Title: "Familiarity" Pairing: Ben Affleck/Matt Damon Rating: PG-13 Summary: Ben's directorial debut. Disclaimer: Never happened. Notes: For Fangirl_Lizzie, for the New Year's Resolution 2007 exchange. Ben had lost weight. Instead of imposing action hero bulk, he now looked lean – like a panther still in the wild. Like he did back in the old days, back when they'd still been hungry for success, for acclaim, eating once a day (if at all), racing from audition to audition, searching for that big break, that perfect role that would catapult them into the A-list. Oddly enough, ironically enough, it was now Matt who was the action hero. Matt who had the blockbuster franchise and toy figures in his image – while Ben had graduated, moved on. The thought flickered across Matt's mind as Ben crushed him in a bone-crunching hug, lifting him clean off his feet. Around them, he could hear the whirring of the cameras, see the bright flashes popping out of the corner of his eye, but it was all ephemeral. Unimportant, when compared to the hard press of toned arms wrapped around his waist and the feel of paper-dry lips pressed against his cheek. It had been too long. "You made it," Ben said when he set Matt back on the red carpet that had been laid out for 'Gone Baby Gone.' Ben's directorial debut. One of them had actually done it. "Wild fucking horses, man," Matt replied, and grinned. Ben squeezed Matt's arm, testing the muscles under his jacket. "I thought you were filming." "Well, I was." Heedless of the press and fans clamoring for a picture, an autograph, a question, Mr. Affleck, Mr. Damon, just a moment, Ben pulled Matt to his side, and led him into the theatre. It was only marginally less crowded. "I was," Matt continued. "Wrangled a couple of days – you think I'd miss this? What're you, on crack?" "Maybe." Ben's eyes crinkled in a smile so familiar, so missed, that Matt felt an unaccustomed sting behind his eyelids. Christ, fatherhood was making him sentimental. "I, uh, saw Kevin and Mewes and Jason outside," he commented, after clearing a locked throat. Not here, man, not now. Not in front of all of these strangers and well-meaning friends. What had happened in the past was no one's fault but his own, and that's all it was. Past. "Jen should have been with them." Ben made a show of looking around. "Where's Lucy?" "With the kids in Miami. Sends her regards, by the way. Says she can't wait to see the film. I, uh, might have been talking it up a lot." "Tell her thanks." Another smile flickered across Ben's face, and he flicked at Matt's tie. "You dressed up for little old me?" Matt ducked his head. He hoped like Christ he wasn't actually blushing. "Yeah, well, the occasion seemed to warrant it." "Yeah, well, the next thing I'm directing, you're writing, motherfucker, don't think you can weasel out of it." The quick retort he'd been about to make died on his tongue. He couldn't be glib about this – not tonight. "I wouldn't. I mean, I won't." Ben met his eyes for a long, charged moment, then nodded. The look was as familiar, as missed, as his crooked grin. As familiar as the easy silences they always shared, as missed as the way the space between them seemed to dissolve the second they were around each other, no matter how long it had been. "C'mon," Ben said, and dragged Matt across the room and through a door marked 'Employees Only'. The second they entered the deserted hallway, Ben whirled and pressed Matt against the wall. More than anything – the sound of Ben's bright laugh, his raspy voice, the way he used his hands to talk, the way he always smelled of cigarettes and coffee, that fucking smirk that was as much a part of Ben as his acerbic wit – Matt had missed Ben's heat. "Hey," Ben murmured, and lowered his head. He still tasted of smoke and mint. Matt opened his mouth, clawed fingers into Ben's suit jacket and held on. In truth, he was afraid to let go. When Ben lifted spit-shiny lips, his smile was tender, private. A secret for them alone. "It's alright," he whispered, like maybe he thought they both needed soothing. Hell, maybe they did. "It is now," Matt replied, and lifted to his toes to get at Ben's mouth again. Ben's moan when their tongues rubbed together sounded like benediction. It was the best sound Matt had heard all year. They sprung apart when they heard a noise – but it was just a door slamming shut from somewhere deep inside the catacombs. Matt was the first to offer an embarrassed smile. His lips still tingled from the press of Ben's. He wanted to imprint the feel deep inside him. "We...uh..." "Yeah." Ben stuffed his hands into his pockets and peered at Matt from beneath thick, dark lashes. "You gonna stick around?" "If you, y'know, if you want." "You shouldn't even have to ask." "Yeah. You're right." He didn't ask what Ben would tell Jennifer – if he even needed to tell her anything. Ben had never asked about Lucy. There'd never been a need. "C'mon," Ben said, and wrapped an affectionate arm around Matt's shoulders. From lover to best friend in the space of a heartbeat – although the two words had been mingled together in Matt's mind for so long that they both meant the same thing. They meant Ben. "You can help me field questions." "I'm not even in the film." "So? Nobody believes I wrote the fucking thing on my own, anyway. Just wink mysteriously whenever anyone asks you about it." "Wink mysteriously? I don't even know what that means." "Neither do I," Ben chuckled, and laughter and voices spilled out when Ben opened the door. He glanced down at Matt, homecoming in his eyes. "It's...well, it's good to see you." "Yeah," Matt answered, and clapped Ben on the back. His hand lingered, held. "You, too." If you enjoyed this fic, please leave feedback here. Thanks!