Title: He needs it too [Southland]
Title: He needs it too
Word Count: 1,149
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Ben Sherman and Sammy Bryant
Series: Pup and Trainer
Summary: Post 3x3. This time it’s Bryant that’s just had a long day, a few of them, and he needs his pup.
Author's Notes: Any ideas or suggestion for the question at the end are welcomed.
Ben felt weird.
Not that that was new. It seemed to be his default feeling whenever he walked through Bryant’s front door, no matter how much his partner told him isn’t wasn’t that odd, or how good, how nice, it was to just let go and be a puppy, he still felt pretty weird even after all these weeks.
And tonight he wasn’t completely sure that was why he was here. “Long day huh, Sammy?” he commented as he sipped at the coffee Bryant had offered.
“I-It was a rough day wasn’t it, gang shooting, Crawford…”
The exhaustion in his partner’s voice was clear but he didn’t look tried, he couldn’t tell what Sammy was but it wasn’t tried, it was something else, regret? “Look about Crawford, you couldn’t have known-“
“I don’t care about that bastard, he brought that on himself. Hell, he deserved it,” Bryant interrupted.
“Then what is bothering you? And don’t try and bullshit me I know something’s up,” Ben said at last, pushing away the cup and meeting Bryant’s eyes.
“Why does something have to be up? Can’t I invite my partner over for coffee?”
‘Why can’t he just tell me?’ Ben thought before getting up and walking over toward the coffee table in the living room pausing just after stepping though the wide archway that separated them. “We both work tomorrow and you don’t exactly live close by,” ‘and then there are these’ he added to himself before taking another step and leaning down and picking up the knotted length of rope with one hand and the red ball with the others.
They didn’t feel right as he walked back toward the dining room table but it wasn’t until he set them down he realized why, he’s never held them in his hands before. “We’ve only done this…stuff once on a work night. And that was when- after I lost my cool. You said it couldn’t wait and you were right,” Ben admitted shifting his eyes from the dog toys to Bryant at last. “But I didn’t, I don’t need this tonight,” he finished with confidence. And he knew he didn’t. It may all still be new to him, and he may be unsure of most of it, but he recognize when he needed it, most of the time.
“It’s not always about you, pup!” Bryant snapped, then he let out a breath and turned his head away for a moment before turning back. “After you lost your cool I told you to tell me when you feel like it’s going to happen again. Remember what you said back?”
“That you should do same,” Ben remembered, how much he trusted Bryant in that moment, how close he felt to the other man. He could, wanted, to do be able to return the gesture, help, if Bryant needed it. “You need it.”
“All day, hell not just today, I’ve been on edge. And I don’t think I can wait two more days for the down time, pup,” Bryant confessed, his voice rough and raw.
“Then don’t,” were the last things Ben’s said kicking off his boots and pulling off his shirt as he stood and walked around the table toward Bryant, shucking his pants once his boots were out of the way leaving only his boxers when he dropped to all fours.
“Pup,” Bryant whispered as he scooped up the ball with one hand as the other found its way to Ben’s hair, ruffling it.
Ben closed his eyes and leaned into Bryant- no leaned into his trainer and rubbed his shoulders against the coarse denim of Bryant’s jean letting out a soft yep.
Bryant watched as his pup leaned against his side looking up at him. Ben, his pup looking unsure while trying to rub against him, comfort him, only…”You’re a pup, a dog, not a cat,” he said with a chuckle, letting out more of a laugh at the look his pup was giving him.
“Don’t think Ben just let go and have fun,” Bryant ordered picking up the red ball and giving it a squeeze, “fetch boy,” he called, throwing it into the living room, smiling at sight of his pup chasing after it while he slowly followed.
Bryant felt something in his chest loosen after just a few minutes of throwing the ball around the living room and watching his pup race after it before bringing it back to him.
He knew Ben was still unsure about all of it but it felt right every time he helped Ben let go and enjoy himself. ‘Like right now’ Bryant added to himself ruffled his pup’s hair after his partner dropped the ball at his feet again. “That’s a good boy, who’s a good boy? You’re a good boy!” he added, grinning happily.
The pup’s response was a nice loud bark. The dog like sound, and not the word, told Bryant just how easy it had been for Ben to slip into the headspace tonight. And given how much he was licking his trainer the pup wasn’t holding back. “Yes you’re a good pup and now it’s time for something new, Sit pup, Sit,” Bryant ordered.
His pup just looked up at him until Bryant repeated the order, reached out with his leg and pushed down the pup’s boxer clad behind before seeming to get it which was when he threw the ball again, watching as Ben raced after it.
Once the pup was back and had dropped the ball at his feet Bryant gave the order to sit once more. And with a light tap at his butt Ben was sitting like a good pup. “I’m damn proud of you boy, you’re a good pup, yes you are,” he told Ben as he started rubbing his pup’s tummy.
Ben playfully growled and panted as he rolled over to expose his underbelly to Bryant’s hand while trying to lick the upper arm.
Looking down at his pup, eye’s closed in delight, feeling the wet tongue lapping at his skin he felt content, happy.
The feeling remained all night and in to the next morning when he blinked the sun out of his eyes to see Ben curled up on the foot of his bed and not in the guest room where he’d left him. Bryant started to call out to him but stopped and thought for a moment.
Bryant slowly pushed the sheets off just enough to get out from under them before sliding down toward the bottom of the bed. Softly resting his head on his pup’s side, “ssshh, go back to sleep, still got a couple hours, pup…we’ve really got to get a name for you. I can’t keep calling you pup and your not Ben, not right now.” he whispered, adding the last bit more to himself then Ben as he relaxed into his pup and closed his eyes.
Word Count: 1,149
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Ben Sherman and Sammy Bryant
Series: Pup and Trainer
Summary: Post 3x3. This time it’s Bryant that’s just had a long day, a few of them, and he needs his pup.
Author's Notes: Any ideas or suggestion for the question at the end are welcomed.
Ben felt weird.
Not that that was new. It seemed to be his default feeling whenever he walked through Bryant’s front door, no matter how much his partner told him isn’t wasn’t that odd, or how good, how nice, it was to just let go and be a puppy, he still felt pretty weird even after all these weeks.
And tonight he wasn’t completely sure that was why he was here. “Long day huh, Sammy?” he commented as he sipped at the coffee Bryant had offered.
“I-It was a rough day wasn’t it, gang shooting, Crawford…”
The exhaustion in his partner’s voice was clear but he didn’t look tried, he couldn’t tell what Sammy was but it wasn’t tried, it was something else, regret? “Look about Crawford, you couldn’t have known-“
“I don’t care about that bastard, he brought that on himself. Hell, he deserved it,” Bryant interrupted.
“Then what is bothering you? And don’t try and bullshit me I know something’s up,” Ben said at last, pushing away the cup and meeting Bryant’s eyes.
“Why does something have to be up? Can’t I invite my partner over for coffee?”
‘Why can’t he just tell me?’ Ben thought before getting up and walking over toward the coffee table in the living room pausing just after stepping though the wide archway that separated them. “We both work tomorrow and you don’t exactly live close by,” ‘and then there are these’ he added to himself before taking another step and leaning down and picking up the knotted length of rope with one hand and the red ball with the others.
They didn’t feel right as he walked back toward the dining room table but it wasn’t until he set them down he realized why, he’s never held them in his hands before. “We’ve only done this…stuff once on a work night. And that was when- after I lost my cool. You said it couldn’t wait and you were right,” Ben admitted shifting his eyes from the dog toys to Bryant at last. “But I didn’t, I don’t need this tonight,” he finished with confidence. And he knew he didn’t. It may all still be new to him, and he may be unsure of most of it, but he recognize when he needed it, most of the time.
“It’s not always about you, pup!” Bryant snapped, then he let out a breath and turned his head away for a moment before turning back. “After you lost your cool I told you to tell me when you feel like it’s going to happen again. Remember what you said back?”
“That you should do same,” Ben remembered, how much he trusted Bryant in that moment, how close he felt to the other man. He could, wanted, to do be able to return the gesture, help, if Bryant needed it. “You need it.”
“All day, hell not just today, I’ve been on edge. And I don’t think I can wait two more days for the down time, pup,” Bryant confessed, his voice rough and raw.
“Then don’t,” were the last things Ben’s said kicking off his boots and pulling off his shirt as he stood and walked around the table toward Bryant, shucking his pants once his boots were out of the way leaving only his boxers when he dropped to all fours.
“Pup,” Bryant whispered as he scooped up the ball with one hand as the other found its way to Ben’s hair, ruffling it.
Ben closed his eyes and leaned into Bryant- no leaned into his trainer and rubbed his shoulders against the coarse denim of Bryant’s jean letting out a soft yep.
Bryant watched as his pup leaned against his side looking up at him. Ben, his pup looking unsure while trying to rub against him, comfort him, only…”You’re a pup, a dog, not a cat,” he said with a chuckle, letting out more of a laugh at the look his pup was giving him.
“Don’t think Ben just let go and have fun,” Bryant ordered picking up the red ball and giving it a squeeze, “fetch boy,” he called, throwing it into the living room, smiling at sight of his pup chasing after it while he slowly followed.
Bryant felt something in his chest loosen after just a few minutes of throwing the ball around the living room and watching his pup race after it before bringing it back to him.
He knew Ben was still unsure about all of it but it felt right every time he helped Ben let go and enjoy himself. ‘Like right now’ Bryant added to himself ruffled his pup’s hair after his partner dropped the ball at his feet again. “That’s a good boy, who’s a good boy? You’re a good boy!” he added, grinning happily.
The pup’s response was a nice loud bark. The dog like sound, and not the word, told Bryant just how easy it had been for Ben to slip into the headspace tonight. And given how much he was licking his trainer the pup wasn’t holding back. “Yes you’re a good pup and now it’s time for something new, Sit pup, Sit,” Bryant ordered.
His pup just looked up at him until Bryant repeated the order, reached out with his leg and pushed down the pup’s boxer clad behind before seeming to get it which was when he threw the ball again, watching as Ben raced after it.
Once the pup was back and had dropped the ball at his feet Bryant gave the order to sit once more. And with a light tap at his butt Ben was sitting like a good pup. “I’m damn proud of you boy, you’re a good pup, yes you are,” he told Ben as he started rubbing his pup’s tummy.
Ben playfully growled and panted as he rolled over to expose his underbelly to Bryant’s hand while trying to lick the upper arm.
Looking down at his pup, eye’s closed in delight, feeling the wet tongue lapping at his skin he felt content, happy.
The feeling remained all night and in to the next morning when he blinked the sun out of his eyes to see Ben curled up on the foot of his bed and not in the guest room where he’d left him. Bryant started to call out to him but stopped and thought for a moment.
Bryant slowly pushed the sheets off just enough to get out from under them before sliding down toward the bottom of the bed. Softly resting his head on his pup’s side, “ssshh, go back to sleep, still got a couple hours, pup…we’ve really got to get a name for you. I can’t keep calling you pup and your not Ben, not right now.” he whispered, adding the last bit more to himself then Ben as he relaxed into his pup and closed his eyes.