Work Text:
The Black Mesa job was only supposed to be a quick cash grab for Benrey. Get in, move some science stuff around for a couple of days and get paid enough to be able to afford the new PS5. There might also have been another small insignificant reason. Someone had told him that Gordon Freeman had gotten a security job at Black Mesa.
Gordon who he hadn’t seen in 7 years since the other man had dropped out of MIT. Gordon who he had shared one single drunken kiss with at a frat party and never been able to forget. Gordon who he’d had the biggest crush on for the 2 years they lived in the same dorm (and might not have gotten over yet). Gordon with his amazing hair, sparkling eyes, infectious laugh and...
Ok so yeah maybe Gordon was kind of a big reason he’d taken this job. Maybe that’s why the butterfly in his stomach threatened to make him puke on the train into the massive facility. It was stupid really, he really shouldn’t get his hopes up. Gordon might not even be happy to see him. Sure they’d hung out a lot back at MIT, played video games until early mornings, talked about everything between heaven and earth...and that one kiss of course. But that was 7 years ago! And Gordon had left MIT very quickly without explaining or even saying a proper goodbye. Maybe meeting Benrey might only bring back bad memories.
“Ugh get a grip Benrey, you’re so uncool right now. You gonna do fine. Suave as fuck!”
He was happy that the cart was empty and no one was there to hear his pathetic tries to hype himself up which was, decidedly, not suave as fuck.
The train came to an abrupt halt and walking out he couldn’t help but marvel at the massive structure that was Black Mesa. The platform the train had arrived at was massive, up ahead he could spot a large door guarded by two men in blue uniforms. He couldn’t help but glance at their faces. Of course none of them were Gordon. This place had probably hundreds of guards all in all. The chance of meeting him at all was slim. Benrey still couldn’t help the spark of excitement in his chest as he entered.
He was ushered inside and placed in a smaller office for a brief orientation. He got his company ID, a few instructions and the direction to the locker rooms (three corridors to the right, follow the green line and then it’s the second door to the left) where he would be issued his HEV suit. He wasn’t really fond of the idea that the moving part of this job demanded him wearing a radioactive protective suit if he was being honest. Still might be cool wearing one, like something out of Mass Effect.
He’d been right about the amount of guards at the facility. Every single door seemed to have one or two stationed in front. And of course he couldn’t help but search every face for one that he would recognize only to be continuously disappointed.
It must have been around the tenth door that he realized that he was lost. Even with the colour coding every single corridore looked exactly the same.
“Uuh, fuck...let’s see I went right, then right again...did I take another right after that. Shit what color was I suppose to follow?”
“Hey there little man, you lost?”
Fuck he’d talked out loud again hadn’t he. He turned to face the voice only for everything to come to an abrupt halt.
Before him in all his 6’5 glory stood Gordon...but at the same time...not.
His hair was the same, a curly mass tamed by a hair tie still visible as it fell over his shoulder from under the helmet. He’d also managed to grow out his beard, finally gotten past that little goatee stage from MIT.
But there were things that were different...wrong even. His eyes seemed to shine with a yellow tint from behind the glasses. The helmet casted an odd shadow over his face that made most of the top half of his face not visible. A grin played on the guards face that showed off pointy teeth that seemed to be...black?
Benrey couldn’t help but wonder if all this was a side effect of working from Black Mesa. Or had Gordon just gotten really into body mods in the last 7 years.
Even with the changes though he still took Benreys breath away. Benrey never saw himself as a man swayed by a uniform but damn if the way Gordons tight vest accented his waist didn’t sway him a lot.
“I uuh...I’m...hi.” eloquent as always Benrey, good job.
“Never seen you around here before, you got some id?”
Oh...so Gordon didn’t recognize him. Benrey hadn’t changed that much in 7 years had he? Some more piercings, little darker around the eyes, maybe some more gray hairs (not that you could tell with it hiding under his beanie).
“Yeah, sure. I have it...here somewhere.” He patted his pockets until he finally managed to fish up his newly printed company ID.
Gordon snagged it from his hand and gave it a critical look, eyes wandering from the card to the smaller man before him. Benrey tried giving him a smile but the anxiety that coiled itself in his stomach probably made it more of a grimace.
“I will have to see some more identification. Show me your passport please.”
“I...what? I didn’t, I mean should I have brought my…”
He was interrupted by a breathy laughter that sent the butterflies fluttering again. It sounded exactly the same as he’d remember it.
“I’m just fucking with you Benny. I was sent to show you around, place can be a maze if you don’t know your way around. You’re my escort mission for the next couple of days.”
Benreys heart skipped a beat at the nickname. Did he remember him after all? Or had he maybe recognized him after seeing the name? He decided to give Gordons memory a little nudge.
“It’s nice seeing you again Gordo. It’s been what, 7 years?” 7 years and 2 month to be exact, not that Benrey had counted or anything.
Gordon looked at him, one eyebrow raised.
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Oh.
No don’t give up yet Benrey. Be more specific.
“Yeah we used to hang out all the time back in MIT remember? You lived like two doors down in the dorm and beat my ass in Mario kart all the time.”
You also cried in my arms like ten times, shared your dreams about becoming a streamer and we kissed once but you know whatever. He didn't voice this thought.
Watching Gordons face, Benrey waited for a light of recognition in the other man's eyes.
A sudden flicker of the light and a buzzing static noise from somewhere over Benreys shoulder almost made him jump out of his skin. Looking back he tried finding the source of the sound only to find the corridor as empty as before.
When he looked towards Gordon again he found the other man a couple of paces ahead. A cigarette lazily held between two fingers, red smoke twisting towards the ceiling.
“We should really get going. You still need to get into the HEV suite.”
No acknowledgment of Benreys previous statement. Benrey tried to keep his disappointment in check. Could he actually have forgotten him entirely? Had their time together meant so little? Benrey gritted his teeth and started after the other man while memories of days gone by swirled within his head.
---
7 years ago. A cold autumn night, two people stand huddled together on a porch away from the light and din of the party inside.
“I’m just sayin’ that the impact it had on the cons- cols...machines is on the same level as God of War.”
“Whatever man, I’m still not going to play it.”
“Boo! Gordon Booringman over here. C’mon you gotta give it a chance. Try everything once!”
There is a small lull in the conversation. The silence is comfortable but it’s broken by the taller man.
“Everything huh?”
“At least once.”
A hand comes down, cupping a chin. Head leaned in close.
“Even this?”
A small hitch of breath.
“Y-yeah...everything.”
A small chuckle before lips meet.
The night is cold but they are warm and will continue to be so in Benreys memory forever.