Archive of Our Own ^beta

Joss Carter

“Mr. Reese? Mr. Reese, are you alright?” Finch sat back in his chair with a worried expression. A muffled groan was all he received in response. “…John?”

There was a quick inhalation of breath before Reese replied. “Yeah, Finch. I’m alright.”

Harold let out a quiet sigh. “’Alright’ as in ‘I have a few scratches and bruises’ or ‘alright’ as in ‘I’m actually shot and don’t want to worry you’? Because I don’t want a repeat of previous injuries, Mr. Reese.”

Reese gave a small chuckle, which sounded like static through the earpiece. “Is there a third option?”

Finch got up and grabbed his jacket. “I’ll be there soon.”

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When Finch got to Reese’s location, he noticed Carter was already there. She’d gotten John to sit in the backseat of the car a few blocks away from the shooting. Finch quickly limped up to the former agent and got in the backseat with him to assess the damage.

“H’lo, Finch. Glad you could make it.” Reese said, looking at him with half-lidded eyes.

Harold glanced down, where he saw the other man’s hand resting on his side with blood seeping between his fingers. He retrieved his pocket square and gave it to Reese to use as a temporary bandage.

He then got back out of the vehicle and Carter pulled them until they were out of earshot of Reese. Finch thought about telling her that John could still hear them since he had yet to disconnect the Bluetooth, but decided against it.

“He managed to get the bullet out of his side before I got here, so he’ll be ok. He seems kind of out of it though.” Carter said as she glanced around to make sure they were still alone. “I thought you guys always knew when something was pre-meditated? So how is it John’s nursing a wound and the guy he was protecting got shot four times?”

Finch shifted uncomfortably and his gaze darted over to the car. He could see Reese was assessing the wound with experimental pokes. “I’m afraid our information is not coming in as readily as before. The drive-by that resulted in Mr. Reese as well as Mr. Turner getting shot may not have been pre-meditated, therefore we would not have been informed.”

They stood there in silence before Carter gave a frustrated sigh. “You know, I think you two need a vacation.”

“I’m afraid that’s not really possible, Detective…” Finch replied. 

“No? Maybe John got shot because he’s exhausted. Look at him, Finch. He needs a break.” She reached out and patted his arm. “So do you.”

Finch gave her a skeptical look, but said nothing.

“You should take him some place nice. It’s not like you can’t afford it.” She said with an amused snort. “He cares about you. You should let him know it’s mutual.”

Harold blinked at her in confusion. “I think he already knows that, but I’ll see what I can do, Detective.”

She gave him a sly grin before heading back to the crime scene.

Harold got back in the car with Reese, who regarded him with laughing eyes.

“So, Finch, where are we going on vacation? A tropical resort? Your own private island? I’m not picky, really.”

The billionaire glared at him. “We’re not going anywhere, Mr. Reese, except back to the library to patch you up.”

“Oh, come on, Finch. I think Carter has the right idea…”

 

 

Lionel Fusco

Finch walked along the busy sidewalk with Reese at his side. Fusco was waiting for them a few blocks from the police station, where he munched on a donut.

“Hello, Detective.” Harold said as the officer finished his treat.

“I was gonna call you earlier, but my phone’s not working.” Fusco said in annoyance. He dug his phone out of his pocket and showed it to Finch. “Hey, you’re smart, right? Think you can fix this?”

Reese scoffed. “Lionel, please. Harold here has built some of the most complex computers in the world. I think he can handle your phone.”

Finch gave a small smile at that and took the phone from Fusco’s hand. “What seems to be the problem, Detective?”

“The screen just stays black, no matter what I try to do. It worked earlier, though.” Fusco replied.

Finch handed the phone back to him with a look of disapproval. “There’s nothing wrong with your phone. The battery is dead, that’s all.”

Reese gave a small bark of laughter and Fusco scowled at him. 

“Yeah, yeah, that’s real funny stuff.” Fusco said, tucking the phone back in his pocket. “So do you two have any special jobs for me to do? Things have been kind of slow lately.”

Reese gave Finch a thoughtful look. “No, not at the moment. We’ll let you know as soon as we do.” The billionaire said.

“You might want to fix your phone first, though.” Reese said with a smirk.

Fusco scoffed. “I’ve learned my lesson. My kid’s computer has been acting up though, so maybe you could take a look at that sometime?”

“The battery’s probably dead on that, too.”                               

Finch looked at John with a look of disapproval, though couldn’t entirely hide his smile. “Mr. Reese, that’s quite enough.”

Lionel glanced between them with a look somewhere between awe and disgust. “Are you two done with the cheesy looks and lovey-dovey crap, now?” He gestured to Reese. “He’s bad enough when he’s not trying to impress you with his lame jokes.”

“Jealous, Lionel?” Reese asked with a purr.

“Oh yeah, I’m just heartbroken.” Fusco said in a sarcastic tone. 

 

 

Zoe Morgan

John and Harold were walking back to the library after having lunch at a local diner they had both become fond of. The ground was wet with fresh rain and Reese put a protective arm around Finch when he opened the umbrella to cover both of them.

“Mr. Reese, could you move the umbrella over this way some more, please?”

“Sorry, guess I should’ve brought the bigger one.” John replied, moving the umbrella so it covered more of Harold.

“Now, there’s a gentleman. Where can I find myself a man like that?”

The two men stopped and turned to see Zoe standing behind them.

“Guess you shouldn’t have divorced me.” Reese said with a grin.

Zoe gave an amused laugh. “I suppose I shouldn’t have.” She eyed the arm the taller man still had around Finch. “But it looks like you’re already taken, anyway.”

Harold frowned. “Mr. Reese is still quite single, Ms. Morgan. I’m sure if you’d like to spend more time together, that can be arranged.” He tapped a few buttons on his phone. “Ah yes, there’s already a reservation for two at that restaurant you were talking about earlier, Mr. Reese.”

John shifted uncomfortably and rubbed the back of his neck. “I made that reservation for us, Finch.”

Zoe laughed and started walking past them, giving John’s butt a squeeze. “Still single, huh? I don’t think so.”

“We’re not a couple, Ms. Morgan!” Finch called after her.

All he got was sarcastic wave in response.

“You know, Mr. Reese, I’m really beginning to wonder if that’s how everyone sees us…”

 

 

Leon Tao

“So, I really think she might be the one. I mean, sure, I felt like this with Candy, but it’s so much stronger with Stacy!” Leon said in excitement. “Also, I don’t think I have to worry about her handcuffing me to a bed and trying to kill me, you know?”

John shot a glance towards Finch and made a “shoot me” gesture with his hand.

Finch dabbed at his mouth with his napkin to hide a smile before he realized Leon was expecting some sort of response. “Yes, well, it’s good that you’re finally settling down.”

Leon took another bite. “I’m not sure if I can do this, though. The whole ‘settling down’ thing? I’m always screwing things up and getting myself into trouble, so why would this be any different?” He sighed and sat back in his chair. “What should I do, guys? I really want to go for it, but...”

Harold shared a look with Reese, who rolled his eyes. “While I understand your apprehension, I’m failing to grasp why you’re asking Mr. Reese and I about relationship advice.”

Leon leaned forward with his elbows on the table. Finch harrumphed at his bad table manners, but said nothing. “Well, you two have been together for a couple of years, right? So, like, there have been lots of ups and downs too, right? So, I’m thinking, there’s no one better to ask.” His phone chimed, causing him to glance down at it. “Ah, it’s Stacy! Gotta go! If I mess this up, I’m blaming you two!”

Finch could only stare at his retreating form in disbelief. “What was that all about?”

Reese chuckled. “Maybe you should add Relationship Counselor to your list of identities, Finch.”

The billionaire scoffed. “Hardly. Now why on earth would he think we’re romantically involved…?”

John shrugged. “Well, he did walk in while you were kneeling down to tailor those new pants of mine. Maybe he got the wrong idea.”

Finch gave a quiet, “hmm” and took a drink. “I still don’t understand why he would think we would give decent advice.”

“You should give yourself more credit, Finch.” 

 

 

 

Sam Shaw

Apparently, the latest number was a perpetrator who was very, very good at pretending to be a victim. Finch couldn’t remember how he ended up locked in a room with a door that was at least two feet thick and with skylights as the only windows, since he had been knocked out beforehand.

The fact that Reese was stuck there with him made matters better, but it was hardly an ideal situation.

“Mr. Reese,” Finch said from his spot on the floor where he was leaning against the wall, “While I’m glad you’re trying to find a way to escape, dislocating your shoulder by ramming the door is not the way to accomplish it.”

John stopped and turned to face him. “Do you have a better idea?”

The billionaire eyed the skylights.

“Finch, there’s no way for us to get up there. If I can’t break through this door, we’re going to be stuck here for a while.” Reese said before he started smashing at the door again.

He gave up a few minutes later, clearly exhausted, and sat next to Finch on the floor.

“At least they were nice enough to put us in the same room.”

Finch turned to glare at Reese, but saw the other man was genuinely happy about it. He reached over and placed his hand on John’s knee.

“Must be they thought we were a couple.” John said with a grin.

Harold gave a quiet snort of amusement and Reese placed his hand over his.

The minutes dragged by and the two men continued to sit on the floor, shoulder to shoulder. A few moments later, the door flew open and a pissed off Shaw stood on the other side with an anxious Bear standing beside her.

“Way to actually make an effort to get out, guys.” She said as Finch and Reese pulled themselves off the floor. “I would’ve gotten you out sooner, but I was hoping to see some action between you two first.”

Finch felt his face flush and Reese attempted to hide a smile. “How long did you leave us in here waiting for…well, you know.”

Shaw shrugged. “Oh, not too long. An hour or so.”

“An hour! Miss Shaw, that is hardly the way to handle this situation!” Finch exclaimed. He took off his glasses and began to vigorously clean them with his pocket square.

“Relax, Harold. It’s not like you two were hurt.” Shaw said, looking between him and Reese. “How about the next time an opportunity presents itself like that, you don’t pass it up, otherwise I’m really going to take you to the funny farm.”

Harold looked at her in dismay as Reese took Bear’s leash from her.

Shaw smacked Reese’s sore shoulder as she walked out with them, and Finch could only sigh as Bear barked happily in response.

 

 

 

Bear

Finch and Reese walked through the park to meet Bear’s newest friend. The canine kept walking closer to Finch and nudging his legs, causing the billionaire to constantly brush arms with his employee.

Reese would occasionally give him a questioning look, but said nothing.

When they got to their usual bench, Finch unclipped Bear’s leash and sat down. Instead of running over to his new pal, Bear simply sat down on the sidewalk and placed his head on Finch’s knee with a whine.

“What’s wrong, champ?” John asked, clearly concerned.

The canine looked at him with sad eyes before nudging his hand with a wet nose.

“Ah, I see.”

Finch looked over in disbelief. “How can you possibly understand that?”

The taller man gave a small smile before he reached over and intertwined his fingers with Harold’s. “This is what you want, right?”

Bear thumped his tail and barked happily in response before he ran off to play with the other dog.

“Oh, you must be joking.” Finch said as he let go of John’s hand.

As if on cue, Bear stopped and turned to look at them with a look of dismay.

Finch sighed and grasped Reese’s hand. “Mr. Reese, does he think we’re…”

“Yeah, Harold, I think he does.”

 

 

The Machine

“John,” Finch began as he ceased his typing. “Are we a couple?”

“Maybe.” Reese replied, casually flipping the page in the book he was pretending to read. He set the book down on the armrest when he realized Finch wasn’t going to continue without some prompting. “Everyone else seems to think we are.”

Harold continued to stare at the monitors. “Yes, that does seem to be the general consensus. I’m failing to understand why they came to that conclusion, though.”

Reese leaned back into the cushions, clearly amused. “Well Finch, we do have a dog together.”

Finch finally looked at him with a glare. “Mr. Reese, he’s your dog.”

“He’s only mine when he does something wrong, otherwise you seem perfectly happy to claim him.”

The billionaire let out an exaggerated huff. “Having a dog hardly makes us romantically involved….though I have to admit the- hmm?” He paused as his phone lit up. “Good Lord, not you too! This is not what I built you for.”

John quickly got up and walked over to Finch. “New number?”

Finch tapped the phone and hid the image before the other man could see it. “No, it’s hardly a new number…I’m afraid The Machine is interfering in matters that are best left alone.”

Reese gave him a confused look and grabbed the phone before Harold could stop him. “How long has it been sending you these images, Finch?”

Finch leaned his elbows on the desk and rested his head on his hands. “Long enough.”

The taller man placed a large hand on Harold’s back.

“You understand what this means, Mr. Reese? Even The Machine thinks we’re a couple!”

John chuckled. “Maybe It’s on to something, Harold….”

 

 

John Reese

Finch knocked on the door to Reese’s apartment. He wasn’t entirely sure why he was there, since they had just parted ways just a few hours before.

It was only after he had sat in the library with Bear for an hour staring at blank screens that he realized he had nothing to do.

The door opened and Reese greeted him with a grin. “Hey, Finch. You’re just in time for dinner.”

Harold limped inside and Reese took his coat. They made their way to the kitchen and he saw his employer had made enough food for two.

“Were you expecting me, Mr. Reese?”

John handed him a plate and they headed back to the dining area to sit down. “I was hoping you might show up.” He frowned, but said nothing as he took a bite. “Any new numbers?”

Finch finished chewing and took a drink before replying. “No, nothing yet. It would appear that we have the night to relax.”

Reese nodded. “Yet we still end up spending our time together.”

The billionaire raised his eyebrows. “What are you insinuating, Mr. Reese?”

John grinned. “Oh, I don’t know.” He leaned back in his chair and stretched his legs out, brushing Finch’s legs in the process.

“I can assure you, I don’t spend all of my free time seeking your company.” Harold said dryly.

“Hmm, maybe you don’t, but I might. If you weren’t “seeking my company”, then why did you come here?” Reese asked gently.

Harold frowned. “I’m not entirely sure. Writing code and updating my aliases used to be enough to occupy my time, but it would seem that isn’t the case anymore.”

Reese gave him a lazy look. “Good to know I’m interesting enough to keep your attention.” He leaned forward and placed his hand over Harold’s. “You don’t have to wait til you’re dying of boredom before you come over. You’re always welcome, you know.”

Finch cleared his throat, clearly embarrassed. “Yes, well, that’s…good.”

“If you keep this up though, my neighbors might think I finally got myself a special someone.”

The billionaire stared at him in disbelief and his hand, which was still under John’s, twitched. “Mr. Reese! Please don’t tell me you think we’re a couple now, too?”

 

Harold Finch

Finch reclined in his beach chair and bookmarked the page in his book before setting it on the arm of the chair. “Mr. Reese, you’re supposed to be relaxing.”

The man in question glanced up from his pushups without missing a beat. “I need to do something with my energy. There aren’t any kneecaps for me to take out here.” He stopped his exercises and moved next to Finch before he flopped down in the sand. “When I mentioned you having your own private island, I wasn’t serious, Finch. I shouldn’t be surprised, though.”

“To be fair, I only own part of it. The other half belongs to a nice elderly woman and her spouse who live here year round.”

Reese tossed his arms behind his head to use them as a pillow. “So, what’s the catch here? Is that old lady our newest number?”

Finch peered over his glasses at him. “This is a vacation, Mr. Reese. There is no “catch”, and even if there were, I would have told you before we got here.” He eyed Bear, who was happily diving in the sand and rolling around. “At least Bear knows he can relax.”

“A vacation, huh? So what’s next? Romantic dinners? Long walks on the beach? Late night swims?”

Harold huffed and stood up. “Whatever helps you relax and rest, Mr. Reese…”

The taller man hoisted himself off the sand. “It’s kind of hard to relax when I see you’re still wearing a suit.”

“Not all of us are comfortable wearing what you have on.” Finch replied, as he gestured to Reese’s swimming trunks.

“Come on, Harold. You can at least put on a pair of shorts.”

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They found themselves sitting in front of roaring flames that John had started in the fire pit that night. Reese had his arm resting behind Finch on the back of the cushioned bench, and he not-so-subtly moved closer.

“It’s getting late.” Finch stated as he stifled a yawn. Reese “hmm’d” in response, but made no effort to get up.

“Thank you.” Reese murmured a few moments later.

“Why are you thanking me?” Finch asked, turning his body to face the taller man.

“For bringing me here. I-“ John rubbed his neck. “I really needed a break.”

Harold sighed at Reese’s sheepish look. “We all need to rest. The next time you need a break, I hope you let me know. I don’t want you getting sloppy when you’re out saving our numbers. You might injure yourself again.”

John gave a small grin. “You’re worried about me aren’t you, Finch?”

Finch’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. “Yes, I suppose I am.” He looked at his hands and placed one over Reese’s hand. “I must admit, I’m not sure what I would do if…if something happened.”

He could only describe the look John gave him as one of utter adoration. And, because the moment seemed right, Finch leaned up and placed a small kiss on John’s mouth, a mere peck on the lips, really.

“Oh dear…” Harold said with slight alarm. “Mr. Reese, I think this means we’re a couple.”

John chuckled. “I know, Finch. I figured that out months ago.” He ran his hand over Harold’s cheek. “What took you so long to figure it out?”