Chapter Text
The marks on Michael's thigh had never really been accepted, or wanted. Everyone had them; the names of their soulmate written onto a part of their body since birth, tattoos that appeared in the womb and never rubbed off, never vanished and couldn't be removed. Some people covered the more noticeable ones, he'd known some people unlucky enough to get them on their neck or hands, one of the places almost never covered unless you had something to hide.
Maybe it was fate being kind to him for once that the name was on his thigh, he never had to show anyone, no one had to know who he was destined for. He was grateful, but it didn't mean he hated the words any less, it didn't mean that it didn't suck even having them in the first place.
As a kid, it had been easy, nobody really knew the importance of the names yet, they were too young to understand and Michael had been blissfully unaware that his mark was almost taboo.
Gavin David Free
The brand that would be on him for life was the name of a boy. It wasn't as horrible as it used to be, he was quite lucky to live in an area that mostly supported same sex marriages, but he learned quickly that not everyone was so accepting.
When they were all older, Michael just barely starting high school, the other boys had found his mark while changing for Gym. He'd been teased for the rest of his time at that school, even his own brother would laugh cruelly at him, calling him things like 'faggot' and 'princess' which just struck it harder into Michael that he was wrong. A mistake. He was ridiculed, bullied, beaten up and shunned until he was old enough to move away, start a new life learning to be an electrician until he could find his soulmate.
It still wasn't easy, it never would be in his world; there was always someone judging him from a distance, but it didn't stop him from fighting it. He may have hated his brand, he may have loathed it more than anything and even though he didn't show it off to the world, didn't mean he didn't yell at stupid pricks who dared say anything bad about same sex soulmates around him. He was neither proud nor happy, but damn if he was just going to lie down and take shit from people who knew nothing about him or his life.
Even if he hadn't had the name, he'd still be the same, if everyone thought he was straight, they'd still avoid him. People were prejudice against his kind; half-breeds, or animals as he was often called. They made up about a third of the population, but they'd still never be treated as equals by full humans, 'pure humans'. Michael couldn't help but feel bad for his parents, how upset they would have been to discover Michael's tail and ears along with his mark. It wasn't his fault, it was like a genetic glitch, something so rare and almost impossible to be born half when his parents were both pure, but that didn't mean he didn't understand how hard it must have been.
They'd always been nice to him, and to be fair he hadn't had it as bad as he could have, luckily for him people at least thought being born like him was something inescapable. It wasn't a choice in people's eyes, which certainly made it easier, he could almost forget about it sometimes.
Until someone pulled on his tail and made him bare his fangs and hiss. He'd used his teeth in his fair share of fights, they were pretty useful at times but they were a bitch when he accidentally bit his tongue. Sometimes he'd wished to be normal when that happened, but almost all of the time he was happy to be part cat, it was hard but he didn't see himself as Michael without his fluffy tail and ears, and all the little quirks that came with being a half.
He just hoped his soulmate wouldn't care about that part of him. Soulmates were supposed to be perfect for you, but Michael didn't believe in any of that stuff, he thought it was made up, or exaggerated. How could a stupid mark tell him who was perfect for him? No one would be perfect, he would be lucky to get someone who was kind to him. Someone with the name Gavin had to be at least a little like him, right? There's no way he wouldn't have been teased for it at least once.
Michael had to wonder just what sort of person he was, anyway. All he had was a name, no date of birth, no country he was born in, or even if he was alive or dead. He had to feel something if his soulmate died, right? He could have no one and not even know it! Maybe this Gavin had died when Michael was really young?
There was no way to know, he could only hope he still had someone out there with his name on them too. It wasn't something he thought regularly about, though, his soulmate was in passing thoughts occasionally but no more than that. Michael was curious, but he still didn't believe in any of it, he couldn't trust a few words inked into his skin. So, he trusted his heart. There were few who were like him, uncaring of their soulmates, even fewer who could look past his cat half and the name on his thigh, but there were some he dated, some he loved, some he slept with.
No one had ever given him a big spark, or made him feel like they were the only person in the world for him, but he didn't need them to. He didn't need them to be perfect and sweep him off his feet, he needed stability, kindness, for someone to love him, and not just because a stupid tattoo told them to.
Michael needed to know he could be good enough for someone by just being himself, and he was. He was good enough for plenty, good enough for himself and he didn't give a damn about his soulmate. The only relationship he could ever have with Gavin would be fake, based off writing that could have been made by anybody just to fuck with everyone. Soulmates weren't always perfect loves, they were just made out to be that way and Michael knew it.
So, he kept his head held high and the name firmly out of his thoughts, he focused on himself, on getting somewhere safe. New Jersey wasn't the best of places, so that's how he found it, the perfect place for him.
Rooster Teeth was something he'd dreamed of for years, a safe haven for Hybrids and humans to coexist, to work together equally and have fun while doing it. The company made videos about games, and even had a series going on called 'Red Vs Blue' which was extremely popular. He couldn't believe it at first, that a place like that even existed, that it was doing well. The company was only growing and Michael was determined to hop on that ship before it sailed away without him.
When he finally got noticed and accepted into the company, he'd almost screamed. He'd been waiting for an email from Geoff for a few days to see if he'd gotten a permanent position in the Achievement Hunter part of Rooster Teeth and when he read that he could move whenever, the first thing he did was start packing. He found himself purring constantly as he shoved his things into a small suitcase, not having much to take, and not caring about anything he left behind.
With this job, he could just buy replacements for whatever, Michael didn't really want things that gave him memories of New Jersey anyway, he wanted to move on and be happy for once. So he did, he caught the next flight to Austin when he'd finished packing and got there after 3 and a half hours stuck in a plane. He wasn't complaining, though, in fact he was still purring as he hailed a cab outside the airport, a huge grin on his face.
This was something he did all on his own, no help from friends or family, he just managed to convince Geoff he was worth hiring. He even got the shitty apartment on his own, with money saved up from his job as an electrician. He didn't need help, if he could move all the way to fucking Texas by himself, he could do anything.
Michael felt more than inspired, even as he moved into his apartment, still waiting for most of his things that he'd shipped before he got on his flight. Maybe he had to sleep on the floor for a while before he could actually buy a bed, but the sleeping bag wasn't too bad. The apartment felt more and more like home as everything finally made its way there and being part cat made it easier to lie in uncomfortable places.
Work kept him busy, coming up with ideas and videos took a lot out of him, but he wasn't even complaining a little. Everything was just fucking fine, Geoff was great, as well as Jack, he even got to rub it in Ray's face when they played together that he was finally doing something that made him happy. It was especially great to be surrounded by so many hybrids, bonding with Geoff most of all, who was part Monkey, himself.
Things were finally perfect, for once.
It was just Michael's luck, wasn't it? He just had to go fuck everything up by thinking about how everything couldn't be more perfect. Well, two weeks later, his apartment now fully set up, Michael had more of a spring in his step than ever as he carried in the morning coffees for him and his coworkers, to have his mood almost instantly soured at the sight of someone new in their small office.
He'd known there was someone who already worked there that had been away in England for a while when he joined, but he'd never imagined it could be someone like this. Immediately he'd known this guy was a fucking idiot, tangled in cables around his feet and trying to set up his computer without falling over - though he'd already done it twice and Michael had only been standing there for about a minute.
The point was, no matter how good looking he was (he could admit that he did have a certain charm to him, even while having quite possibly the largest nose he'd ever seen) Michael just knew there was no way they could get along. So he stood dumbfounded in the doorway, listening to the idiot make weird noises and speak with a thick accent that normally would have been sexy to him, if only it was on anyone else.
How can Geoff like this guy? He couldn't stop talking about him just yesterday and how funny he was! Michael thought bitterly, glaring slightly at the asshole that just had to put his stuff right next to Michael's. His tail bristled and his ears twitched grumpily as he finally decided to go in and give the coffees to Geoff and Jack, before sitting down in front of his computer.
"Hi, I don't believe we've met, mate. I'm Gavin Free." The guy - Gavin - said, making Michael's ears twitch just a bit as he composed his face. There was no fucking way, so why even think it?
"Uh, I'm Michael," he mumbled, reaching out to shake the boy's hand before turning back to his computer before he could see his reaction. There really was no way that this guy could be it, right? It had to be a coincidence, "you should probably untangle your feet from those cables, dude, you keep fucking landing on your face like a moron every ten seconds."
Maybe he was being a bit harsh, maybe he was just imagining things, but it seemed like Gavin fell over onto him on purpose just to annoy him as soon as he'd said that. He had to contain himself from yelling at the prick, his tail thumping hard against his chair while he grit his teeth and bit back a growl. He'd knocked over some of the things on Michael's desk, including his coffee, which was now soaking his keyboard.
He moved quick to wipe it up while Gavin spewed out apologies left and right, reaching over to help Michael clean up, only to get his hands batted away by an even more annoyed Michael.
"Calm down, Gavin," Geoff said, a lazy grin on his face as he placed a hand on the side of Gavin's neck, instantly shutting him up and setting him at ease, it seemed, "you know you just cause more trouble when you freak out." He teased, making Gavin pout and shove Geoff off him, crouching down to untangle his feet as Michael finally got everything cleaned up.
"You're fucking paying for any damages you just caused," Michael grunted as he chucked the napkins he'd used to clean the mess in the bin, "and you're buying me another coffee, asshole."
Gavin gave him a sheepish smile before turning back to continue his set up. Michael's tail thumped against his chair in annoyance once again before he decided to just settle back in his chair and get started on some work. His keyboard was sticky and his mood was sour, but he at least managed to get past hating the stupid Brit.
The rest of the morning was mostly uneventful, Gavin being more careful around Michael and making sure not to cause any more accidents near him. Michael was glad for that at least, eventually he got work done, distracted from his ruined morning while he tapped away at his computer.
The quiet didn't last long.
He should have known he'd be the type that just naturally attracted accidents. After lunch Michael came back to half of his things on the floor and a disgruntled Gavin trying to put everything back in its place before Michael returned.
"What the fuck?" he growled, more of a statement than a question as he stomped over and pulled Gavin up by the collar, noticing he went silent when his fingers brushed against his neck. "you've got to be kidding me right? What the fuck did you do? You're a piece of shit, you know, knocking over my coffee, and now all my stuff is on the fucking floor! I can't believe you." Michael could almost scream at him, a growl rising in his throat, his fingers clenching into a fist. He was ready to punch him in his stupid face or sink his canines into his neck, whichever would get the idiot to stop fucking up.
Twice in one day? How could Michael not be pissed off with him?
"Answer me." He said harshly when Gavin didn't answer, trying to look intimidating as he wrapped his fingers around the side of Gavin's neck. He wouldn't actually strangle him, but it seemed to be a sensitive part of him that probably scared him to have touched.
"It was an accident," Gavin said almost immediately his head slightly lolling into Michael's touch as the rest of him went still, "I tripped on one of my shoes and landed on your desk. It tipped over and everything just sort of fell out. Please don't be mad Michael." The last part was said with a whimper, striking something in Michael that made him deflate visibly. He didn't mean to make Gavin upset, no matter how angry he was with him.
He scratched his nails lightly against the side of Gavin's neck as he pulled away, reveling in the shivers it gave the Brit. He deserved worse, but Michael was too tired to do anything to him that afternoon. "Go buy me a coffee and I'll forgive you." He mumbled with a roll of his eyes as he started collecting his things off the floor, smirking just a bit at how quick and eager Gavin was to please him, rushing out of the office already. He really wasn't so bad, an annoyance at the most, but if Geoff trusted him, liked him, then Michael could learn to stand him.
By the end of the day Michael had learned to deal with Gavin's antics, finding himself smiling slightly at how loud and energetic the man could be as they recorded their first video together. It was something simple where they showed off their strange dynamic of Gavin being a moron and Michael getting angry at him. By the end of it, he felt strangely closer to Gavin, feeling almost happy every time Gavin would give him a smile or would compliment him.
Maybe it was stupid, maybe his opinion on the man had changed far too quickly, but Michael wasn't complaining. After all, if they were going to work together, it was definitely better if they got along, if they were friends.
When they were finished recording, Gavin turned to him with a grin, Michael returning it with a roll of his eyes but a small purr to let him know he'd had fun as well.
"I reckon this is the start of something, boi! I bet we'll be top friends in no time." Gavin said, his shit eating grin still stretched wide across his face as he swiveled his chair to face him fully.
"I swear to god you're just making those words up to mess with me." Michael mumbled, shaking his head but still purring as he leant back in his own seat once he'd checked the recording hadn't fucked up somewhere along the line. He tucked his tail through the side of his chair and let it lay limp so the tip grazed the floor, before reaching up to massage his ears through the beanie he'd worn that day. It was best people didn't see his cat side in public, so he normally tucked his tail into his jeans and wore hats to cover his ears. It was uncomfortable, to he let his tail out at work, and he was going to do the same with the beanie until he saw Gavin. A stranger whose views on Hybrids he had no idea of.
Sure, Geoff was part monkey, himself, but he'd thought maybe Gavin just tolerated it. That was this morning though, and Michael felt he knew Gavin well enough to take off his beanie around him, letting out a groan as he scratched and rubbed his ears. It felt like heaven to stretch them out again after spending all day with them folded into his hat. It'd made hearing a bit hard, but it'd seemed worth it at the time.
"Why'd you hide your ears all day, Michael? They're lovely." Gavin cooed once Michael was done with his little massage. The question caught him off guard, so Michael just shrugged, fighting back the urge to blush as his tail thumped once against the chair.
"Rooster Teeth might be a place where Hybrids can work, but it doesn't mean everyone is happy about us being here. I didn't know you. I thought maybe you would be a dick if I just strutted around with my ears and tail out all day. I know Geoff does it, but I still couldn't be sure how you'd react." He answered coughing as he turned his attention back to the computer, feeling awkward and tense about how Gavin would react.
"You... Thought I wouldn't like you because of it?" The Brit asked tentatively after a moment of thought, bringing Michael's attention back to him as he gave another shrug, his purring tapering off into silence after a beat. "Oh, my silly Michael! That stuff doesn't matter to me, if it did I wouldn't be such great friends with Geoff and Griffon. In fact, its actually kind of a thing for me... I mean I've never done that much with anyone since I haven't found my soulmate yet, but I think I prefer Hybrids, they're much more fun."
That comment ripped a growl from Michael, glaring at Gavin. "Oh, so we're just entertainment to you, then? A fetish to be ashamed of?" He said heatedly, crossing his arms over his chest. He'd thought Gavin was different, but it was just insulting the way he'd just explained it to Michael.
"No!" Gavin exclaimed quickly, rushing to correct himself while Michael still glared, "I mean yeah, I find the ears and tails to be hot, even the bloody wings, but its not a fetish. I like humans, I like Hybrids. Its that simple. I have a preference for Hybrids because honestly animal instinct can be hot, but I wouldn't... Bollocks, I wouldn't just love someone because of what they are. Like I wouldn't be sad if my soulmate was a human, that'd be horrible. I'd love my soulmate no matter what, because that's what I'm supposed to do."
Michael managed to calm himself down once he realised Gavin hadn't meant offense, his tail still twitching with anxiousness as he looked Gavin over and decided to change the topic. Gavin meant well.
"So... You believe in soulmate stuff then?" He slipped in after a few beats of awkward silence between them. He was still miles away from actually liking Gavin, let alone having feelings for him, but the name on his thigh... Gavin hadn't said anything, so Michael had just pushed it aside and figured he wasn't the Gavin with his name on him. Even if he was, it wouldn't change anything, Gavin was an idiot at best and Michael still couldn't believe in his mark.
"Don't you?" Gavin asked, frowning just a bit, tilting his head like he was trying to figure out Michael.
"I mean, not really... It kind of just seems like a scam, you know? It doesn't make sense to me that some fucking ink on your body is able to tell you the person who's perfect for you. Especially since its on you at birth." Michael shrugged, reaching over to grab his red bull from the other side of his desk and down it so he didn't have to focus as much on Gavin's reaction.
He did notice the funny look the Brit gave him, however. "You're an interesting one, Michael, but alright. If you believe that then its your opinion. Personally I can't wait to meet my soulmate, I know I'll fall in love instantly, no matter who they are." He said, puffing out his chest a bit proudly and grinning at Michael.
"Now that's just dumb," Michael sighed, rolling his eyes when Gavin visibly deflated, "what a load of bullshit, Gav, honestly. You're gonna fall in love with them as soon as you know who they are? That's not how things work, asshole. A name shouldn't tell you who to love, you should fall in love because you actually know someone, you know what they've been through, what they're like, their favourite things, shit like that. You shouldn't fall in love with someone because they have your name on them and you have theirs. You fall in love with a person, not a name."
Gavin just stared at him as Michael began getting up, gathering his things so he could go home. He could barely stand people who thought like Gavin, he thought they were idiots for trusting something blindly like that with something as serious as love. He didn't dislike Gavin, but if this was what he was like, it meant they really couldn't be soulmates. Someone like that wouldn't be perfect for Michael.
"You really are interesting, Michael," Gavin said, just as he'd gathered up all his things, making him stop in his tracks, "and in a way, I suppose you're right. Its just too bloody sad to think these names are pointless though, right? Let me have some hope. I won't fall in love with a name, I fully intend to fall in love with the person behind it, but I'm pretty sure I'll at least be attracted to my soulmate when I meet them, if I don't fall in love."
Michael frowned and shrugged, slinging his backpack over his shoulder as he thought about what Gavin had said. "I suppose you're right in a way, too." He replied simply, giving a small smile as he walked to the door, glad they were the last ones there, since he wouldn't have wanted anyone else to hear that conversation, really.
"Michael?" The Brit spoke up, just as he'd opened the door, forcing him to turn around and acknowledge him, his hand still holding onto the door. "What's your last name?" He asked, the question so soft and sincere that Michael could swear his heart stopped for a moment. Gavin looked curious, but more than anything, concerned.
"Jones," Michael answered, keeping his face blank as he tried to watch for Gavin's reaction. The man just kept his worried expression before turning back to his computer. "goodbye, Gavin."
He shut the door behind him with a resounding click and his mind raced a mile a minute.
He's not sure how he got home that night, he'd gone straight to a bar and drank about as much as the bartender would sell him, telling himself it couldn't be possible this was the Gavin who's name he had on his thigh. It was impossible, right?
Michael woke up on his couch with a pounding headache, an empty bottle about to slip from his fingers and drop onto his carpet. He groaned and let it fall, reaching up to push his sweaty fringe from his forehead, pulling at his shirt to cool himself down a bit. He was sweating up a storm and felt like death.
Maybe he'd been a bit dramatic, after all he knew he had to go to work the next day, but the idea of actually knowing his soulmate was a rather scary thing, especially when the person was Gavin. The guy had wrecked his desk twice in one day! How was he supposed to be Michael's soulmate?
No, it was a coincidence is all. Just because his name was Gavin Free and he'd asked Michael's last name didn't mean he was the Gavin Michael had. If he was, then Michael was sure the soulmate thing really was just a sham, there was no way someone like him would be perfect for him.
Regardless of any turmoil he had going on in his head though, he still had to force himself to get up and go to work, chugging down a mix of aspirin and redbull before stepping into the shower. He let the warm water roll of his back and through his hair, relaxing into it like he was getting a massage.
His thoughts turned to Gavin and that stupid grin of his, his ridiculous nose, his surprisingly pretty eyes. The moment his thoughts turned to that man, Michael was fucked. The shower was where he normally got off most mornings, it was just easier and calmer, so his body reacted instinctively. At least, that's what he told himself.
That's what he told himself when his fingers gripped around his hardening length, still slightly covered in soap bubbles from where he'd been cleaning himself earlier. That's what he told himself as he thought of Gavin's lips, and how pretty they would look stretched around his cock. That's what he told himself as he stroked himself with a steady rhythm, his head falling back against the bathroom tiles while he squeezed his eyes shut with shame. That's what he told himself as he stumbled through his orgasm, his fingers shaking, hips bucking and a certain British name falling from his lips.
That's what he told himself as he finished his shower and dried off. Its what he told himself as he got dressed and made himself some coffee. Its what he fucking told himself as he drove to work, stuck in traffic because he'd taken too long in the shower and left just to his thoughts.
His body had just reacted because he was in the shower, that was all, nothing more. He just needed to get off and even though he hated admitting it, Gavin was attractive. His mind had just picked someone randomly.
After waiting in traffic for what seemed like forever, Michael finally made it to the office. He was pulling off his beanie when Gavin came in, shooting him a sour look when he watched Michael pull his tail out as well. It seemed Gavin had been telling truth before, he really did have a thing for Michael's cat side. At the same time that it was disturbing, Michael felt flattered. Everyone he'd met had just put up with him as a Hybrid, but with Gavin he didn't have to worry about it.
"Morning lovely Michael." Gavin just grinned, reaching over to ruffle Michael's curls before walking to their section of the office. Michael watched him go with a frown and slightly pink cheeks, rubbing his ears where they'd been pressed down.
They were still sore from yesterday, just another thing dampening his mood. He didn't normally have to wear a beanie so long and the extra time he'd spent i traffic that morning hadn't helped them, either. He only did it to avoid assholes that would fuck with his car if they saw him from the street. It'd happened before when he'd first moved, just a few rotten eggs smashed around his car at work while it sat in the sun, nothing major, but it made him cautious.
Michael eventually just sighed and followed Gavin into their small office, sitting down at his desk and asking Geoff if they had anything planned for that day besides editing.
"Just a guide with Jack for today, Mikey. He'll tell you what to do." Geoff had answered, focused on something already on his computer.
He tried not to feel disappointed that he was paired with Jack and not Gavin, but failed pretty miserably. Still, he forced himself to pull a chair next to Jack when he was called over, only looking back at Gavin once. He looked to be pretty stuck into editing something already, headphones plugged in while he listened. It was the most serious Michael had seen him since he met him. Maybe he'd gotten the wrong impression off the Brit.
One of the first thoughts he'd had of Gavin was that he was going to be an unprofessional fuck that would be difficult to work with. He wasn't so far off about being hard to work with, but maybe it was just Michael that brought out such a side from him. Just thinking it made him bristle halfway through the video, his tail knocking against his chair noisily.
"You alright?" Jack asked, switching off the audio for a moment. "You seem a bit... Distracted today."
Michael shrugged, trying to push the attention off him as he stood up. "Fine, Jack. Just feeling a bit restless today, you know? I had redbull and coffee this morning, so I have energy to burn, I guess. Didn't fucking help sitting stiff in traffic this morning, it was a bitch. Anyways I gotta use the bathroom, be right back."
Excuses, excuses. He thought bitterly as he pushed into the bathroom down the hall. Gavin is totally fucking you up, you moron. Why are you letting him do this to you? You don't even know him, stop being stupid, this is work. Don't fuck this up, Michael.
He knew all of it was true, he couldn't afford to let Gavin screw up all his hard work. So, he splashed some water on his face once he'd used the toilet - because he wasn't that stupid, Geoff would probably murder him if he went to the bathroom twice in one hour - and went back into the office to record with Jack again.
What he found, though, was not the office he'd left just minutes ago. Michael's desk was ruined again, but this time so was Gavin's and Geoff's. Said two were rolling on the floor, gripping at the other to try and pin them into the floor while Jack recorded from his desk.
"What the fuck?" Michael shouted as he stepped over his boss and Gavin, bending down to pick up his things from the floor once again. "Look at all my stuff you morons, be careful. Its fucking expensive equipment." He felt himself smiling despite his annoyance when Gavin squawked and tried to grip at his ankle.
"Help me, Michael! Geoffers has gone mad!" The Brit yelled, struggling when Geoff grabbed him in a headlock.
"Its your own fault, fuck face, you're the one who kept throwing shit at me while I was trying to concentrate." Geoff grinned, mussing up Gavin's hair even more before finally letting Gavin go when he started to go red.
Gavin scrambled back to his chair with a grin and gave Michael a cheeky smirk as he started grabbing his things off the floor. "Idiot," he said with a roll of his eyes before bending down to clean the mess up with him, "second day in a row where you fucked up my shit. I think you owe me a meal for this."
"Are you asking me out, Michael?" Gavin's smirk only grew, making the other man bristle and turn pink.
"That's not what I meant, asshole." He grunted, chucking his things down on his desk to clean up later before moving back next to Jack.
Things went back to quiet after that, though Gavin insisted on sending him smiles for the rest of the day, looking over at him every few minutes. It pissed Michael off, but he didn't say anything about it. Gavin would just be Gavin, so he knew he wouldn't get a serious answer out of him. Even if he did, it would be something stupid.
When the end of the day came, Michael decided to leave first, already done with his work for the day. As soon as he was out of the door he was tugging his beanie back on and stuffing his tail into his jeans, jumping practically a foot in the air when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Sorry," The person said, sounding very not sorry at all. Sure enough, when he turned around he was faced with Gavin wearing a smirk that could rival Geoff's, "figured your cat instincts would have warned you I was coming."
"Doesn't work like that, Gav," Michael replied with a roll of his eyes, "besides, my ears were in my beanie, it limits my hearing jut a bit."
Gavin continued to smirk and reached out to tuck the rest of his tail into his pants, sending a shiver through Michael. The stupid prick had scared him before he could finish. "I don't know why you hide it, lovely little Michael. I would cherish your cat side."
Michael gave him a pointed look and tried not to laugh. "I'm seriously starting to think you're into bestiality or some shit, dude," he teased, adjusting his beanie before starting to walk towards the door, "I'm guessing you came to tell me you're leaving as well, you want a ride? You still owe me a meal." He said, holding the door open for Gavin, who was still halfway down the hallway with a look on his face that said he had wanted to talk about something else with Michael. If it was what the Jersey man thought it was, then he really wanted to get out of the office before Gavin could say anything.
"I still think you're asking me out to a date, Michael." Gavin sighed, but smiled as he went back to grab his bag.
"Yeah, in your fucking dreams, dickhead." Michael said affectionately, unable to stop a grin from forming as he walked Gavin out to his car. He had to admit the guy was fun to hang out with, at least.
It was all kinds of fucked up and confusing what they had, Michael didn't even know if they were soulmates, but he figured if he pretended Gavin wasn't then the Brit wouldn't fall for him. He was the type to fall for a name and Michael wouldn't let that happen. He'd seen it happen too many times, people falling in love simply because they'd found their 'soulmate', even though they would never even like each other if it wasn't for the names. Even worse, with some Hybrids he'd heard of, they'd gotten paired with assholes who wanted them to hide their animal parts. Of course, the Hybrids would agree because they were so stupidly in love.
Michael wouldn't let that happen to himself. Even though Gavin seemed to love that he was a half, he refused to let himself be some kink, some thing to play with. So he told himself over and over that it wasn't likely Gavin was his soulmates, no matter how many signs there were. It made it easier to pretend like nothing was wrong when everything was so fucking wrong.
He drove in practical silence on the way to his apartment, figuring they could just order takeout since Gavin didn't seem like the kind of guy who carried around enough money to pay for a fancy restaurant. His suspicions were confirmed when they got inside and Michael suggested Chinese. Gavin had seemed relieved at being given a cheap option.
"Didn't figure you to be the type to be as easy as Chinese." The Brit teased as he flopped down onto Michael's couch, settling himself into a comfortable position.
"Shut the fuck up, prick. Your broke ass couldn't afford what I normally get." He said with a grin, shoving Gavin's feet out of his spot and reaching over to grab his controllers off the coffee table.
"I suppose I deserved that," Gavin chuckled, putting his feet straight into Michael's lap once he had his controller. Michael rolled his eyes but left them there anyway, it felt kind of nice, "anyway, what are we playing, boi?"
Michael raised an eyebrow at the term, but turned on his TV without question. "Whatever I've got in boi." He mumbled teasingly, pressing a button on his controller to turn it on. The last game he'd played turned out to be Borderlands, so they played for about an hour before Michael paused the game to order their food. About twenty minutes of waiting later, it was delivered. Gavin paid for it while Michael found something half decent to watch while they ate. He ended up deciding to just randomly grab something and chuck it into his DVD player.
Nearly two hours later, empty containers lay scattered over the coffee table, Michael's limbs tangled with Gavin's as they both mumbled tiredly to each other. The movie had finished long ago, but Michael didn't want to get up, he was far too comfortable lying with Gavin. It just felt right, in some weird way.
Then, Gavin's hand started absentmindedly stroking Michael's tail, pulling a violent shiver from the man at how nice it felt. His tail had always been so sensitive, and it was nice to have a friend like Gavin be so interested in his cat half. He stilled whacked Gavin's hand with his tail and grinned, though, no matter how nice it felt.
"I'm gonna go to bed, I think. We're getting fucking loopy." Michael sighed, standing up and groaning when he heard a pop from his back as he stretched. His couch really wasn't good for his back.
"You're not gonna drive me home, boi?" A British voice called just as Michael had started heading for his room. He turned around and scratched his ears with a frown.
"You can stay, if you want. I mean, if you wanna go home, I'll drive you, but I can't guarantee I won't fall asleep at the wheel and kill us both." He grinned, watching Gavin to figure out what he was thinking, but he couldn't tell. The guy was good at hiding stuff like that.
"Top, I'll just text Geoff and then I'll come join you." Gavin replied with his own grin, reaching out for his phone on the coffee table.
Michael stared at him for a moment before laughing. "You're a fucking idiot," he mumbled with a roll of his eyes, padding over to one of his cupboards to grab out one of his old blankets, "like hell you're sharing my bed, dude. You're on the fucking couch, otherwise you'd probably push me off the bed in your sleep." He continued, chucking the blanket next to Gavin who squawked Michael's name and pouted.
He didn't look back as he walked into his room.
He heard Gavin make a call before the lights turned off outside his room and everything went quiet. Michael got changed out of his clothes into some pajama bottoms after brushing his teeth and crawled under his covers to go to sleep.
Turns out his body had other plans. He was suddenly wide awake, alert for some reason. No matter what he did, he just couldn't get back into sleep mode. He'd been fine next to Gavin watching TV, it had felt so normal and relaxing. He tossed and turned for twenty more minutes after realising his problem, before deciding fuck it and reaching over to grab his phone. He didn't even get to unlock it before there was a soft knock at his door and an even more soft 'Michael?' uttered through it.
"Get in here." He grumbled, turning on his side to face the door as it opened. Gavin shut the door quietly behind him and moved quickly to get under the covers next to Michael.
"Thanks, boi." The Brit whispered, cuddling up to Michael and just making him even more aware than before. When they'd been on the couch, everything was simple, it was just more comfortable in a cramped space to end up touching each other, but now there was no excuse and he knew it.
"Call me boi again and I'll break your face." He said without any real bite to it, deciding to just loop his arm around Gavin's waist and think about it in the morning. Sleep was more important.
"You love it."
"Fuck you."
"When and where, boi?"
"Fucking sleep, moron."
Things only escalated from that point, Gavin staying over Michael's house nearly every day for a week. Michael had started doing his fucking laundry. He didn't complain because he didn't actually care, but the point was that things seemed to be moving toward the romantic side of things and Michael wasn't sure he was opposed to the idea anymore.
The more time he spent with Gavin, the more he liked him, the deeper their connection became. They couldn't even sleep alone when the other was in the same vicinity anymore. At least Michael kept some of his dignity, Gavin would wait at least half an hour on the couch before stumbling his way into Michael's room - and arms- to fall asleep. It was an unspoken thing between them by that point, even though Michael desperately thought up ways to bring it up, he couldn't seem to find something that wasn't just plain awkward. How were you even supposed to ask something like that?
He wasn't going to embarrass himself, not when things could so easily be platonic on Gavin's end. It didn't matter how much the man flirted, Michael couldn't let himself get attached, he couldn't risk the chance of getting hurt. Maybe that made him a coward. Did it? He didn't fucking care, in any place, if he was a coward for trying to protect himself, then so be it. Michael would figure this out, he would stop the feelings, he would go back to normal or die trying. Everything had been fine before Gavin came and ruined it all, the hard work he'd spent years doing, the money invested, the emotion, everything he'd put into getting the fuck out of Jersey seemed like shit now, but he wouldn't take it back for even a second.
Gavin had fucked everything up, but maybe he liked things that way. When it was certain stupid British assholes wrecking things, it didn't seem so bad, he wasn't so angry anymore. He had his fake rage, his joke rage, but he had no real rage like he used to, Gavin always knew how to make him laugh, somehow.
I'm a fucking girl. Michael nearly yelled inside his mind, his hands gripping onto his steering wheel with a death grip as he sat stuck in traffic again. He hadn't been able to sleep without Gavin beside him the previous night, so he'd slept in yet again and it was fucking with him. Now I can't even sleep by myself? What is this, a sitcom?
All his thoughts were becoming jumbled and confused with the lack of rest, but Michael still pushed through the morning rush, praying to whoever the fuck was in charge of everything that he would get to work on time. He refused to be late again after only a week because of Gavin. What was worse was that with this extra time, his thoughts were left to wander back to him every time Michael had thought he'd shaken it out of himself.
He was like a lovesick puppy, it was disgusting. Every time he saw a couple kissing, he imagined Gavin's lips and how soft they looked, every time he saw two people holding hands, he thought about how nice and warm Gavin's hands looked, and how they could so easily fit into Michael's. He was a fucking idiot for even thinking it, but Gavin really was growing on him.
So, all he did was laugh when the Brit tackled him the moment he stepped foot in the Rooster Teeth office. Gavin nearly sent them to the ground, but Michael managed to wrap an arm around his waist and steady them in time.
"I missed you my little Michael!" He chirped as soon as his feet touched the ground again. It'd been hard lifting him up, since the other man was actually taller than him, but it was worth it for the noises Gavin made.
"You spent one night at the place you live, idiot." Michael teased, though he was glad Gavin shared the sentiment.
"I know, but you don't know how hard it is to sleep alone now. I like your place much better." Gavin pouted, grabbing the beanie off Michael's head for him as he un-tucked his tail. Michael couldn't help but grin when he tugged the hat straight on. It really suited him.
"My place is shit, you're a moron," he rolled his eyes, reaching to fix the beanie where Gavin had put it on crooked, "anyway, you wanna go out tonight, boi? We can go to a bar or something, if you want. I feel like getting drunk and its the weekend tomorrow so we won't have to worry about going in with a hangover."
Gavin grinned excitedly as they entered the Achievement Hunter office, practically jumping into his seat and swinging around to face Michael. "We gonna get bevved up, Michael? Maybe we can go on the pull, yeah? I haven't gotten laid in ages." He groaned like he was in pain at the idea, but was still smiling as Michael settled himself at his own desk.
"Go on the pull? I swear you make shit up sometimes, Gav. But if you want me to be your wingman, forget it. I can't do anything that would get somebody past that nose of yours." He joked, though feeling some sting at the fact that Gavin would suggest they go looking to hook up with other people. They weren't even close to being anything, but he thought maybe Gavin felt something for him. It was just a nail in the coffin though, now he really wasn't going to share his feelings with him.
Nevertheless they still went out like planned after work, Michael a little sour, but hoping he could distract Gavin for long enough that he would forget about fucking anyone else. It didn't take long for him to realise that plan was a bust.
"Dude, pay attention, I'm telling you a hilarious story!" Michael laughed over the loud music of the bar, shoving Gavin's shoulder lightly and feeling his heart skip a beat when he was given a goofy grin in return.
"Sorry, Michael. I'm on the hunt tonight, I don't think I'll be paying much attention to anything to be honest. I must be bloody rusty though, haven't tried to get with anyone since I came back to America." Gavin said, his gaze lingering in one area where he'd obviously set his sights on someone.
"Seriously? That's a fucking long time," he teased, downing the rest of his drink to gain courage for what he was about to suggest, "why don't you just practise on me?"
Gavin spluttered and coughed up the drink he'd just been sipping from. "Excuse me?"
"Don't be a baby," Michael said, rolling his eyes at Gavin and nudging his foot, "you're rusty, so practise on me. I'll tell you if you're being a fucking moron, then you won't fuck up when it matters."
He was playing a dangerous game with Gavin, but he was just buzzed enough that all he was thinking about was pulling Gavin into his lap and kissing him until he couldn't breathe. His self control was out of the window and it wasn't a good thing. "Are you havin' a laugh, Michael?" The other asked after a moment, frowning as he tried to tell whether Michael was being serious or if he was drunk off his ass.
"'Are you 'avin a laugh Micool?' you fucking moron, I'm being serious. If you can get me to wanna fuck you then I guarantee anyone in this damn place will be all over you." He mocked, waving over one of the workers to order another drink.
"I'm taking that as a challenge, boi!" Gavin exclaimed, his goofy grin back and as stupid as ever. "Hey, you know you're looking pretty god tonight, my little Michael. I might end up just taking you home instead."
It was said so seductively that Michael almost fell for it, his heart skipping a beat at the soft tone. He snapped himself out of it before he could look too dazed, barking out a laugh at how stupid it had sounded. "Oh man, you," he punctuated the word with a finger poked into the middle of Gavin's chest, "are really fucking rusty, absolutely hopeless. As if I would fall for that." He grinned, wanting to laugh even harder at the pout that formed on Gavin.
"Well its bloody hard, innit'? We were just talking about it, how am I supposed to fool you? I bet you couldn't do any better." Gavin huffed, downing the rest of his drink as well.
Michael raised an eyebrow at Gavin, taking his words as a challenge. He didn't back down from challenges, ever.
So, he moved himself into Gavin's space, a slight smirk playing on his lips as he gripped his palm to Gavin's thigh. "Wanna bet? Baby I could do so many things to you that you would beg me to take you home," he whispered right near Gavin's ear, making sure to purr slightly and let his words fall like silk from his tongue. "and you know I'd treat you so well when we got there... I'd spread you wide open and fuck you good, like you deserve." He mumbled, lips brushing ever so slightly against Gavin's neck before there was a moment where he swore the Brit went limp against him.
That moment was short lived as Gavin snapped back into reality. He jumped away from Michael, pink around the ears as he slid out of his chair. Michael just frowned at him, one eyebrow raised again at how weird Gavin was behaving. He had some weird thing about his neck, but Michael didn't want to push it.
"Alright, alright you win. You didn't have to go that far to prove a point," He chuckled a little nervously, avoiding eye contact with Michael. It just made him more suspicious. "anyways lad, I've got my eyes on someone at the moment so I guess I'll see you tomorrow if things go well. Wish me luck."
He was gone before Michael could even stop him. He walked straight up to another Hybrid with horns quite like Kerry's. He hadn't talked to the guy much, but did know he was part bull even though he was quite possibly the most timid guy he'd ever met.
Gavin easily slipped into flirting mode, Michael watching from his seat with his new drink cradled in his hand like his life depended on it. His blood was boiling, bile rising to his throat. Gavin was his, this wasn't fair. Wasn't he the guy who was desperate to find his soulmate, anyway? What the fuck was he doing flirting with random strangers when Michael was right there? It was like a knife in the back, honestly.
Maybe he should have just fucking told him when he could have. Now things would be all kinds of fucked up and awkward. Gavin probably didn't even see him that way. He was too much of a pussy to ever ask, but Gavin just seemed so charming with everyone. He treated Michael the same, right? Besides, there was probably plenty of people who wanted to get into his pants, even if he wasn't their soulmate. Gavin was just like that, attractive without even trying. He could have anyone he wanted and that probably wasn't Michael.
Before he let his jealousy get the better of him, he tipped the rest of his drink back down into his mouth and paid the bill, refusing to look at Gavin. If he was gonna fuck someone else, Michael didn't want to see them leave together. He didn't want to see Gavin stare at the man adoringly, or like he wanted to fuck his brains out. That was one image Michael really didn't need in his memory at that moment.
Of course he could be replaced. Hybrids were just a fetish for Gavin, it didn't matter who it was, or what their other half was, the idiot was happy to fuck whoever would dominate him like an animal. Michael should have been disgusted with him, but all he felt was burning jealousy and the need to claim Gavin as his, just like his animal part would do. It was selfish of him to feel that way, really. He was the one who pushed Gavin away when things started heading in that direction. He'd probably cut Gavin off before he could even start developing feelings and now he'd completely fucked himself.
All he wanted was to waltz back in there, grab Gavin by the neck and kiss him until no one else would even think of looking at him in the wrong way. He wanted to kick the shit out of anyone who dared touch him, because Gavin was his, even if the Brit didn't know it. His instincts were telling him he should go back and do just that, but he ignored them in favor of walking home to clear his head. He had to much energy, his aggression and jealousy pouring off him in waves that would scare off anyone from even looking at him.
He was approached only halfway to his apartment.
"Hey pretty kitty, you look so stressed, don't you wanna have some fun?" A voice purred to him from the corner. It had a British accent to it that made Michael stop and stare. It was a man who looked older than him by a fair few years, tanned and a little bulky. He looked nothing like Gavin, but his voice was almost the exact same. Maybe could just listen to that voice and close his eyes?
The man seemed to be a prostitute anyway, maybe he wouldn't be offended if Michael closed his eyes during sex. He'd probably had weirder things happen. "Uh... Sure, how much?" Michael asked softly, walking up to the man while his face felt on fire. He could see a noticeable tattoo on his arm that read 'John Darcy Green' and almost backed out, before remembering that this man was probably only doing it for the money, which Michael happened to have and was willing to pay for someone with the same voice as Gavin.
"How about this, first time's free if you promise we'll have some fun again next time? Its not often I get such good looking customers." He said, ending with a little pout as he rubbed his hand along Michael's arm.
"You want to have a next time?" He asked, surprised. It wasn't often he found a human that didn't even seem to notice his animal side. Of course he'd seen Michael's ears and tail, but he acted like they weren't even there. It reminded him of how Gavin had been, meeting him. It was hard to tell, since Gavin had been caught up in all those wires, but there had been that first look at his tail that everyone did, only Gavin just went straight back to his face after that.
"If you treat me well." The man replied with a wink, still waiting with his hand around Michael's bicep.
It took only a few minutes before he decided fuck it, if Gavin was getting laid, then so was he. He could pretend he was fine and that he was with Gavin and everything would be fucking perfect for one night.
That's all he needed, one night. Just one night to get over all of this. He'd push down his feelings after, he'd make them go away before he got hurt.
So off they went, Michael hailing a cab so they didn't have to walk the rest of the way back. As soon as they set foot in his apartment, their lips were pressed together, the kiss a little too hard and heated, but Michael could distract himself by stripping them both. He's not sure how they ended up on the bed, all he could remember was leaving marks on the guy's neck and moaning Gavin's name as he fucked him into the bed.
It was probably the best sex he'd ever had, though he wasn't used to closing his eyes during it, at least he got off. At least he could let out all the frustration that had been pent up because of Gavin.
Stupid British prick with his stupid pretty mouth. Fuck, what he could do with that mouth. He'd get Gavin on his knees and stretch those lips wide for him, he'd fucking claim him, own him.
Gavin would be his.
But it was only a dream. Gavin would never be his, not like that.
So, he fucked the prostitute and stared at the ceiling after he was done. The man had fallen asleep and all he could think about was how Gavin was doing, was he being fucked by that disgusting prick at the bar? Did he enjoy it? Did he even think about Michael when it happened?
Eventually he sighed and rolled over so he could curl into a sort of ball, feeling more empty than ever, heartbroken over a stupid, gorgeous man who he shouldn't love at all, but did.
He fell asleep when the sun started to rise.
When he woke, the bed was empty and he had a weight in his chest that felt like lead. He was completely alone.
Michael was glad it was Saturday. The last thing he wanted to do was go into work, he just wanted to mope and try to sleep off the weight that was still in his chest. He'd liked sleeping with the prostitute more than he should have, mainly because he sounded so closely to Gavin, and it was tearing him up.
He hadn't exactly promised to go back, but he was conflicted, still. He felt like it was a kind of betrayal towards Gavin, sleeping with someone else, despite the fact that they weren't together. Yet, it really had been the best sex he'd had, probably because he was so intensely listening to the moans he could imagine Gavin making. He fooled himself into actually thinking it was him, a little. He wanted that again, even if he had to pay for it.
The doorbell of his apartment dinged just as he was about to fall asleep and Michael swore loudly as he went up to get it.
"What do you want?" He asked harshly as he opened the door, rubbing his eyes before slipping on his glasses. His whole demeanor changed when he saw Gavin standing in front of him.
"Michael! A bit hungover, are we? You haven't been answering my texts all morning, you must have had a lot to drink. I wouldn't know, you left before I could even pay the bill with you. You should have told me so I could have given you my half." The Brit said, walking straight in, past Michael like he owned the place. In a way, he kind of did.
"Didn't really wanna interrupt what you had going on, I guess." Michael shrugged, feeling awkward and guilty as he looked at Gavin. The guilt vanished when he saw bruises along his neck.
"Oh! Yeah, that reminds me, it went well, as you can probably tell. I feel so much better, boi. I was so pent up." Gavin grinned, laying himself down on Michael's couch and sighing with such content that Michael thought he was going to melt into the leather. He seemed a lot more relaxed than ever.
"Could have come to me, I would have helped you out." He mumbled before sitting down on his armchair, facing Gavin. It'd been almost a joke, but he'd said it with enough seriousness to make Gavin look at him curiously.
There was a moment of silence where they stared at each other and Michael felt the weight pressing against him harder than ever. "Michael-"
"Anyways," he said, cutting Gavin off before he could finish his thought, "we both got laid tonight so go us, right? Turns out there's more than one British fuck in this city who has a thing for Hybrids." He laughed, trying to make the mood light again. He just wanted things to be back to normal again. He wanted the weight gone.
Gavin gave him a smile that seemed just a little forced. "That's good for you, Michael. You deserve something like that."
Another moment of awkward silence.
"Do you want to play the new Halo?"