Work Text:
Hank hissed in slight pain, dropping the pencil on his desk. He flexed his fingers to soothe the burning sensation, looking down in disappointment at the amount of paperwork he still needed to complete.
He knew that any on-work injury required paperwork. He didn't know that there was quite more involved when it happened to the captain. All he did was slightly burn his hands on an electrified car hood, then had after effects of being zapped. But those effects were gone within a few minutes. The burns were minimal.
It was all just a little frustrating.
A cup of coffee landed on Hank's desk, causing him to jump and look up at the source. The warm smile of his engineer greeted him.
"Need some company?"
Some of the frustration rolled off Hank's back as he sighed. He leaned back in his chair and raised an eyebrow. "The plain kind or good kind?"
"Well, John and Roy are on a run. Chet and Marco are busy in the rec room. I'm willing to say the good kind."
Silence entered the office until Hank cracked a content smile. It was impossible not to be with Mike around.
"Finally, a quiet moment." He commented.
Mike pulled the second chair up next to the captain's, promptly sitting down as he placed his coffee next to Hank's.
"Mmm, have you missed me that much?" The engineer smoothly talked. He laid his head on Hank's left shoulder.
Hank made a face in response as he picked up the pencil again. "Hundreds of men to find, and I get the biggest flirt in the county."
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
Hank pulled the sheet of paper closer to him, continuing on with writing the second recollection of the injury. "It's better than whoever Emily is currently seeing."
From the first moment Hank laid eyes on Mike, his first shift as captain, he was enamored. There was something about his gaze, his stance, the way he handled the old Crown, the way his chiseled features caught the sun in the locker room that reeled the captain in.
But he wouldn't have dared admit it. A handful of men Hank had found attractive were in platonic relationships. He was lucky to have found Emily, who was the same way as Hank looking for someone to shatter the status quo with. They had gotten into...what one could call a smoke and mirrors marriage. It made the folks back home happy.
Besides, Mike was seemingly out of his league. Only in the captain's dreams, both clean and dirty.
If only Hank could express the rush of emotions and blood to certain places upon hearing Mike was looking for the same type of relationship he was. It was over from there. Any quiet time they had, with no one around to see, they spent it together.
He was also a second conscience, a voice of reason and problem solving. Hank wasn't sure how he did it, but he could figure out any solution to an issue the captain was having.
"Is Emily not seeing that baker anymore? I figured she'd be wonderful with her hands."
Mike also loved to tease and play with Hank. Maybe he got a rise out of him, or maybe it was to soothe any worries. Whatever it was, Hank found it attractive as hell.
"Not anymore. She moved to Oakland."
"Aw, poor Em. Give her my best."
Hank only responded with a grunt of acknowledgement. He reached for the coffee and took a swig, grateful for the hot liquid caffeine warming him up. The office could be cold sometimes.
Back to writing. Date, time, location...explanation, explanation, explanation, yes and no, yes and--
"Something's bothering you." Mike spoke softly, so as to not scare Hank.
The captain let out a single laugh in response. "That obvious, huh?"
"Maybe not to the others. Your jaw is set, your eyebrows are lowered and stitched together. You're also pushing down the pencil hard, the words are darker."
snap
The tip of Hank's pencil broke cleanly against the paper. He paused for a few seconds, then took a deep breath in frustration. He dropped the pencil on the paper before planting his hand in his face.
"Right on the mark." His muffled voice spoke.
Mike removed his head from the captain's shoulders. He leaned forward, folding his arms on the desk.
"Tell me."
Hank removed his hand, looking over at Mike. He caught his gaze, soft and inviting. No smile, but a more serious look. The captain knew his engineer could likely solve his issues, but...
He leaned back in his chair in frustration. "It's the run we had where I got injured."
Hank turned his head against the back of the chair to stare at Mike. "You'd think a simple injury like that would come and go, but the events leading up to it are bothering me."
He let out a sigh and looked up at the roof. "I should've been more careful. The car hit a power pole. Loose cables were a possibility. I almost never take off my gloves, and the one time I did, I laid them on a conductive object."
Hank closed his eyes and rubbed his face with both hands. "Captains are supposed to be observant and aware of everything. My mistake forced you into a leadership position and took focus away from the victim. It just...bothers me. I don't know why, Mike."
Silence yet again. And more silence. Hank made a face, confused as to why Mike hadn't commented--
He suddenly felt a hand land on his cheek, pulling his head back as he faced Mike.
"This isn't like you." He commented. He sat up straighter, not letting go. "It's more than the scene, isn't it?"
"No. No, it's just the scene."
Hank watched as Mike flicked his gaze over the captain's face and chest. He likely didn't believe him. Yes, there were probably deeper things fueling the whole thing, but he and Mike needed to be fully alone and away from work to talk.
Finally, a sigh. "Alright. It's just the scene. I know it isn't, but you don't have to tell me."
"Mike, I--"
Mike moved his hand from the captain's cheek, pressing a finger against his lips.
"Wait. I'm not finished."
Hank swallowed, unable to talk. He simply blinked, allowing Mike to continue.
"It doesn't matter if it's something else, or it is just the scene. They're both affected by one thing: being human." A pause. "Humans make mistakes. Humans ponder things deeply and become distracted."
He softly smiled at the captain. "You're human, Hank. That's one of the things I love about you. Don't beat yourself up for my sake, or the crew's sake. You're too kind to be that way."
God, he was right. A second conscience--a good looking one. Hank was lucky he could see the real, true side of his engineer.
He breathed out, landing his hand on top of Mike's.
"And that's why I love you. You're a voice of reason."
"Well, someone has to be in this crew."
"Oh hush, you."