After the Dinosaurs (Yates/Benton)
Title: After the Dinosaurs
Rating: PG-13
Summary: part of a series of "after the episodes" stories, about the relationship of Captain Mike Yates and Sergeant John Benton.
After the Daemons
After the Chronovores
After the Giant Maggots
After the Dinosaurs
Benton urgently knocked on the door to the Brigadier’s office. He was trying so hared to keep himself calm, at least on the outside. On the inside were emotions that he hadn’t had the time to feel earlier, not when the world still needed to be saved. At the invitation to enter, he did so.
“What can I do for you, Sergeant?”
“Where is he?”
“Captain Yates?”
“Yes, sir. He’s not where we left him.”
“I let him go. I’m giving him a chance to retire quietly, remember?”
“Right. No court-martial or anything.” Benton rubbed the back of his neck.
“Are you alright, Sergeant?”
“Yes, sir. I only…” He took a breath. “It’s been a long day.”
“You’re right. Go home, Benton.”
“Sir?”
“There’s nothing else to be done here. At least nothing you can help with. Go on.”
“Thank you, sir.” Benton saluted and left the office. He went to the parking lot, got in his car, and stared at one key on his keychain. He knew where he was going.
*******
Mike sighed as he hung his UNIT uniform in his closet. “Great job, you damn idiot,” he whispered to himself. “You weak little idiot.”
As soon as the Brigadier had let him go, he had gone straight to his apartment. He hadn’t needed to get anything from John’s apartment. He hadn’t slept there for about a week.
Mike changed into a pair of blue jeans and a simple shirt. He sighed again and opened his refrigerator. He was hungry, but wearily closed the fridge when he realized that he didn’t want to eat.
He sat down on the couch, leaning forward with his face in his hands. What was he going to do now? His plan when joining the army and UNIT was to stay at least a few years longer than this. What was he supposed to do now?
He sat in the dim room, not moving and thinking about what a failure he was.
Mike straightened when he heard the lock to his front door click. There was only one other person who had a key to his apartment. He stood and took a deep breath. This was not going to be good.
Benton walked in and closed the door behind him. He made a beeline for Mike. Mike saw the anger on his face. Anger aimed at him, caused by him. And he deserved it.
Benton stopped barely a foot away. “Why? Why would you- would you betray us like that?”
“I-I…” He didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry. John, I am so-“
Benton grabbed the front of Mike’s shirt and pinned him against the wall, trapping him.
“John-“ yelped Mike.
“Sorry?” Benton hissed. He raised his voice. “You’re sorry? You pulled a gun on us. You pulled a gun on me!”
For that moment, Mike saw the raw pain in Benton’s eyes.
“I never would’ve thought…” Benton glanced down at his hands holding the other man against the wall. When his gaze came back up, his eyes were angry again. “You pulled a gun on me.”
“I know, and I am-“
“Sorry? Is that all you can say? You nearly got Miss Smith killed. Nearly got everyone killed.” Benton took a long breath. “Tell me something, Mike. If I hadn’t done what you had said, if I hadn’t backed away from the radio, if I had tried to disarm you then... would you have pulled the trigger?”
“What?”
“Answer me.”
Mike put all his emotion into his answer. “No. I would never-“
“The thought didn’t cross your mind? I would’ve been a threat if I had attacked you.”
Mike really did not know what would’ve happened, how he would have reacted in that moment. Not while he was in that mental state. He was relieved they hadn’t had to find out.
“But, I guess it really wouldn’t have mattered if you had shot me.”
“What?”
“You didn’t know if we were within the time-field thing or not. And you didn’t care. Our lives didn’t matter enough for you to find out.”
“No, I-“
“If we weren’t in the time-field, we would’ve ceased to exist. It’s not exactly the same as murdering us, but you’ll get the same result.”
“John-“
“No, I want you to listen to me.” His grip on the other man’s shirt tightened. “We protect. We’re supposed to protect our country, our world… each other.” Benton’s voice cracked on the last word. “And you- you threw all that away. You betrayed us… me… For what? Why?”
Mike opened his mouth, wanting to tell Benton everything about why all this had happened, why it happened the way it did. But all his reasons sounded like excuses. And John deserved so much more than excuses. He closed his mouth.
“Nothing?” Once again, the anger in Benton’s face turned to hurt. “Nothing? No reason?”
“I’m sorry.” Mike dropped his gaze to Benton’s chest, so he wouldn’t have to look at the pain in his love’s face. One of Benton’s hands let go of his shirt and brought his head back up. The hand stayed on the side of his face.
“Nothing to say…” whispered Benton. He stared into Mike’s eyes.
Tears began to well in Mike’s eyes. He choked out through the lump forming in his throat, “S-sorry. John, I-I…” He closed his mouth.
There was a long moment of intense silence as they looked at each other.
The hand still holding Mike’s shirt loosened and flattened against his chest. Benton let out a long breath. “I can’t…” He turned away. “I can’t do this.”
He walked away a few steps before turning back around. He took two strides and placed his hands tightly around Mike’s arms. He pressed his lips against Mike’s in an aggressive kiss.
Mike desperately gripped at Benton’s sleeves at the forceful kiss. Benton pulled himself away.
“Goodbye, Mike.” He turned for the last time and headed for the door. It slammed shut behind him.
Mike slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor. He let the tears finally fall.
Now he had lost everything. It was his fault. He had lost everything.
“Goodbye, John.”
Rating: PG-13
Summary: part of a series of "after the episodes" stories, about the relationship of Captain Mike Yates and Sergeant John Benton.
After the Daemons
After the Chronovores
After the Giant Maggots
After the Dinosaurs
Benton urgently knocked on the door to the Brigadier’s office. He was trying so hared to keep himself calm, at least on the outside. On the inside were emotions that he hadn’t had the time to feel earlier, not when the world still needed to be saved. At the invitation to enter, he did so.
“What can I do for you, Sergeant?”
“Where is he?”
“Captain Yates?”
“Yes, sir. He’s not where we left him.”
“I let him go. I’m giving him a chance to retire quietly, remember?”
“Right. No court-martial or anything.” Benton rubbed the back of his neck.
“Are you alright, Sergeant?”
“Yes, sir. I only…” He took a breath. “It’s been a long day.”
“You’re right. Go home, Benton.”
“Sir?”
“There’s nothing else to be done here. At least nothing you can help with. Go on.”
“Thank you, sir.” Benton saluted and left the office. He went to the parking lot, got in his car, and stared at one key on his keychain. He knew where he was going.
*******
Mike sighed as he hung his UNIT uniform in his closet. “Great job, you damn idiot,” he whispered to himself. “You weak little idiot.”
As soon as the Brigadier had let him go, he had gone straight to his apartment. He hadn’t needed to get anything from John’s apartment. He hadn’t slept there for about a week.
Mike changed into a pair of blue jeans and a simple shirt. He sighed again and opened his refrigerator. He was hungry, but wearily closed the fridge when he realized that he didn’t want to eat.
He sat down on the couch, leaning forward with his face in his hands. What was he going to do now? His plan when joining the army and UNIT was to stay at least a few years longer than this. What was he supposed to do now?
He sat in the dim room, not moving and thinking about what a failure he was.
Mike straightened when he heard the lock to his front door click. There was only one other person who had a key to his apartment. He stood and took a deep breath. This was not going to be good.
Benton walked in and closed the door behind him. He made a beeline for Mike. Mike saw the anger on his face. Anger aimed at him, caused by him. And he deserved it.
Benton stopped barely a foot away. “Why? Why would you- would you betray us like that?”
“I-I…” He didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry. John, I am so-“
Benton grabbed the front of Mike’s shirt and pinned him against the wall, trapping him.
“John-“ yelped Mike.
“Sorry?” Benton hissed. He raised his voice. “You’re sorry? You pulled a gun on us. You pulled a gun on me!”
For that moment, Mike saw the raw pain in Benton’s eyes.
“I never would’ve thought…” Benton glanced down at his hands holding the other man against the wall. When his gaze came back up, his eyes were angry again. “You pulled a gun on me.”
“I know, and I am-“
“Sorry? Is that all you can say? You nearly got Miss Smith killed. Nearly got everyone killed.” Benton took a long breath. “Tell me something, Mike. If I hadn’t done what you had said, if I hadn’t backed away from the radio, if I had tried to disarm you then... would you have pulled the trigger?”
“What?”
“Answer me.”
Mike put all his emotion into his answer. “No. I would never-“
“The thought didn’t cross your mind? I would’ve been a threat if I had attacked you.”
Mike really did not know what would’ve happened, how he would have reacted in that moment. Not while he was in that mental state. He was relieved they hadn’t had to find out.
“But, I guess it really wouldn’t have mattered if you had shot me.”
“What?”
“You didn’t know if we were within the time-field thing or not. And you didn’t care. Our lives didn’t matter enough for you to find out.”
“No, I-“
“If we weren’t in the time-field, we would’ve ceased to exist. It’s not exactly the same as murdering us, but you’ll get the same result.”
“John-“
“No, I want you to listen to me.” His grip on the other man’s shirt tightened. “We protect. We’re supposed to protect our country, our world… each other.” Benton’s voice cracked on the last word. “And you- you threw all that away. You betrayed us… me… For what? Why?”
Mike opened his mouth, wanting to tell Benton everything about why all this had happened, why it happened the way it did. But all his reasons sounded like excuses. And John deserved so much more than excuses. He closed his mouth.
“Nothing?” Once again, the anger in Benton’s face turned to hurt. “Nothing? No reason?”
“I’m sorry.” Mike dropped his gaze to Benton’s chest, so he wouldn’t have to look at the pain in his love’s face. One of Benton’s hands let go of his shirt and brought his head back up. The hand stayed on the side of his face.
“Nothing to say…” whispered Benton. He stared into Mike’s eyes.
Tears began to well in Mike’s eyes. He choked out through the lump forming in his throat, “S-sorry. John, I-I…” He closed his mouth.
There was a long moment of intense silence as they looked at each other.
The hand still holding Mike’s shirt loosened and flattened against his chest. Benton let out a long breath. “I can’t…” He turned away. “I can’t do this.”
He walked away a few steps before turning back around. He took two strides and placed his hands tightly around Mike’s arms. He pressed his lips against Mike’s in an aggressive kiss.
Mike desperately gripped at Benton’s sleeves at the forceful kiss. Benton pulled himself away.
“Goodbye, Mike.” He turned for the last time and headed for the door. It slammed shut behind him.
Mike slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor. He let the tears finally fall.
Now he had lost everything. It was his fault. He had lost everything.
“Goodbye, John.”