Title: The Beginning of Something New

Chapter: 2

Rating: M (for future chapters)

Pairing: Benson/Mordecai with some minor Mordecai/Margaret

Genre: Slash, Angst, Romance

Author Notes: My apologies for the really slow update. My life has gotten kind of crazy and I'm pretty scatterbrained most of the time *lol. Anyway,when I uploaded the first chapter, I mistakenly rated this as "T", but after thinking it through some more, I think this will eventually fall into an M rating, so it's been changed, just to be safe. And truth be told, I was kind of on the fence when it came to the possibility of continuing this story, but now it's taken on a life of its own. I have no idea how long this is going to be, this is my first time writing something this length and I'm still working on the overall outline, but I'll be sure to keep everyone updated as I post the new chapters. And as for updates in general, I'm sorry, but they're probably going to happen sporadically. I have quite a busy schedule IRL, but rest assured, I will keep writing this until I think it's finished. Also, this is un-beta'd and while I read everything over twice before posting, my apologies if there are any mistakes left over *haaaaa.

And lastly, thank you to everyone who commented and left reviews for the first chapter! It really meant a lot to me and you all played a part in my decision to buckle down and keep writing this. Here's the next chapter and I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Benson sat at his desk and quickly shuffled through the small pile of paperwork that had accumulated over the past week. Most of it contained new invoices and lately he had been so out of it that he made the mistake of not date stamping everything when he opened the mail the day before. He grumbled to himself as he went through the small pile and carefully picked out the familiar pieces of paper and marked them accordingly. When he was finally satisfied Benson placed everything back in its proper order and then slowly placed his head on top of his desk and stared at the wall across the room. He winced and reminded himself to try and ignore the small aches and pains he was beginning to feel in his lower back and between his temples. He wasn't sure what was happening to him but lately he would find himself waking up in the middle of the night, covered in a light damp sweat with his head reeling from whatever horrible dreams his subconscious had managed to fabricate. It wasn't like he could remember exactly what went on in them, but every morning he would wake up feeling slightly feverish with only the memory of something incredibly soft beneath his hands. The first time it happened, he paid it no heed and went on with his usual activities around the park, but the tenth time it happened he found himself growing weaker as the day progressed. He chalked it up to both lack of proper sleep and the unfortunate fact that, what with all of the maintenance the park required, he hardly had any time to make himself proper meals. He also did the math and made the connection between his current unacceptable sleeping patterns with the night he had thrown Mordecai out of his apartment after their so-called "date". As soon as he made the mistake of reminding himself about his current situation, he scowled and decided to bury himself in even more paperwork to help him forget, however...the more he stared at the numbers and jargon in front of him, the more his head began to ache. He pinched the bridge of his nose and instinctively reached for the drawer to his right to pull out a bottle of aspirin when suddenly he heard a loud knock coming from the door to his office.

"Come in," he yelled, still preoccupied with finding the small container inside of his desk.

The door swung open and Skips proceeded to hop inside with a small bundle of envelopes in hand, "Hey Benson, I finished-" He took one look at his friend and felt his shoulders slump. He knew how bad of a workaholic Benson could be and normally it worked in his friends favor, but lately he had been starting to worry him and today was no exception. Skips walked up to the edge of Benson's desk and stared towards his boss before chiding, "How much sleep did you get last night?"

"What's it matter to you?" Benson snapped.

"Geez, Benson, lighten up," Skips countered before taking note of the dark circles forming under his friends eyes, "I was just asking because you look terrible. Are you sure you're OK?"

Benson groaned and placed a hand against his forehead, "I'm sorry Skips, I've just- I've just been having trouble getting to sleep lately, that's all." He gave a small sigh of relief when he finally found his aspirin hidden away near the back of the drawer. He instinctively snapped open the cap and popped two tablets into his mouth before turning his attention back towards his friend.

While his expression didn't change, Skips knew that there was probably more going on inside of Benson's big glass head than his boss was letting on, but he was never one to pry into other people's affairs...then again, he did consider Benson to be a close friend and maybe that fact in and of itself warranted a little inquiry. He placed the small stack of envelopes he was carrying in front of Benson and cast a suspicious look before replying, "Well, as I was saying, I finished trimming the hedges around the main garden and I decided to get the mail for you since I passed the mailbox on the way to back to the house."

Benson gave a weak smile, "Thanks Skips, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that." He reached out for the small stack of envelopes, ready to sort through them when he realized that Skips was still giving him that stern look the yeti always seem to radiate whenever he was worried about Benson. He gave a heavy sigh and then put down the small pile of mail before he folded his arms and grumbled, "Just get it out of your system."

"Fine. I think you've been working too hard again," Skips countered, making his way to the front of Benson's desk. "And I know things have been getting tough ever since Mordecai and Rigby left, but seriously Benson, you should really slow down. You might wind up hurting yourself or something."

At the sound of Mordecai's name, Benson felt a slight pain in his chest but he waved it off, not wanting to bring further attention to himself while still under Skip's scrutiny. Instead, he started leafing through the small stack of letters and replied, "I know, I know, but we're nearing the busiest part of the season, there's tons of manual labour to take care of and we're still down two men."

"What about that new guy you hired? What was his name? Um- Stuart?

Benson scowled and started sorting the letters on top of his desk, "I caught him stealing money from the cash register at the Snack Bar yesterday and fired him on the spot."

"Oh..." Skips frowned and watched as Benson neared the end of the small pile of mail. He felt like he should say something else, but he was never really good with words to begin with and in a situation like this one, he wanted to choose them carefully. After a couple more moments of searching for the right thing to say, he noticed that Benson was glaring at him.

"What?"

"Look Benson, I'm not very good when it comes to this sort of thing, but you're my friend and well," he racked his mind before finally spitting out, "If you ever need to talk-"

"I'm fine, but thanks for the offer Skips," Benson interrupted as he reached for the last envelope of the stack. Just as Skips turned his back to walk towards the door, Benson read the first line of the block of text stamped on the envelope in his hand and noticed that it was addressed to Mordecai. His face instantly fell and he suddenly let out a loud exhale, causing Skips to turn around. He tapped the side of the letter against the surface of his desk a few times before he finally looked towards the yeti and shot him a weak smile, trying to convince both Skips and himself that everything was fine; but Skips wasn't that easily fooled, and neither was Benson.

Skips hopped towards the doorway and poked his head into the hallway, making sure that the coast was clear but just as an added safety measure, he quietly closed the door before he turned around to face his friend who now cowering in fear behind the large desk that separated the two of them. "Alright Benson, what's going on? I mean, you don't have to tell me the details, but I just want to make sure you're OK because quite frankly, you're really beginning to worry me."

Benson swallowed hard and racked his brain, trying to decide what to tell Skips and what to leave out. Suddenly the memory of Mordecai's heartbroken face as he left Benson's apartment came to the forefront of his thoughts and he let out another painful sigh. "I...I-" He felt his eyebrows knitting together as he glanced towards the window in his office and finally confessed, "I think I really hurt someone's feelings the other day." Well, it wasn't the total truth, but it wasn't exactly a lie either.

"You?" Skips sarcastically replied, while raising an eyebrow.

Benson bowed his head in mild embarrassment. Yeah, he knew he had a temper and a reputation for cutting people down to size, but why did this bother him so much? Heck- if anything, he should've been used to yelling at Mordecai and telling the guy to get lost by now...

Skips waited for his friend to answer him, but when Benson didn't, he suddenly realized that maybe this was more serious than Benson was letting on. "So, is it kind of serious, then? I mean, who's feelings did you hurt?"

"I-It doesn't matter, look the point is-"

"Of course it matters, I mean, look at you. You look exhausted and ready to keel over any minute now!" Skips placed his hands on his hips and frowned, this wasn't where he wanted this conversation to head. "Alright, you don't have to tell me who, but if you want my advice-"

"I didn't ask for your advice-"

"Too bad, you're getting it anyway," Skips snapped back, before taking a few steps closer towards Benson's desk. "It's obvious that you're upset about whatever happened. Have you ever thought of, oh, I don't know- apologizing to whoever it is that you pissed off?"

Before he could stop himself, he meekly replied, "But I didn't piss them off, like I said, I think I just..." Again, for some stupid reason, all he could think of was Mordecai. He slumped backwards into his chair and sighed, "...really 'really' hurt their feelings."

"Did you make someone cry?"

Benson didn't remember if Mordecai actually cried, but if the look in Mordecai's eyes when Benson threw him out of his apartment served any indication to what the timid bluejay might've been feeling, then Benson certainly wouldn't of been surprised if he found out that Mordecai actually did end up crying...as strange as that image seemed, it still didn't sit well with him. He slunk even further into his chair, "I-I don't know...maybe."

Skips knew that Benson had a problem when it came controlling his anger, but he also knew that at the end of the day Benson meant well, his friend just had a hard time expressing it. "Look Benson, even if you did upset someone, I've known you long enough to know you're not a bad guy," Skips took note of the despondent look on Benson's face and hoped his words might offer, if not a glimmer of hope, then at least some form of sympathy, "I mean if you were, then you wouldn't be feeling as awful as you do right now." Benson lifted his head and though his expression hadn't drastically changed, Skips could tell that his words had had some type of positive effect on his friend.

"You really think so?" Benson cracked a weak, albeit genuine, smile and eyed the letter addressed to Mordecai, which was now sitting beside the little pile of other mail on his desk.

"Trust me, I know so," Skips glanced at the clock hanging on the wall to his left, taking a mental note of the time. It was 3 o' clock and as much as he wanted to console his friend, there were some parts he needed to pick up for the golf carts before all the shops closed at 5. He looked back towards Benson and grinned, "Now go apologize!". He lifted his hands with his palms up, in a offering gesture before adding, "And heck, not to bum you out or anything, but even if they don't forgive you then at least you tried and that's better than doing nothing at all, right?"

Benson finally smiled and sat up in his chair, "Yeah...yeah, you're right!"

The yeti nodded in agreement, "Well, when you've been around the block as long as I have, you tend to pick up a few pieces of good advice here and there." He gave a small laugh and started hopping towards the door, "Now if you'll excuse me, I've gotta head down to 'Tools and Junk' for some parts for the golf carts. If you want them to be back in working order before Monday, then I'd better start working on them today." He placed his hand on the doorknob and just as he was about to take his leave, Benson spoke up.

"H-Hey, Skips?"

He tossed a glance over his shoulder before grunting, "Hmmmm?"

Benson reached over for the letter he placed on his desk, looked towards his friend and gave another warm smile, "Thanks."

"Anytime, Benson." Skips replied before he opened the door and quietly disappeared into the hallway.

With his friend finally gone, Benson took another look at the letter in hand, placed it back on his desk and opened another drawer on his left. He furrowed his brow in concentration and felt around the small space, muttering to himself, "I know I put it here somewhere." Moments later, his hand emerged with one of his old notebooks in tow and he immediately began to skim through it, searching for the page where he had jotted down Mordecai's new address only a month and a half prior. When he finally found it, he made a mental note of where it was written and then quickly closed the book. He then picked up the small tote bag he had placed underneath his desk, tossed his belongings inside of it and pulled out his car keys from another drawer in his desk. He glanced towards the clock and while he didn't approve of leaving work early, Mordecai's new address was across town and if he wanted to get back to his own house in time for supper, then he'd better leave now. He steadied his nerves, gave a small sigh and reminded himself to lock the door behind him before he made his way down the hall and towards the front door.

Fifty minutes later, he found himself driving down the road of an unfamiliar neighbourhood, carefully reading the street signs and straining his eyes as he struggled to read the house numbers as he slowly made his way down the narrow street.

"775, 776, 777, Wait..." He tapped his foot on the break and started darting his eyes back and forth between the address written in his notebook and the number painted on the house in front of him. He studied the small building for more than a few moments, and wondered if Mordecai had given him the right address. It was two stories high with a moderately sized front yard, complete with a front deck and a small garden with few small trees scattered throughout the lawn. Sure, there was nothing out of the ordinary about the place, but Benson wouldn't of guessed in a million years that the two of them could have ever saved up enough money to afford such a nice looking home. In all honesty, he was kind of expecting something a little more... decrepit. He cleared his throat, swallowed hard and paused for a moment. What was he going to say? He hadn't really thought any of this through. All that he knew was that Skips was right and that he needed to apologize; but apologize for what? For not feeling the same way? For getting angry over losing his wallet? Or for tossing Mordecai out of his apartment without any regard ,whatsoever, for the other mans feelings? He sighed and slumped forward on the steering wheel, wishing that there was some type of protocol for a situation like this, but there wasn't. Maybe this was just one of those things that life occasionally spat out and there was no way of getting past it without making some type of awful mess and whether it was intentional or not, someone's feelings were bound to wind up getting hurt; namely Mordecai's. It was better to just get it over and done with, like ripping off a band-aid. Only...instead of a thin strip of adhesive fabric, it was going to be somebody else's heart. And while he didn't really think all that much of Mordecai, he knew all too well what it felt like to have one's emotions toyed with, especially when it came to someone you had fallen for. He felt a slight pain in chest but before he could let himself become too mired in his thoughts, Benson suddenly straightened up, put on his game face and carefully began to park his car. Yeah, it was better to just get this over and done with.

And then move on.

He now stood outside of the small home and nervously clutched his tote bag before reaching forward to press the door bell. He heard music faintly playing from inside of the house and wondered if they had heard him. He waited another moment and reached up to press the button again when the door suddenly swung open. Out stepped a young woman, bare foot, dressed in a pair of old denim shorts, a paint-splattered t-shirt and carrying an open bottle of beer. Benson did a double-take and wondered if he had the right house. Before he could say anything, she suddenly laughed and leaned against the door frame, "You're kind of cute. Are you here for the party?"

Benson held onto his bag tighter and silently held his ground. He was in no mood to deal with somebody who apparently thought it was OK to be drunk at 4 o' clock on a weekday. Maybe this was bad idea after all. He then cleared his throat and asked, "Is Mordecai here?"

She stood up and took a sip from her bottle before replying, "Oh, you mean the bird guy? Yeah, he's here." She spun around on a single foot and then beckoned him inside with the crook of her finger. "Follow me" she sang as she started walking away into the next room.

Benson couldn't help but crack a small smile at woman's somewhat eccentric behaviour and despite his reluctance, he followed her inside and then closed the door behind him. He turned the corner and entered into what, he assumed, must've been the living room. It was a fairly large open space, with a few couches lined up against the wall and a large stereo sitting in the corner. Apparently he had just walked into the middle of a small party of some sort and he couldn't help but instinctively glance at the clock hanging on the wall off to his left. He scanned the small group of people, wondering where Mordecai was when suddenly a familiar voice cracked through the air and cried out, "You!"

Benson turned towards the voice in question, rolled his eyes once and then focused on the small raccoon cutting across the room and walking towards him. He noticed the small can of open soda in Rigby's hand and opened his mouth to offer some sort of greeting when Rigby suddenly interrupted his thoughts, cut to the chase and immediately began to snap at him.

"What are you doing here?" Rigby asked, in a tone that could only be described as less-than-enthusiastic.

Benson remained unfazed at the would-be hurtful remark and for a moment he couldn't help but wonder how while time seemed to have affected many other things in his life, for some reason, both Rigby and the little raccoon's poor attitude had yet to show any sign of change. A mild wave of nostalgia suddenly rolled through him and Benson felt himself smirk before answering, "Yeah, it's nice to see you too, Rigby. How've you been?"

"Awesome! Now that I'm not working for you anymore!" He threw his head back, took one long swig of soda and then start humming, "Hmmph! Hmmph! Hmmph! Hmmph! Hmmph!"

The woman who had escorted Benson inside of the house glanced back and forth between the two of them and started giggling. She took another sip of her beer and asked, "You two know each other?"

Benson and Rigby glared at each other and the elder of the two did his best to quell the heavy frustration that always seemed to bubble up whenever he and Rigby exchanged words. "Yeah, he used to work for me," Benson muttered as his eyes started to drift away and scan the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of Mordecai and put an end to this grating conversation.

"No way! This is Benson!?" The young woman laughed, still nursing her drink. "The miserable old battleaxe of a boss who you said had a stick up his-"

"Gears!" Rigby interrupted, throwing up his hands in defence, "I said you had a stick all up in your...gears...," Rigby took one look at the underlying livid expression on Benson's face and immediately began to back away. "You know, I think I hear the phone ringing, I better go and get that," and before Benson could even open his mouth, Rigby had turned tail, fled back across the living room and disappeared through the nearest exit.

"Some things never change," Benson thought to himself. He slowly gnashed his teeth together, counted to ten inside of his head, gave a heavy sigh and then turned towards the young woman at his side. "You know, this has been fun and all, but I'm on a bit of a schedule and I'm already running behind. So, um-" he fought to find the right words to say without sounding rude. Rigby always seemed to bring out the worst in him, but despite his frustration, he did his best to keep his cool and not scare away the young woman who had been kind enough to let him inside of this strange house in the first place.

She smiled, still nursing her beer, which was almost empty, and headed towards a nearby staircase. "Yeah, no worries, man," She started walking away, encouraging Benson to follow her and added, "Even though he hasn't been here that long, we all know that Rigby can be a little, well..."

"Insufferable?"

"I was thinking something more along the lines of special," they made it halfway up the steps before she turned around to face him and added, "I'm Heather by the way. One of Mordecai's new room mates."

Benson silently wondered just how many people lived in this house. At least now, he understood how Mordecai and Rigby were able to afford such a nice place. They made it to the top of the stairs and started walking towards the end of a long hallway. "It's nice to meet you, and thanks for showing me in," he smiled, still trailing behind her.

"No problem and well, would you look at that! Here we are!" she announced. They had both stopped at the very last door at the end of the hallway and without so much as a warning, Heather curled one of her hands into a fist and immediately began pounding on the door in front of them. Benson gave a small jump and felt his eyes widen tenfold when the small petite woman in front of him suddenly opened her mouth and bellowed out at the top of her lungs, "Hey Mordecai! Ya' got a visitor!"

They heard shuffling from inside of the room and within seconds, the door swung open, revealing a very weathered looking bluejay, who immediately barked back, "Yeah, yeah, why don't you yell a little loude-" Mordecai suddenly froze mid-sentence when he realized who his visitor was. He instantly paled, tightened his grip on the door and did his best to recompose himself before quietly speaking, "Um...hi."

Sensing the sudden tension in the atmosphere, Heather tossed a sceptical glance at her roommate before darting her eyes back and forth between the two of them. She lifted her bottle to her mouth and finished off its contents before adding, "Okaaay, I'm just gonna leave the two of you alone and go grab myself another beer." She turned around and started making her way back down the hallway. Before she reached the stairs, she turned her head around and waved good-bye, "It was nice meeting you, Benson!"

Benson raised his hand in the air and meekly answered back, "Yeah, it was nice meeting you as well." When she had finally disappeared from sight, Benson turned his attention back towards his former employee who suddenly looked like he was about to throw up any minute now. He held tightly onto his tote bag and then cleared his throat before nervously asking, "Um, can I come in?"

The uneasy look that passed over Mordecai's face was not lost on Benson. After a few more seconds of uncomfortable silence, Mordecai's shoulders sagged and he gave a heavy sigh before finally caving in, "Yeah, come on." He turned around and waved Benson inside, dreading the awkward and inevitable conversation that was about to take place. With his back still turned towards his former boss, he took a few more steps inside, slowly folded his arms together and stared out the small window in front of him.

Benson followed suit and immediately his eyes were drawn to the myriad of drawings scattered all around the walls of Mordecai's new room. He quickly began sizing up the small space and noticed that it was a little bit smaller than the room Mordecai had lived in during his stay at the Parks boarding house. There was a bed, a small window above it, and desk lined up on the adjacent wall. Benson placed his hands on his hips and walked closer towards the one of the walls, to better examine one of the many pencil sketches posted on its surface, when suddenly Mordecai cleared his throat and startled the other man half out of his casing.

The young bluejay, carefully looked over his shoulder while still avoiding eye contact and promptly reminded Benson to close the door behind him. He heard Benson give a small "Hmm?" and a few seconds later, when he finally heard the door to his bedroom close shut, Mordecai gave a heavy sigh and turned around. He couldn't help but let his eyes linger on the ground for more than a moment before he found the courage to properly face the man standing across the room from him. He rubbed the back of his neck and quietly asked, "Why are you here?"

Benson quickly reached into his tote bag and pulled out the letter he had found earlier. He gave a nervous smile and said, "Um, you got a letter and I just thought that um, you know, I'd drop it off." He mentally kicked himself as soon as the words left his mouth and despite his best efforts to not let it show, the sceptical look on Mordecai's face was beginning to speak volumes about his less than stellar approach to this whole matter. He gave a small cough and felt his mind go into overdrive as he struggled to find the right words to say. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Mordecai began to silently move towards him. He felt his breathing hitch and his stomach turn cold as the gap between them began to close and within seconds they were standing directly in front of each other. Benson slowly looked up, trying to read the expression on Mordecai's face.

The young bluejay turned his head towards the letter in Benson's hand and then carefully pulled it away. He flipped it over in his own hand, reading the return address as he made his way back to the other side of the room. He gave a small laugh when he realized that it was nothing more than a subscription renewal for one of his favourite magazines. He tossed it onto a stack of paper on his desk and then turned around to face Benson once more before adding softly, "Um, thanks..." He paused a moment, waiting for Benson's response and when he wasn't offered one, Mordecai took a deep breath and braced himself, "Um, Benson? Why are you really here?"

Benson swallowed hard and let his eyes drift off towards the side. He wrapped one of his hands around his other arm and nervously replied, "I, uh- look, I really didn't like how we left things the other night." He finally settled his eyes on Mordecai's face and took note of the apprehension written all over its soft features. And even though he was standing right in front of him, Benson's mind flashed back to that night at his apartment and the look of utter disappointment and sadness that Mordecai seemed to radiate the moment Benson told him to get out. He closed his eyes and hung his head, hoping that Mordecai would be able to hear the sincerity in his words when he opened his mouth and finally managed to cough out, "So, I- um, I came here to apologize."

Mordecai felt his eyes widen and before he could stop himself, he couldn't help but wonder out loud, "Um, apologize for what?"

Benson gave an internal groan when he realized that this was the exact same thing he wrestled with in the car earlier. Why was he really here? He thought of the few feeble practice lines he went through in his mind during the ride over here, followed by a couple of cheesy quotable one-liners he saw in a movie the other day, before he finally decided to put aside his pride and just speak from the heart. He paused another moment and sighed, "You know, to be honest, I'm not really sure. All I do know is that I hurt your feelings and that...well that doesn't sit well with me." He gave a heavy sigh, folded his arms together and then added, "I-I guess I came here to make amends and to see if you're OK."

Mordecai felt a rush of relief flood his system and he finally let out a small, albeit nervous smile before answering, "Yeah, yeah I'm alright." He let out a huge breath and then warmly looked towards Benson, "You know, I'm a little relieved to hear you say that. I mean, I thought you never wanted to speak to me again."

"I,-uh, no. I was just-" Benson frowned and then placed one of his hands on his hip while the other one reached for his forehead. It was a stance he always seemed to resort to whenever he thought of all the work that needed to be done around the park lately. He would never say it out loud, but there were times when he actually missed Mordecai and Rigby working for him. Benson groaned and pulled his hand away from his face before continuing, "Look, I've been under a lot of stress lately, but that's still no excuse for the way I acted that night. So, for what's it's worth, I'm sorry."

Mordecai's smile widened a little and he slowly took a few steps forward, "So...that's why you got angry? Because of your job? It wasn't because I, um- because I said-"

"That it might've been a date?"

Mordecai looked away, trying to hide his mild embarrassment. He absentmindedly began to rub the back of his head and muttered, "Yeah..."

Benson closed his eyes and heavily sighed, "You know, to be honest, I'm not going to lie. That really really..." He paused for a moment and glanced back towards Mordecai; he'd known the man for years or, at least he thought he had known him, but in light of this sudden revelation Benson found that he didn't quite know what to think anymore. He cleared his throat and then looked away, "uh...confused me." He narrowed his eyes and then folded his arms together, "I mean, you're really attracted to me? He gave a small nervous cough before quietly adding, "In that way?"

Mordecai bit his lip and nervously glanced away. Of all the times to think about the wildly inappropriate dreams of Benson that he had been having as of late, now was definitely one of the worst. Mordecai furrowed his brow and felt the heat rise to his face. He knew they were just dreams and yet, they were so vivid and as embarrassing as they were, sometimes, during those long, cold and lonely nights when he laid awake and alone in his empty room, Mordecai actually took a small comfort in them. He thought back to the days when Margaret had first left him and how he also thought that he would never feel that way about another person ever again. He then remembered the exact moment when he was proven wrong and the helplessness that suddenly encased him when he realized who it was that he had fallen for. Mordecai took a deep breath, swallowed hard one last time and avoided looking towards Benson as he quietly answered, "...yes."

"What?" Benson clipped, his mind still reeling in disbelief. As Mordecai's answer slowly sunk in, Benson couldn't help but think back towards all of the insults, the pranks, the fights, and near-death experiences he had endured over the years; all of which he had suffered by the hands of the man standing right in front of him. And now here was the same guy turning it all around on him and declaring his love for him...it just didn't add up. Benson did his best to remain composed but in the end his confusion got the better of him and he couldn't help but become a little flustered, "Is-Is this some kind of joke?"

Mordecai stood his ground and folded his hands together, "...No."

Benson felt his eyes dart across the room, trying to make sense of Mordecai's words, "I-I don't understand. I mean, why-"

"Why what?" Mordecai interrupted, "Is it so hard to believe that someone might actually like 'like' you or-"

"No, someone liking me isn't confusing," Benson spat out before he shot an accusing finger towards the clueless bluejay and added, "You, on the other hand- 'You' liking me is..." Benson suddenly felt the acidity in his mind slowly begin to wear off when he caught a glimpse of the strange look in Mordecai's eyes. He ignored the equally strange feeling that lurched in the pit of stomach and lowered his eyes before muttering, "...weird. I-I mean, I always thought that..." Benson wrapped his arms around himself and then glanced away, "Well, that you hated me."

Mordecai gave a weary sigh, "Maybe I did...in the beginning." A wave of nostalgia suddenly poured over him and Mordecai let a small, albeit weak, smile skim across his lips before he added, "But what can I say Benson. A lot can happen in 6 years..."

Benson stared at a random spot on the floorboards, held himself tighter and then sighed. He let Mordecai's words roll around in his head a few more times before he finally pulled his gaze away from the floor and directed it towards the man in front of him. He couldn't help but think back to the first time they had met and how his first impression of Mordecai had been of a loveable idiot who had a penchant for getting into the strangest kinds of trouble, well that and a man who had horrible taste in furniture. He closed his eyes for a moment and let the memory of that dorky 23 year-old he had hired all those years ago come to the forefront of his thoughts and Benson couldn't help but give a small laugh. He then opened his eyes and glanced back towards the young 29 year-old in front of him and although Benson had never really thought about it before, time had been quite kind to Mordecai. Sure, he still looked like the same loveable idiot, only older, a little more heavier, and although Benson would never admit it out loud, a lot more mature...appearance wise anyway. He then thought back to earlier that morning while he was brushing his teeth and getting ready for the day. He remembered staring at his own reflection in the mirror and looking at the deep creases around his eyes and how no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't seem to get rid of the darkening circles that always seemed to accompany them. Benson then inwardly sighed and wished that time had only been so kind to him. He then blinked his eyes once more and suddenly remembered where he was. He gave another small cough and then reached for the shoulder strap of his tote bag, "Well, be that as it may, um..." He then stared directly at Mordecai, making sure that his words hit home and that his former employee understood exactly what he was trying to say. He ignored the strange feeling lurking around in his chest and said, "I'm flattered, Mordecai, really I am, but-"

Mordecai felt his eyelids lower and his shoulders begin to sag when he immediately recognized the tone in Benson's voice and what it meant...rejection...

"I'm not ga-"

"Neither am I!" Mordecai cut in. He then sheepishly looked away, muttering, "It's just, it's just...," he closed his eyes and then thought alone to himself, "It's just you...". When he couldn't find the courage to say it out loud, Mordecai then gave a heavy sigh and bowed his head. He instinctively grabbed onto one of his arms and fought the urge to curl up and die from the utter hopelessness he suddenly felt weighing down on him. After a few seconds of silence, he reluctantly gave in, kicked at the floorboards and mumbled, "Nevermind."

Benson then cleared his throat and couldn't help but instinctively think of the time. He quickly glanced around and caught sight of the numbers displayed on the alarm clock from across the room and groaned. It was practically 6 o' clock and there were still quite a few things to take care of before the day was over, namely the small pile of paperwork that was waiting for him at home and then there was the matter of dinner. He really didn't feel like cooking that night and- Benson then gave his head a small shake when he realized that he was getting ahead of himself... yet again. He then looked back towards Mordecai and gave a small sigh. Benson knew that he had done all that he could, that he didn't feel the same way and yet- seeing Mordecai like this, well- it just didn't seem right. He caught a glimpse of the hurt look that Mordecai was trying to hide and he couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He knew what it was like to have those kind of hopes dashed however...pity was never a good reason to stay by someone's side, no matter how much his heart was beginning to tell him otherwise. He gave a weak smile and then shifted the weight on his feet when it suddenly struck him how awkward the silence between the two of them had become, "So, um...Are we good? I mean, are you going to be OK?"

Mordecai clenched his fists, doing his best to steel his nerves before he gathered up the courage to ask Benson the first thing that popped into his mind the moment he saw his former boss standing out in the hallway earlier. He took a deep breath and then answered, "Well that depends...what are you doing this Friday?"

"What? Why?" Benson then noticed the mischievous grin that Mordecai's lips were beginning to unfurl and despite the fact that it somewhat relieved him, he still felt his eyes widen and he almost stumbled backwards when he immediately barked back, "Waitaminute! Weren't you listening? I'm not interested."

Mordecai immediately held his hands up in defence and said, "I know...". He wrapped his arms around himself and then shyly looked away, "I know..." After a moments pause, Mordecai gave himself a small shake and then continued to speak, "I just wanted to make up for what happened last time." He took note of the tired and exasperated look written all over Benson's face and then added, "Plus, we can just go as friends! And I promise, this'll be the last time I ask you, I swear! After this..." Mordecai swallowed hard and then looked directly at the man in front of him, " I'll leave you alone..."

Benson held his tongue, brought one of his hands to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to ward off the headache that was now beginning to form beneath his temples. He knew he was going to regret this and yet he still found himself opening his mouth to ask, "Go? Go where?"

"Um, to dinner," Mordecai replied, still facing Benson and bracing himself for the worst.

"Mordecai, I really don't-"

"As friends! Just," Mordecai shrugged his shoulders, gave a small smile and then added, "As friends, yeah."

Benson closed his eyes, gave a deep groan and then remembered the time. He still hadn't thought of what to make for dinner and there were still a few more invoices, bills and other pieces of paperwork that he had to finish before the day was over and he really didn't have the time to sit here and argue over something like this. Maybe it was time to just cut his losses and accept Mordecai's offer, besides...it wasn't like he had a completely thriving social life to begin with anyway. Benson felt his eyebrows knit together as he tried to think back and remember the last time somebody had actually invited him to go...well anywhere. He then felt a slight pang of both disappointment and chagrin when he realized that even he couldn't remember. Benson shook his head to clear his thoughts and then looked back towards Mordecai. Sure, maybe he didn't feel the same way and maybe this was a bad idea and maybe he'd regret this- Benson then felt a sudden shiver snake up his spine when he remembered what happened the last time the two of them hung out together: the warlock, the vortex, the flood, and the fury he felt when he realized that his wallet had gone missing. Then again, this was Mordecai he was talking about, his employee of nearly six years, and well they weren't the best of friends, Benson liked to think that they had gotten along well enough, in fact- the two of them were starting to become a lot more closer in the last few months prior to Mordecai's sudden and unexpected departure from The Park. Benson closed his eyes, gave a small sigh and then shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah, OK." He then gave Mordecai a solemn look before adding, "But I don't want you to get the wrong idea. We're just going as friends, alright."

Upon hearing Benson's words Mordecai couldn't help but let a full-on and heartfelt grin break out across his face and suddenly Benson began to feel a little less aloof about the whole ordeal. He had mentioned being flattered earlier in their conversation, but they had merely been words in passing at the time; now, despite his reluctance, he truly felt it. He couldn't remember if there ever was a time when someone was actually this excited about taking him...well, anywhere. And the look on Mordecai's face said it all.

Mordecai clapped his hands together, "Alright then! So it's a da-" He suddenly caught sight of the mild glare in Benson's eyes and then quickly corrected himself, "I mean, awesome! Yeah!" He bobbed his head a few times before letting out a small nervous laugh.

Benson sighed and felt that this conversation, thankfully, was about to come to a close. He took a few steps towards the door and then turned around to ask, "Oh, I almost forgot. So, what time and where did you want to meet up?"

"Well, I can pick you up at the park around 5," Mordecai smiled.

"This is a bad idea," his mind whispered as Benson closed his eyes and did his best to ignore the unease he suddenly felt in the pit of his stomach. "Sure," he weakly replied, still inching towards the doorway.

"So, see you then?"

Benson placed his hand on the doorknob, ready to make a hasty exit, "Yeah, that sounds fine." With his back turned towards Mordecai, Benson opened the door and put one foot into the hallway, ready to start marching towards the staircase, when Mordecai suddenly spoke up.

"Um, Benson?"

With his hand still on the doorknob, Benson turned his head around and glanced at Mordecai over his shoulder, "Yes?"

"Um, thanks. You know," Mordecai gave another warm smile and Benson did his best to steel his nerves and ignore the strange sense of relief that beginning to slowly permeate throughout his system. Earlier that day all he could think about was how awful he felt about he had left things between them and now, seeing Mordecai smiling- well, it was a much more welcome memory than the one that had been haunting him earlier. Mordecai shyly looked away and then added, "For, well, for checking up on me. You didn't have to do that."

Benson returned Mordecai's smile, "I know, but I wanted to." He then accidentally caught sight of the the time displayed from across the room and sighed. Yeah, there was no way he was going to have anything made in time if he wanted to eat before 7 o' clock. Benson then looked back towards Mordecai, "Anyway, I've really gotta go now, Mordecai. I'm already way behind schedule."

"Oh yeah! Yeah, sorry," Mordecai placed a hand on the back of his head and then waved his other hand good-bye. "So, see you Friday, then."

Benson gave a slow nod of assent as he finally turned away and entered into the hallway. "Yeah...see you Friday," he mumbled before closing the door behind him and making a hasty retreat down the hallway. Once he had reached the top of the stairs Benson then paused a moment to take a deep breath and silently wondered if he had made the right call. He didn't want to lead Mordecai on and he had made sure that Mordecai knew that this was just a friendly excursion between two former co-workers and nothing more. However, Benson was also aware of the fact that you don't employ someone for six years without learning a few things about them and if that mischievous grin he had noticed on Mordecai's face was any indication of what the bluejay might be up to then maybe this really was a bad idea. Then again, despite everything, he really did care about Mordecai, not just as a former employer, but also as a friend. The two of them, heck- the entire Park staff had been through a lot over the years and all of their experiences and misadventures together had brought them all closer together. In fact, they were practically a family and Benson foolishly thought that it would always be that way; that is, until that one fateful day when Mordecai had quietly entered into his office and abruptly given Benson his two weeks notice. And to no one's surprise Rigby quickly followed suit and before long the two weeks were over and the two of them were gone. Benson then glanced over his shoulder and looked down the hallway. He also had to admit, it was nice seeing Mordecai again and despite the fact that their first night out had gone horribly awry it was...almost like old times. Benson suddenly gave a small laugh and then shook his head when he realized that now was no time to get nostalgic, especially over something as crazy as all the times he could've nearly died. He slowly made his way down the stairs and back into the small crowd of people that were still gathered together in the living room. The sound of music still quietly pumped beneath the floorboards and he quickly scanned the small crowd before he noticed Rigby curled up and asleep on some woman's lap from across the room. He looked closer and noticed that it was the same woman who had invited him in earlier. He was tempted to walk over and give a proper good-bye but it looked like she was already engaged in a heated discussion with the person sitting next to her on the couch. So instead, Benson just opted to make a quick run for the exit and avoid conversion altogether, which suited him just fine.

When he had finally made it outside, he made a direct beeline towards his car, which was still parked just beside the curb, and pulled out his keys from the bottom of his tote bag. He made his way around the vehicle, opened the door and then slid into the drivers seat. Benson gripped the steering wheel as the events of the past few days raced throughout his mind: all of the doubts, the uncertainties, the memories, and those damn dreams. And, as if on cue, his stomach suddenly let out a hungry growl and Benson slumped forward, letting out a loud whine as he fell onto the steering wheel, which accidentally set off the horn and startled him near out of his skin. He immediately sat back up and felt his grip increase before he closed his eyes and let out a long exasperated sigh. He was getting too old for this. With his mind made up and his stomach on edge, he turned on the ignition and then quickly drove away.

Forty minutes later he found himself slumped over his kitchen table and picking at the remains of his half-empty take-out container. He laid his head on one of his hands and then went back to poking at the buttons on the calculator in front of him. He would've killed for a home cooked meal, in fact, he would've killed for anything that didn't taste like it was tossed into a deep fryer after sitting on a shelf all day. Then again, he was in no mood to cook and he definitely was in no mood to be crunching numbers this late at night. His talk with Mordecai had taken him longer than he thought it would and by the time he made it back into his own neighbourhood he felt too drained, both physically and mentally, to even think about digging out his pots and pans. With his kitchen clock ticking away in the background, Benson winced and felt his eyelids grow heavier by the second. He took one last look at the numbers in front of him, scanned them thoroughly and then nodded to himself when he finally concluded that everything was in order. He felt his mouth open in a wide yawn and his hands then lifted over his head in a wide stretching motion before he pulled himself away from his chair and headed towards the bathroom.

With his toothbrush in hand and in motion, Benson started thinking of the long list of chores that he had to take care of tomorrow and wondered if there would be any more calls about the ad he had placed in the newspaper weeks ago. They definitely needed the help and Benson honestly didn't know how much longer he could keep up with his current workload. "God" he thought to himself as he put down his toothbrush, "Things actually were a lot more easier when those two idiots were around." He grabbed a nearby facecloth and in the middle of cleaning himself up, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror and couldn't help but feel a little more depressed. He brought himself closer, examined his face and frowned when he didn't remember having that many wrinkles around his eyes last year. "Last year..." the words echoed inside of his mind and he couldn't help but reflect upon them as he placed his facecloth back on it's rack and then decided that it was definitely time for bed.

He made his way towards his bedroom, opened the door, took a few steps inside and then fell face first onto his warm and welcoming comforter. He slipped underneath the blankets, let his thoughts resurface and even though he was trying to sleep, he couldn't help but mull them over and wonder what was going to happen to him. There was so much that he had wanted to do this year: take a vacation, meet new people, start dating again, make new friends...and yet- he opened his eyes, rolled over and began to stare at the familiar cracks in his ceiling- here he was; stuck in the same old rut, the same one he'd been stuck in for the last decade. He always thought that if he played it safe, stuck to the rules, and kept to himself then maybe someday fortune, or even karma, would be kind and finally shine down on him. Then again, maybe he really was becoming too much of a stickler lately, in the sense that he never made any effort to break his routine, he always, always, always took the safe route, he never really went out of his way to help anyone except where responsibility or duty warranted him and at the end of the day what did he have to show for it? He was 39, well 40 in December (which was only a few more months away), stuck in a dead end job, with no girlfriend, and only 1 other person he could rely on. And even Skips' company was becoming pretty scarce as of late. Benson felt his face fall and quietly, here in the comfort of his own room, alone and with his thoughts, he finally let his guard down and gathered the blankets around himself. It really was true- there was no denying it anymore. He was lonely.

Maybe it was time to get back out there and maybe it was time to start putting himself out there more often. Maybe it was time to start looking for more friends. And while Mordecai wouldn't of been the first person that Benson would've thought of, he knew the guy well enough to know that Mordecai meant well. Granted that Mordecai was probably interested in more than friendship, but still- Benson had made himself clear and he knew that Mordecai wasn't one to push other people's boundaries or buttons...intentionally that is. Besides, during the few times when the two of them weren't running for their lives or flirting with death (figuratively speaking that is) Benson actually did rather enjoy Mordecai's company. He gave a small laugh and then remembered the walls of Mordecai's new room and he had to admit, seeing all of those drawings plastered all over the place, well, Benson was curious- Just what exactly was Mordecai up to these days? And not only that, but the thought of going somewhere, anywhere actually, with another person on a Friday night had definitely piqued his interest...even if that person was Mordecai. Benson then rubbed a hand over his face, as if to silence his thoughts and then turned over once more, feeling the effects of another long day sinking into his body and making the thought of a good-night's sleep all the more welcoming. He closed his eyes and then let one final thought roll around in his mind before he finally drifted off.

Perhaps he had been looking at this all wrong. Given everything that he had thought of tonight and what lay ahead of him, maybe it was time to stop listening to his head and start listening to his heart, which was begging him to go and do something that, come to think of it, he hadn't done in years...

Take a chance.