An alarm clock screamed from the other room and startled Benry awake.

"Huh?" he muttered, reaching up to wipe the sleep from his eyes. Where the hell was he? He ran short fingernails through his hair. His helmet was gone. Damn, he liked that helmet. It would be a pain to get a new one now that Black Mesa was gone.

Black Mesa. That's right, he'd lost the final battle. Big Boss Benry getting destroyed by the angry protag and his plucky party of adventurers. It was the fate of all raid bosses. Perfectly respectable. It had been pretty fun.

Okay, not 'fun' per se. He didn't like being mean and he didn't like getting hurt. Benry enjoyed video games better when he was the one with the controller. Next time, Coomer could take the final boss fight.

So the last thing he remembered was getting his socks rocked by Gordon, but where was he now?

He dragged himself upright. A blue-green paisley comforter pooled around his waist as he looked around, squinting. He was in an apartment. He was in the living room, on the couch, directly across from the TV and a storage chest. Whoever lived here had a PS4. Fuckin' sweet. A bookcase, some windows, a kitchen behind an island with barstools… He could see what was probably the front door, another door, and a hallway. Mental map: completed.

The alarm had stopped by now. What time was it? Maybe Tommy's dad had dropped him off at Jefferam's place after he'd reconstituted himself. He wouldn't put it past ol' Jeffy boy to already have a new place and gig. Benry got up and stretched his arms above his head with a groan. His friend was a real one to give up his couch for however long he'd been out. He pulled the comforter off the couch and folded it as best he could. It was slap-dash, but the thought counted.

He could at least make them some breakfast. Let no one ever say that Benry was an ungrateful houseguest. He yawned and scratched his neck. He'd need to bother Jeff for an extra set of clothes so he could shower. New flesh always felt so weird until he could scrub it.

He padded over to the kitchen on bare feet and shivered when he touched tile. He could hear Jeff getting ready in the next room. He wondered if he'd have time for a quick game before he left for wherever. He opened the fridge and stared dumbly for a few seconds.

There was regular milk, chocolate milk, some eggs, condiments... Not much. He glanced around. Well, they had bread, so he could make crow's nests. Maybe he'd offer to buy groceries later. He pulled the eggs out of the fridge and went looking for a pan and a knife.

The pan was heating up on the stove and Benry was cutting circles out of the bread slices when he heard someone walking down the hall. He didn't look up, eyes narrowed and focussed entirely on making perfect shapes.

"Hey, man, you need to go grocery shopping. Yuh- You're fridge looking a little bit, uh, fail there, broski."

"Good morning to you too, Benry," Gordon chuckled.

Benry startled, flinging the butter knife into the sink with a clatter. Whoops. His heart leaped in his chest like he'd been zapped. He turned his head towards the voice, black eyes snapping upwards to meet green ones.

There was Gordon Freeman, in the flesh, leaning against the kitchen island with a little smile gracing his lips. Benry felt heat touch his cheeks and the back of his neck. Oh. Fuck.

"Uhh…."

"How did you sleep?"

"F-Fine, I guess? Is this, uh, your apartment?"

Gordon laughed and sat on one of the barstools. It was a pretty laugh- one that Benry had only heard rarely at the start of their adventure (and not at all after 'The Betrayal'). Gordon set his elbows on the counter and leaned his cheek on his hand. The light came in from the windows behind him and caught in his hair- turning strands of brunette into an almost-auburn. The freckles over Gordon's shoulders were visible in his tank top. Benry's heart skipped.

"What was your first clue, genius?" Gordon teased, but his eyes were warm. Way too warm. Gordon hated him. Benry glanced from side to side. Where was the hidden camera?

"Uhhh, when I saw you. I see that, uh, l-little, clumsy boy got his hand back?" Benry's mouth was running before he could catch it yet again. Stupid. Why did he have to antagonize him now? He wasn't the big boss anymore. Uncool, motormouth. Still, maybe it was best he play his part. He didn't have the right to ask to be forgiven.

"Oh! This?" Gordon asked, sitting up and extending his arm for him to see. Not even a scar was left behind to show the consequences of Benry's miscalculation. "Tommy's dad got me a new one after we beat the game. He also, uh, explained some stuff to me."

"Oh, huh, and what- what knowledge bombs did Mr. Coolatta drop on you? My stats? Speedrun strats for killing me better?"

Gordon's gaze dropped to the fake wood grain of the counter. It was cheap looking, like elementary school desks. "He told me that you had to be the final boss for us to leave, Benry."

"O-Oh, well… Yeah. Can't have a story without conflict, you know? And we already didn't get along, so… Easy choice."

"Benry. I killed you," Gordon said, sounding somewhat pained. Dammit. Tommy's dad should keep his mouth shut.

"Yeah, well… I cut off your- your arm. So, we're even."

Benry turned quickly back to the stovetop. His cheeks were burning and he didn't know what his heart was even trying to do in his ribcage. Fucking, treating his chest like an escape room maybe, or pounding out the Konami Code.

Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, A, B, start. Cheat unlocked: Benry gets a cornerary.

Benry scooped out a glob of margarine for the pan, busying himself with making breakfast. The bread slices with the cut outs went into the pan next, then he cracked an egg into each of them.

"...What are you making?" Gordon asked. Benry had half-expected him to blow up in anger again at the reminder of Benry's betrayal. Or at least leave the kitchen. Benry flexed his toes nervously against the curly-cue patterned linoleum tile.

"Crow's nests. You didn't have anything else. G-Grocery Failman. Not even any sriracha. Cringe," he said, trailing off to muttering halfway through. He still refused to look at Gordon. He could continue to be mean, but now that Gordon knew the truth... It would just be pathetic, wouldn't it? But he didn't know how else to act. He knew he came off as annoying, he wasn't dumb. If Gordon hated him when he was trying to be hated, that was one thing, but what if he tried to be good and still fucked it up?

"...Even before you cut off my arm, I wasn't nice to you."

"I don't want to talk about this." Benry prayed that the floor would swallow him.

"You were just trying to do your job-"

"No!" Benry snapped, hand tightening around the pan's handle. "I wasn't. I was- I was supposed to be a nice cool. I didn't have to follow you around like a, like a peeper puppy."

"I forgave Bubby, you know. Why should I make a special exception to continue hating you?"

Benry said nothing. He couldn't even make himself apologise properly and here was Gordon Freeman being the bigger man. He dug around in one of the cupboards for peanut butter. He could hear Gordon shuffling around behind him; standing up, coming around the counter, standing right behind him… He leaned over until Benry had no choice but to see him out of the corner of his eye.

"Let's start over," Gordon said. His green eyes were bright as he gave a somewhat nervous smile. He extended a hand. "Hi, I'm Gordon Freeman. I used to work at Black Mesa."

Benry stared at the offered limb blankly for a second. He put down the jar and hesitantly, like he was scared this was some kind of mean joke, reached up to grasp Gordon's hand. He shook it once, twice.

"I'm Benry. Nice to meet you."

Gordon beamed at him. Benry tried to smile back. It must have looked weird on his face, but Gordon only chuckled. "Do you want some help?" Gordon asked.

"You gotta, uh, go wash your hands first. For kitchen clearance."

"Did you?" Gordon asked, raising an eyebrow.

"N-No, but I'm not the dirty little sewage boy, am I?"

Gordon snorted a laugh and went to the sink. "Alright, alright, I'll wash them. You're the one who's been in some weird stasis for a week. Smelly."

Benry surreptitiously sniffed his shirt. No, Gordon had just been teasing him. The embarrassment that bloomed in his gut turned to something else. It was nice to be joked with. "Y-You're the one who never changed out of that HEV suit."

Gordon laughed. "You were wearing a uniform too!"

"I had copies of the same outfit."

"Bullshit. Okay, my hands are clean, what do I do?" Gordon asked.

"Take the circles and make little peanut butter sandwiches. You didn't have jelly because you suck. The eggs should be done soon," Benry said. Gordon moved to do as he was asked- did he just stick his tongue out at him? Benry blinked and the gesture was gone. Who knew Gordon could be childish? Benry guessed that being out of Black Mesa chilled him out.

Benry finished the crow's nests and split them between two plates. He grabbed some ketchup to put on his- although he'd have preferred hot sauce. He should make Gordon a list since he failed at homekeeping so hard. He shooed the other man away from the peanut butter sandwiches when he was taking too long.

"I'll finish these you, uh, go set the table."

"I don't have a table, Benry," he said, amused.

"Go set the… counter."

Gordon rolled his eyes, but it was distinctly more fond than it'd been in Black Mesa. He laid out silverware and cups of water while Benry finished plating their breakfast. Benry set down their plates and sat beside Gordon. Only a little bit awkwardly this time. He hadn't expected him to put the two of them so close together with three chairs.

"Thanks for making breakfast," Gordon said.

"It's no problemo," Benry said, waving him off. He shoved an entire crow's nest into his mouth in horror. Stupid, stupid motormouth.

"Did you just say 'problemo'...?"

"You're hearing things," Benry said around his mouth of food. Gordon scrunched his nose in disgust and laughed.

"Ewww- chew and swallow, dude."

"You'd know about swallowing, huh, Gordon?"

Gordon laughed again, then paused. "Is that the first time you've called me Gordon?"

"I dunno, maybe."

"It's nice. I like it… better than 'Feetman', at least."

The two of them finished eating in silence with the sunlight beaming across their backs. Benry kicked his feet back and forth- a little too short for them to touch the floor. Gordon was a warm and solid presence at his side. Benry dragged his fork through the swirls of ketchup left on his plate.

"So, um, what am I doing in your apartment?"

"Oh! Well, you were supposed to come with us to Tommy's birthday party, but we'd done a real number on you… Mr. Coolatta was going to stick you back in the void to heal. It didn't sit right with me, so I offered to watch you."

"You didn't have to do that."

"I know," Gordon said, glancing over at Benry, "but I wanted to."

"...Can I use your shower?" Benry muttered, cheeks burning. He didn't know if he could handle this without some time to decompress.

"Oh, yeah! Sure! I can get you some spare clothes, too? And throw your uniform in the wash."

Benry nodded wordlessly and gathered their dishes. He put them in the sink and put some water over them. He'd get to them after. Gordon drifted back to his room to get Benry a change of clothes.

"Bathroom's just down this hall, to the right!"

"Thanks," Benry said and ducked into the small bathroom as quickly as he could. He glanced at himself in the mirror, ghosting a hand over his face. When was the last time he'd seen his reflection? He looked human now, but he must have been a nightmare at Black Mesa. All distorted to the Nihilanth's proportions… There was a knock on the door.

"Here, I just got you a hoodie and some shorts, if that's okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Benry said, opening the door just enough to grab the offered clothes. The hoodie was on the top of the pile- MIT embroidered onto the front. Benry's heart fluttered as he caught the scent of Gordon's cologne.

"Oh, yeah," Gordon said through the bathroom door, "I texted the others. They're going to come by later to see how you're doing. Tommy says he missed you."

"That's bitchin'," Benry said, a smile tugging at his mouth, "we should, uh, order pizza for lunch."

"That sounds fine to me!" Gordon called back, voice getting further away as he went to tell the others. Benry hugged the clothes to his chest.

Outside the window, morning fog tapped across the glass. Another beautiful day in Silent Hill.