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Ben leans over the back of the sofa and presses a kiss to Mike's cheek. “I'll be back soon,” he tells the detective. “Are you sure there's nothing you need me to pick up?”
“Yeah, I can't think of anything,” Mike replies with a shrug, tone lacking inflection. His eyes remain on the book in his lap, but Ben knows better than to think he's actually reading it.
This has been the new normal since Mike's transfer to Staten Island following the fallout of punching Councilman Crossley. Seeing Mike so quiet and subdued always tugs at his heartstrings; he's so used to seeing his husband as a bright and vibrant source of energy. It's been strange not hearing his mischievous laughter or seeing his warm smile, not to mention the lack of sexual innuendo. Ben never thought he'd actually miss those, but he'd rather be inundated with them rather than see Mike struggle this way.
In the month since being reassigned to the 128th Precinct, Mike hasn't been anything like his usual self and while he's at least begun to finally talk about everything that's happened, it's clear to Ben that he's not coping well with the change. He can't blame Mike for that, of course, and he does everything he can to make Mike feel heard and not judged. He's certainly gotten enough of that from everyone else – his fellow officers, his superiors, what seems to be the entire population of New York City – and what he needs at home is love and understanding. Ben is more than happy to oblige. But love and understanding, no matter how genuine, can't fix everything. And perhaps there's no fixing this, not yet anyway. Ben's given this a lot of thought and knows that's a distinct possibility, but he thinks this is as good a time as any to finally do this for Mike.
They've been together for over a decade now and Ben's lost count of how many times Mike has said he'd love to get a dog someday. Ben's never been opposed, though he does consider himself more of a cat lover – but he's had his cat since the divorce and Mike's never had a dog. The one silver lining in all this is that Mike's schedule is much less unpredictable than it was as a homicide detective at the 2-7. That paired with his own schedule teaching two classes each semester leaves a lot more room for a higher maintenance pet, not to mention that they aren't constantly running themselves ragged each weekend with two young children. Peter is twelve now, almost a teenager, and Pamela is in her first semester of college. Some days he can't believe how much the kids have grown, but even at their ages, he knows they'll still love to have a dog in the house just as much as Mike will.
Upon deciding the timing was right to add a new member to the family, Ben toyed with the notion of telling Mike and letting him pick a dog out himself, but the idea of surprising him was too good to pass up. It's for this reason that he leaves the brownstone under the guise of running some ambiguous errands and heads for the nearest animal shelter. All told, Ben visits three different shelters before he finds the right dog – in this case, a puppy. She's a squirmy, affectionate little thing, constantly nosing into his hand and wagging her tail at the slightest sign of attention. One of the workers tells him she came in with the rest of her litter, all of whom have since been adopted, and they suspect she's part chocolate lab, though it's obvious she's a mix of several other breeds. Her eyes are just as brown as her fur and she whines the moment Ben sets her down and he can already picture Mike cradling her in his arms and falling in love. What he sees in his mind's eye isn't entirely different to the first time Mike held Peter after he was born, and in many ways, both Peter and Mike himself are rather puppy-like. Peter may not be biologically Mike's son, but Ben sees so much of Mike in him and it never fails to warm his heart.
After filling out all the necessary paperwork, making appointments to keep her up-to-date on vaccinations and to have her spayed when she's old enough, and a quick detour to a pet supply store, Ben returns home. As he walks into the foyer, he can't help but smile, knowing that in mere seconds Mike's day will get infinitely better.
“Michael?” he calls, voice carrying down the hall. “I'm home.”
“Kitchen,” Mike replies and Ben can immediately tell his mouth is full.
With a roll of his eyes, he starts down the hall, leaving everything but the puppy on the mat. Before he rounds the corner into the kitchen, he tells Mike to close his eyes.
“They're closed,” Mike tells him with a sigh, though Ben still pokes his head in first just to make sure.
“Hold out your hands,” he instructs, grateful that the puppy hasn't blown his cover by barking or whining.
“The hell's gotten into you?” Mike mutters, tongue flicking out to clean off the speck of mustard at the corner of his mouth.
Ben chuckles but doesn't reply and instead carefully sets the puppy in Mike's hands, not letting go until he's sure he won't drop her. His smile widens when Mike's eyes fly open and he takes in the mess of brown fur in his grasp.
“Ben… what…?” The look on his face really is comical, his mouth agape and eyes wide. He gathers her to his chest, adjusting his hold on her so he can pet her head and when he finally looks back up at Ben, his eyes are just the slightest bit misty. “You got a dog?”
Ben chuckles and reaches out to pet her. “I got you a dog, darling,” he tells Mike. “Her name is Sadie, though she's probably young enough that you could change it if you like. I just thought that with all that's happened… I wanted to do something for you that you wouldn't do for yourself and you've been talking about getting a dog for as long as I've known you. I figured why not now?”
“Oh,” Mike breathes, gaze darting back down to the drowsy puppy in his arms. Ben sees the slight tremble in his chin and lifts his hand to cup Mike's cheek and brush his thumb across it.
“I love you so much, my darling. I just want to see you happy again.”
Instead of replying verbally, Mike gives a subtle nod and closes the distance between them, leaning into Ben's embrace, though he takes care not to squish Sadie. He lays his head on Ben's shoulder and breathes him in, sniffling quietly.
“I love you,” he finally whispers. “I mean… I can't believe you did this. You got me a dog.”
Ben kisses his forehead before leading Mike out into the living room. “You deserve it, Michael. I have a feeling you'll be the best of friends before you know it.”
Mike lets out a wet laugh. “Her name's Sadie?”
“That's what the shelter said. She was the only one out of her litter still there. All of her siblings had been adopted already and I don't know… something about her just seemed right. I hope it's all right that I chose for you.”
“Are you kidding? Ben, sweetheart, this is… this is probably the best gift you've ever gotten me. She's perfect.”
For the first time in what seems like forever, a genuine smile spreads across Mike's face, one that reaches his eyes and makes them light up, and Ben feels himself falling in love all over again. “You're perfect,” Ben replies, all too happy when Mike leans in and presses their lips together.