Mike to distance himself from Johnny. He notices Johnny focusing on his cooking even more so now. Mike looks around the corner of the kitchen, to where the staircases are, in expectance of a visitor. A few minutes pass and a door closes somewhere. Who else was home anyway?
Whomever it was, wonder where they went?
More doors close, footsteps and then nothing again. Was someone playing hide and go seek up there?
Well, it wouldn't be the first time that happened.
Mike licks his lips before turning his attention back to Johnny, now that the coast was clear. He catches him mixing up the batter still to pour into the griddle in front of him. As Johnny is pouring, Mike inches closer to touch his lips to one of Johnny's shoulders. Then he dips his head down to softly press them on the nearest barcode tattoo on the back of Johnny's arm.
Johnny jerks away slightly and nudges Mike away with an elbow. "Dude Chill! You're gonna make me mess up!"
"It looks like you have already...What shape is that one supposed to be exactly?"
"Man, shut up!" Johnny exclaims, sucking his teeth. "The reason why you can't see my pancake making genius is because you're a hater."
Mike just snorts at the accusation. He gazes at Johnny's handsome smiling face, moving closer to make an attempt at unite their lips when footsteps make them break apart again. Said footsteps almost lazily enter the kitchen.
"Mornin' mi gente-!"
The two turn around to find Briggs, still in his pajamas, heading towards the refrigerator. Mike exchanges a look with Johnny who raises his eyebrows.
"G'morning," the two say together finally once Briggs makes his way other to them, carrying a carton of milk.
"Want in on these B?" Johnny asks, indicating toward the stacks of cakes. Briggs gives a hard look to the strangely shaped breakfast. Mike chuckles at the obvious internal debate he's having.
"Sure, why not? I'm feelin' brave today."
"Oh, I see its hate on Johnny day today. Got it. Love you guys too."
Briggs laughs lightly as he bumps an elbow with Johnny's.
"You know, I never see you eat my food," Johnny exaggeratedly sighs, placing a pancake shaped like a…flower? Mickey Mouse? On a nearby platter. Mike thought it didn't look too bad after all once he got a closer look. Johnny must have been practicing a little while he was gone. He looks up from staring at it to find Brigg staring directly at him as he drank from the carton. His eyes seemed to scorch right through Mike, although his face was all serious and seemingly business-like.
"Hey, how's it goin'?"
"Good," Mike replies simply. He needed to leave or change the course of conversation or something because he suddenly felt really awkward in the same room with Briggs and Johnny. One wrong move and Briggs would sniff out what may be going on between them. "Hey, Johnny-"
"Mikey, my friend you've been in hiding," Briggs announces, jerking the carton he held in Mike's direction.
"Oh?" Johnny says, giving Mike a knowing look, eyebrows raised and hiding an oncoming smirk. "We're not good enough company these days Mr. Mikey?"
Oh boy.
Mike made the mistake of thinking he was the one going to tip Briggs off, but the one he should've been worried about was Johnny. It was apparent that Johnny was going to make it worse with his teasing and hidden meanings.
Mike tries to feign an innocent expression to hide his impending embarrassment.
"Um, it's just this case you know," he replies, taking a hurried sip of his juice. He can feel the burn of Briggs' and Johnny's gazes in his direction.
"Who's the lucky girl?" Briggs asks suddenly, causing Mike to choke on his juice.
"HNG-ck-!"
"You can't have all your focus on this one case. Let it out."
"For real? A girl? Yeah, Mikey, who is it?" Johnny doesn't bother to hide the wicked grin on his face this time. "You didn't get back with Abby, did you?"
"Ohh Abby? I almost forgot about her. Hmm," Briggs muses.
"Who could forget? Mikey couldn't let her go. And ALMOST got Graceland burned. Dude, I thought you were smart too -"
"Rookie mistake. He knows better now…I hope. Yeah, if it's not her then who…could...it...be," Briggs thinks aloud. The ominous expression he has is cutting Mike's resolve up. Mike makes the unfortunate decision to quickly glance at Johnny for a second AND WHOOPS bad idea, because Johnny was giving him the most lecherous look in his general direction Mike had ever seen in his life. Mike's face grew hot as he tried putting his attention elsewhere. It didn't help though, he could still feel the penetrating gaze of his fellow FBI agent turned friend with benefits on him. Urghhh.
"C'mon, guys," he tries to salvage, blinking rapidly. He had to lie. It was his life after all. The lies, and yeah they were discussing his private life. Which Johnny was inexplicably part of. Right. It doesn't matter, this is not the time nor the place for this convo to happen. "Why, why would…how I? I have zero tim-"
"NOW that I think about it," Johnny interjects loudly as he is placing another pancake on a plate. He ignores Mike's glare. "Mikey has had his mind in other places. You know, like how he was with Abby," Johnny throws in Brigg's direction this time.
"Do tell," Briggs says crossing his arms and leaning back onto the counter. Mike couldn't understand why of all times did Briggs chose this moment in time to listen to house gossip. Shouldn't he be snuggling somewhere with Charlie right now?!
While overthinking it, he does however miss the small fraction of regret Johnny had on his face after he made his comment.
"You're on your phone more than usual-" Briggs starts slowly, giving an accusing stare to Mike.
"Textin' and shit. Who you textin' Mikey?"
"Yeah Mike, who you textin'?"
"And don't say it's your mother-"
"I think I remember you using that excuse once-"
"Yeah, I did. But, no mother would have her son smiling like Mikey here was smiling from a text-"
"Oh, well shit then. Sounds serious."
"Ha, right?!"
To Mike, the prospect of getting shot again seemed so much better than being in this room right now.
"Come to think of it-" Johnny pauses and then shakes his head as if he was having second thoughts. "Nah."
Dear god why won't they stop.
Briggs looks at him curiously. "Hmm?"
Johnny gives Mike a sideways glance, then turns to Briggs with a look of as if he just thought of something really important to add to this extremely jacked up conversation.
Oh no.
"I'm thinkin', who's to say it's even a gir-"
Without thinking Mike pushes his arm out into Johnny's shoulder, harder than he thought, cutting off the rest of his sentence. Unfortunately, Johnny knocks the opposite arm first into the hot griddle of frying cakes.
"Shit," Johnny hisses loudly while jerking the arm away from the griddle. He holds his elbow, glaring at it carefully.
"John! John!" Mike's eyes go wide and he reaches for Johnny's injured arm. A slightly red long crescent shaped burn mark has formed near the tip of the elbow. And Johnny, still sore backs away from Mike. He misses the hurt expression that Mike gives him at the rejection.
"Jeesus Johnny-" Briggs walks closer and sighs in frustration. He gently takes Johnny's arm to inspect it.
"Yo, Mike was tryin' to kill me, just so he could beat my time. Again," Johnny jokes, and Mike appraises that Briggs was about to join him in his teasing when they turn to view Mike's face grow red all over.
"That isn't funny Johnny," Mike whispers darkly. The nervous look Johnny gives him makes his stomach drop, but he keeps talking. "Damn it, I could've really hurt you-"
He felt Briggs' eyes flicker between the two of them. Mike could also feel his face turning into a near snarl while his eyes were at the beginning stages of glazing with unwanted tears. While Johnny on the other hand has his bottom lip sticking out, brown eyes sad and gazing at Mike. He was shifting uncomfortably where he stood.
Mike couldn't help but love or care hard about people he actually cared about. He wished he knew why, but nope. Even his parents desperately tried to understand the emotional man when he was a child. They simply pushed him into doing so many activities; sports like golf or hockey, clubs like the math-thletes or art appreciation, volunteer work… the whole overachieving child activities shebang. His parents were advised by specialists that it would help with his emotions, which they thought was linked to his ADHD diagnosis, to focus on an activity. Just to be sure Mike's parents made him focus on about 6 by the age 10.
"But-"
Mike reaches a hand out in Johnny's direction but stops himself. He instead chooses to exit the kitchen, running through the living room and then pounding up the stairs.
~~~g-r-a-c-e-l-a-n-d~~~
"Mike."
Mike glances up and finds Johnny, donning a red hoodie now with a sleeve rolled up on one arm, standing in his doorway. His expression is soft, but showed determination somehow.
Mike looks down at the floor wanting this day to be over with already. Wanting to somehow erase himself from the situation, from this house even. If were possible, he would definitely transport himself to another dimension than be here right now causing pain again to someone he cares about.
He'd been in his room for the past hour with no visitors until now. At first he thought the footsteps he heard were Paige, since he hadn't seen her since the night of the 'almost' drop. He thought she had a lead but hasn't gotten the chance to tell him yet. He tried calling and texting her in the last hour. Nothing got a response. Next he'd try getting in touch with Jakes maybe. But, then again, he was MIA since that night too.
The Bureau really isn't going to like this.
"You can't even look at me?" Mike snaps out of his thinking to find Johnny looking down at him, standing over him perilously close. His face now showed a mix of annoyance and concern. "Man, who hurt you to make you like this?"
"Is it so wrong that I care about you?"
"No. That's not the point… You ran upstairs without sayin' anything. Did you really get upset over a little burn Mike-?"
"That I caused!"
"So what? It's no big deal!"
"But I hurt you Johnny!"
"You've done it before!" Mike shrinks away upon hearing the declaration. Nonetheless, Johnny continues. "You'll probably do it again too. I'll probably do it to you! Accidents happen. I'm not underwater tryin' to disable a bomb Mike!"
Mike put his face in hands, shaking a little. He still had nightmares every so often about that horrible time. "I should've listened to Charlie. She warned me not to-"
"Chuck what?!"
"To keep an eye on you while you're cooking-"
"Tch, why does everyone take me as a jok-"
"It's not that Johnny, we—I'm— we're just worried about you. Because we care. We love you man-"
"Whoa, wait a minute. You love me?" Johnny sits on the bed closer to Mike, wrapping a hand around one of his wrists. His thumb brushes the jutting wrist bone methodically as he stares deeply into Mike's eyes. Mike feels his anger die down with each movement and the heavily entrancing gaze he was being met with. With a grin playing on his lips now, Johnny says, "Dude, I'm touched. Really. Love you too," after a moment.
Mike's mind wanders back to similar words being said when he was deep undercover with Bello and thought Johnny was blown into a thousands of pieces underwater. He wondered if John was serious about it in a platonic way or like a; I-care about-you-because-I-am-attracted-to-you type of thing during the time. Mike wasn't altogether sure if he felt that way for Johnny back then. He was drawn to his energy, loyalty, friendliness, bravery, humor…and something more physical at the time…and especially at the time when they first met at the airport much was true. He was also envious of Johnny's ability to create joy out of most situations too. Not for his own selfish agenda either. But for everyone around him that needed to feel better.
Mike couldn't get over how Johnny said those three words so easily…with so much heart and weight to them more than usual.
Mike decided he didn't deserve this affection. How could he, with the way he'd been actin-
He chooses to roll his eyes at his friend's response to save face. He was still agitated by what he allowed to go down this morning. "That's the only thing you heard me say?"
Johnny reaches his hand over to wipe away an unclaimed tear on Mike's face. Mike bristles at the gesture choosing instead to wipe it away himself, but Johnny, too fast for him takes that same hand to bring to his mouth for a kiss. Mike's face softens in surprise and he sniffs the disagreeable snot away from his nose, allowing Johnny to hold his hand for a few moments more. He feels his face more than warmed over from Johnny's actions and his own behavior. Flushed was too weak a word for the amount of red in his face.
"Wanna hug it out?"
Johnny went for it anyway before Mike could answer. A muscular body pushed forward, while even tighter tan arms enveloped around Mike's neck for a proper squeeze. He was being held close, chest to chest, breathing matching that of Johnny's. He let his head rest on Johnny's shoulder while Johnny's rested opposite on his. He heard Johnny sigh as he let go of him.
Mike was starting to feel nervous under what he took as a scrutinizing gaze of Johnny. He chooses to push Johnny on his back, taking care to not brush against the burned arm. The look of curiosity thrown in his direction encourages his next move. He has to make Johnny feel better somehow…To let him know how big of a mistake he made earlier was. He also prays he doesn't make Johnny uncomfortable again like he did the other night.
"What are you doin'?" Mike hears midway through yanking his own shirt off.
"Making things right?" Mike says, stopping his undressing to peer at Johnny.
The face Johnny makes causes his heart to sink. It was like an admixture of compassion and disappointment.
So much for not making Johnny uncomfortable again.
It's a look Mike very rarely sees from the usually lackadaisical guy. Very strange. He hopes he won't see it ever again. He chose to hover over Johnny so that maybe he could explain himself better. He places a hand on Johnny's stomach, taking a deep breath before talking.
"Johnny, I just wanna-"
"Bro, you know how you can make things better?"
Johnny gently holds his wounded arm up, while shifting the opposite arm to rest under his head. He stretches out his legs further on the bed and sighs.
"You could get to one of the medicine cabinets and get me something for this burn. That would definitely help. I'll take a rein-check on whatever you were about to do though." The smirk following the last line relieves Mike a little more about the situation.
"Okay. I can do that," Mike quips, straightening his shirt back on. The way Johnny is staring at him now gives him light goose-bumps. He gets up, heading for the door.
"While I'm young! Thanks Mikey. Love you!" He hears being called out to him. Yet again Mike feels himself severely affected by the earnestness accompanying those words.
Mike finds himself staring off to space in the hallway as he tries to remember where the first aid kits were. He wished he brought his own along on the journey back to LA, but Graceland seemed to have everything last he remembered.
Mike wanders into a linen closet, one of the bathrooms and finally the laundry room downstairs. It would have been easier to just ask someone in the house, but Mike didn't feel up to communicating with anyone else at the moment. He found himself in another bathroom, spying with his little eye on a larger cabinet next to the cabinet usually used for deodorant, perfumes and colognes ectr. Mike opens the door to find a series of medium sized red boxes in rows and columns. The boxes decorating the cabinets were labeled in white lettering as; cuts, flu…burns. Yes.
Mike grabs that particular box before trudging out of the bathroom.
When Mike returns to his room he finds Johnny standing up, back facing the door. Mike closed the door behind himself, walking over to him thereafter.
Johnny turned slightly, showing something brown and fluffy in his hands.
"Dude?! You actually kept him?!" Johnny gasps, lifting the object up for Mike to observe. What he is shown makes Mike smile instantly. It was the bear Johnny gifted him when he was stabbed two years ago. The little guy was slightly worn, but the function of adorable is still intact. Paige was the one who brought it over while Mike was in the hospital. She relayed the heartfelt message of, "Try not to shoot it," from Johnny.
"Yeah, he usually just stays in my room back at D.C," Mike shrugs. He pokes the bear in the belly making Johnny laugh. They continue staring at it until Mike takes Johnny by the wrist, of the uninjured arm, leading him to the bed again. When they sit, Johnny rests the bear on his lap while Mike sits closely on his right.
"If you get stabbed again I'll have to buy you another one. Oh, and I can't believe you got kidnapped, man. I also can't believe it hasn't happened again. You keep putting yourself in dangerous situations bro. You sure love It don't you?"
"Oh yeah, it turns me on," Mike replies, rolling his eyes. Why was he a magnet for this sort of thing anyway? He thought it came with the job but he most definitely wasn't so sure anymore.
"Gross," Johnny laughs, bumping his shin against Mike's. Mike just smiles not bothering to retaliate. He sees Johnny wrinkling his nose at him a second later.
"You're not into any crazy kinky shit are you?" Johnny asks, now looking nervously at Mike. Mike notices him wincing, quite possibly afraid of the answer already.
Mike snorts at the question. "No, I'm not. Not really…No. I'm more in between I guess." Although the question was mixed with jest, as per usual with Johnny's questions, it still unnerved Mike a bit.
What could he expect with sex with Johnny anyway? Or with a guy in general? He couldn't help but have his hands all over Johnny when they were alone like this. Recently, when he tried something wildly sexual was the other night when he reached into Johnny's boxers as they were making out. The guy gave a yelp, rolling Mike off of him before scampering off to the side of the bed. Mike guessed it was maybe it was too soon for stuff like that. Originally, Mike came to Johnny's room to talk about the Solano case, but got distracted by what he saw when Johnny greeted him at the door.
"Well, good. 'Cause I would soooo not be ready for it. Like one night while we're in bed you might pull out canes, whips and a chainsaw on me."
"Pshh, chainsaws?" And whips and canes? Mike can't help but laugh. He isn't sure if Johnny is joking or not at the moment of that outrageous sentence.
"I dunno," Johnny shrugs. "People do crazy stuff like that all the time. I don't know you." Johnny looks him up and down with a funny sparkle in his eye. "You're a bad enough influence on me Mr. Mikey. Can't take any chances."
"I'm a bad influence? Oh, really? Huh." Mike gives Johnny that double meaning smile again that made him timid yet eager that day when they first kissed. The next expression Johnny gives him solidifies the theory enough. He hears Johnny snicker when he leans into him for a kiss.
If Mike hasn't admitted it to himself already, he enjoyed that part of Johnny's personality immensely. The fact that he could find humor in anything. Even when he should be mad at Mike for the way he's been acting these days, and even so much as earlier this morning. His insecurities showing in full throttle…
The kiss is brief as Mike turns his attention back on providing Johnny with first aid. He opens the box and finds shea butter, cotton balls, small and large bandages, peroxide and rubbing alcohol. He chooses the peroxide, shea butter and a large bandage.
Mike takes care to prep the peroxide in the cap. "It might leave a scar for a longer time….I waited a little too long. Hold out your arm like this." He stretches his own arm out and turns it so that the elbow is facing up. Johnny mirrors the movement, taking care to keep the teddy bear settled in his lap.
"No problem Mikey. Just do your thing."
Mike nods taking the cap filled with peroxide. He sets the cap to the side as he picks up two cotton balls and opens of the small jar of shea butter. Mike then dabs one of the cotton balls in the peroxide cap, then the other cotton ball to swipe over the shea butter.
Johnny hisses when the cotton ball lightly soaked with peroxide brushes over his burn. Not wanting to cause Johnny any more pain, Mike quickly brushes the same spot with the shea butter. Johnny visibly relaxes at the application. The two stay silent for a bit when Mike opens up the bandage he chose previously. He can tell Johnny is watching him, but can't tell what his visage entails.
"Hey, Mike? Um, I went too far earlier with that convo with you and Briggs," Johnny starts, during the time Mike is wrapping his elbow securely with the large bandage. "I got kinda carried away-"
"Don't worry about it Johnny. I had no reason to react the way I did," Mike responds curtly. He appreciates the apology but feels guilty at the same time. Johnny isn't meant to be taken too seriously when he does or says silly stuff like that. But because of their current relationship situation; Paige and him on the outs briefly, Jessica back at D.C, and thus Johnny here….The latter of which Mike was entering in a new world of more than just friends slash friends with. Mike realizes his reaction was much more irrational than it needed to be, but accurate to how he was feeling at the time.
Which was exposed and out of complete control.
Mike wasn't at all ready to address publically this need he has for Johnny in this way. He barely felt compelled to talk to Paige about what they have…had. Mike knows he will have to address his outburst to Briggs one day too-
It was all too much.
Moreover, Mike felt the urge to change the subject when Johnny apologizes. It was time for him to get his thoughts together again. "Done. I have to reapply the cream and redress the bandage… For at least a week until the scar disappears. Or you can do it."
"Cool." Johnny lifts his arm, flexing it lightly. "It's definitely not stinging like it was before anymore. Good looking out Dr. Mike."
"Sure," Mike nods, grinning at yet another nickname he didn't ask for. He gathers up the medical supplies and places them back the proper way into their box.
When Mike finishes he is caught off guard by Johnny surging forward, impelling his mouth onto his. The kiss begins frantically then deepens as languidness settles in.
At that point Johnny drags his doctor for the day up by the collar so that Mike is flush on top of him. Before he could do so, Mike gently takes the teddy bear from Johnny's lap to place on a nearby pillow. More minutes pass by once Mike pants alongside Johnny as they come up for air for a second time.
"You're not innocent Mike," Johnny mutters in-between the silence. The tone he uses and the intense eye contact he makes causes Mike to go breathless for a second. The smile Johnny has is practically devilish. "I dunno why you act like you are."
"I've never said I was," Mike says, in a low rumble. The sarcastic 'yeah sure, of course' expression Johnny gives him causes laughter to escape from him. "I don't think I am-"
"Mm hmm. Sure ya don't-"
Mike interrupts by latching his mouth to his favorite spot on Johnny's neck. He chuckles lightly at Johnny's frustrated moan.
Mike pretends he can't make out the slurred speech Johnny adopts in lazy protest of being marked in the same spot, continuing to suck and lick on the tanned neck. The neglected teddy bear however watches them by the sidelines like a hawk.
I really recommend watching all of the deleted scenes from the season 1 of Graceland (I cannot wait to see the ones for season 2 omg). There is lot of information (and some funny stuff) on some of the characters. One deleted scene I found interesting was namely Briggs asking if Mike was diagnosed with ADHD and Mike confirming it. It was when the two of them were going to meet with Bello and Eddie at that restaurant. I don't know if it's still canon(since I haven't seen any mention of it on the show since then) but there are signs of him having it in the show(or maybe I'm looking too close?).
Anyway, thanks for reading!