Chapter Text
Law of Playing Horror Games With Gavin stated something would be unplugged during the course of the game.
Michael whipped his head around to glare at the cowering man, knowing they had reached a game over screen. "You kicked my monitor cable loose!"
A deep shuddering breath brought Gavin out of his curled up position. "The bloody... thing came out of nowhere!" he told him peevishly as he scooted back towards the desk. Somewhere were his headphones, as usual. Michael looked up at the GoPro and rolled his eyes, moving to slide under the desk and fix this problem. Once a recording. At least once a recording, always.
The audience ate this shit up. They loved watching Gavin act like a scared bitch and Michael yell at him for it. Which was probably why Michael played up the anger a bit more while they were still recording. Made for a better video. He managed to plug the monitor back in, nearly hitting his head on the desk as Gavin yelped. Michael pulled himself up quickly, alarmed, then snorted in laughter at the rather gorish game over screen and the annoyed look on Gavin's face. "You baby."
"It took me by surprise," he insisted. Michael looked back at the screen, then at Gavin, letting disbelief crawl over his face. He could honestly see how that would take someone by surprise, but seriously? That had been way over the top. "Let's just keep playing."
He couldn't help it. Michael let a chuckle enter his voice as he turned back to his computer. "Maybe this time you won't break my stuff." It was supposed to come out admonishing, but... goddamn, sometimes Gavin just wormed his way past annoying to strangely charming. "Okay, so we almost made it that time."
"We can do it this time!" And that was another thing. Fuck, his enthusiasm was infectious. Michael started to grin as he clicked out of the game over screen, turning a little to look at Gavin. "We should just go left this time instead of right."
Probably wouldn't do anything except lead to a dead end, but hey. Sometimes horror games punished the player for going the wrong way by having a monster eat their faces off. "Yeah, let's give that a try." And the beginning again, for the time Michael didn't even want to think about. "So if we go this way, a bitch is going to try to eat our faces off..."
"Did you know," Gavin interrupted, his voice falsely casual to hide how anxious the game was making him, "Geoff and Griffon are throwing a party this weekend? Thursday's the day they met so they're going to have a party."
Of course they were. Michael felt his mood plummeting. Geoff never forced it down their throats, but fuck if he and his wife weren't the picture-perfect couple for Soulmates Monthly. It made him sick. Everyone had always put so much into meeting their soulmate, that nothing compared in their lives until they met them, and fuck that noise. It had ruined at least two perfect good relationships in high school just because they weren't his fucking soulmate. So fucking what? You could only fall in love with your soul's mate? That was stupid.
Michael almost liked it that he hadn't found his soulmate. He wasn't looking either. Fuck that.
So when another wrong turn killed him again, and Gavin nearly kicked him in terror as he pushed himself away from the desk, he felt almost vindicated in how vicious he was when he yelled at the Brit.
"Sounds like you should just ask him out already."
A soldier crumpled to the ground as Michael fired off a shot. "Where the hell did you get that from?" he snapped into his headset, eyes snapping to the red dots on the screen and wishing he still had some grenades left. "Gavin's a fucking pest and idiot. Why the hell would I want to ask that out?"
A soldier he hadn't seen ragdolled by him as his partner crept up beside him. "Because I'm getting tired of this drama. Seriously, dude. You've sounded like you've been in love with this dick for the past month or so." His headset went quiet for a moment as his partner pulled himself out of cover to quickly take down three of the enemies, then ducked back in to reload, letting Michael swing out to mow down the other two. "Just stop fucking around and ask him out."
Irritated, Michael started down the corridor, only to start being shot at and needing to duck back into cover. "I'm not in love with him."
"Yeah right. Grenade."
The screen shook for a moment as the grenade went off. "I don't fall in love with every dude I lay eyes on, much less British dumbasses."
"Doesn't change the fact you're still in love with him." His partner took out one more enemy as Michael turned around, taking out two that had come to inspect the explosion, ending the stage. "Besides, sounds like he's pretty in to you too. If I had a girl that interested in me, I'd totally ask her out."
"You're also pretty desperate for a date right about now." Michael readjusted his headset as he waited for the ranking to be tallied, not surprised who he saw on top. "Let's stop talking about this, Ray. I'm not looking for a date right now. Either a girl or a dude."
"Fine, fine," came the easy response. "Hey, so, I got a response."
Michael raised an eyebrow at that, a grin starting to cross his face. "Really? Dude, that's great! That is great, right?"
Ray snorted at that. "Considering you guys really want me on and I'd be able to quit this shit job? I'd say it's pretty great. Only problem is I'd have to move. But hey, I'd be doing something I actually like, and not dealing with idiot customers all the time."
The idea of Ray joining Achievement Hunter made Michael grin stupidly as he chose the next stage. Ray was an awesome person, could play video games like a god, and generally would fit in perfectly. It was a win-win situation. He wanted Ray to take the offer so badly it almost hurt. He had never met him yet, and he really wanted to. It'd be nice to finally meet someone this awesome. "I'd do it. Austin's pretty great, and like you said, you'd be doing something you like."
"I'm still thinking about it." He could hear Ray shifting over his headset. "Let's do this thing."
He wasn't in love with Gavin. He wasn't looking at Gavin, grinning at him stupidly because he was in love with him.
Because goddamn it, he's supposed to be infuriating when he does stupid shit like that in Minecraft Let's Plays. Michael turned back to his screen, a smile still playing on his lips. Goddamn, Ray was right, wasn't he. He really wanted to ask Gavin out. Didn't mean he had fallen in love with the idiot, though. He just... wanted to go out for drinks with him. Alone. Just the two of them. That would be nice.
He didn't really even know if Gavin wanted to do the same. Ray said it sounded like Gavin wanted to, but hell. Ray never met Gavin. As far as Michael knew, he was straight as hell and didn't want to even think about dating a guy. Or was bisexual too but had no interest in Michael. He knew Gavin had interest in women (his response to Meg Turney had been the best thing ever. Did not blame him one bit, though. She was fucking hot), but he had no idea about his feelings on guys. Michael let out a well timed annoyed grunt at his thoughts as his pixelated character burst into gubbins. Though, if Gavin was interested, no way anything would happen unless Michael acted first. Idiot couldn't do anything unless he was drop-dead drunk, and even then it was a toss up to try and figure out what the fuck it was he had just said.
So it was up to him to actually ask the idiot out. Well, what was the worst that could happen? Gavin ended up being a raging homophobe and ended up being an asshole to him until Geoff had to have a long talk with both of them about keeping that shit out of the office?
That was an actual possibility.
Fuck it, though. He needed to do something about it. Even if that possibility came to play, at least he asked (and he could shut Ray up). As the recording came to an end, Michael stretched, trying to bolster his courage. All he had to do was turn and ask Gavin if he wanted to go for drinks. That was all. "Hey, Gavino, do you want to go out for drinks tonight?"
"Tonight? Innit Geoff and Griffon's party tonight?" Gavin looked at him, confused, and Michael cursed mentally. Of course it would be the schmoopiest of events tonight. Fucking soulmates. They ruined everything.
"Oh yeah." Michael let out a false laugh, turning back to his station. "Thought it was tomorrow."
Gavin just stared at him curiously, then shrugged. "You'll be there, yeah?"
"Of course! Geoff has the best parties. Especially when he barbecues." That, at least, was true. And at least he could get really drunk and try to forget about the idea of doing any kind of dating with this idiot. "I'll see you there."
It might have just been his imagination, but he swore he could feel Gavin beaming at him.
Something was going to happen tonight, Michael could just feel it. Excitement ran through his veins, racing again the alcohol in his blood. He had to at Geoff's party tonight, because something really good was going to happen. He took another drink, looking around. Fuck, if only he could figure it out. If only he could-
Gavin. There he was. And off his ass drunk. Michael grinned as he made his way through the crowd over to him. He had to share this excitement with someone. Gavin was trying to dance so hard, but given just how drunk he was, it looked like he was spazzing out. With a chuckle, Michael lifted his cup as he danced up on Gavin, his hips invading his space slightly. "You look like a moron," he shouted over the music as Gavin tilted his head to look over his shoulder.
It just made Gavin laugh. "S'why I have you, my boi," he slurred, tilting his own hips back towards him. They didn't touch, not yet, but it was closer than Michal had wanted. He slipped around to Gavin's front, watching as the smile on his face grew wider. "You look absolutely smashed."
"You do too." Michael's movements slowed as he leaned in a bit, alcohol and anticipation spurring it. "This party is fucking awesome!"
Gavin unconsciously reacted, his body swaying in as well. His face lost a bit of its humor as he looked at Michael, then it hit back in full force as he pulled back slightly. "It really is."
Was Gavin about to...? A thrill laced across his skin as Michael tilted his face in, his heart pounding as Gavin reacted to it without thinking. He was. Fuck, he had worried about nothing. Ray was right, Gavin was interested- Fuck it. Michael wrapped his arm around Gavin's neck, pulling him close for a kiss. Christ, it felt good to do. Even if Gavin wasn't responding to it, it still felt good to finally get it done. Excitement ran through him as pulled back, eyes locked with Gavin's. He knew the Brit was interested. He knew this would work. He knew-
"But you're not my soulmate."
That the idiot put all his romantic belief in fucking soulmates. A cloud of anger slammed into Michael as he let his arm drop, stepping back. "And that means we can't fuck around?" he spat. "Everyone puts so much into soulmates that they won't even acknowledge when they're falling for someone else. Newsflash, I know you're interested in me too. And you're still going to quote at me that you're going to wait around for someone you might even never meet? You're a fucking idiot." With that, he dropped his cup onto the nearest flat surface and left, leaving Gavin sputtering behind him. He would need a cab to get home with how much he drank, but that was just fine. Fuck this. He wasn't going to stay around after this.
Something told him no, stay. He needed to stay.
But fuck that.
Monday, at least, he could ignore Gavin. What had he been thinking? Most people put too much thought into that fucking soulmate bullshit. They were told about it from a young age, raised to believe nothing else compared... of course fucking Gavin would believe the whole soulmate shit. Michael drummed his fingers on the desk as he looked at his work, feeling edgy. He was just waiting for Gavin to say something, he knew it. He just knew Gavin was going to make an excuse what happened on Friday.
Though not yet. Gavin kept working himself, occasionally looking over at him before going back to his own screen. That was fine by him. He didn't want to hear any excuses.
"Hey, Michael, if you could take a later lunch? You fucked off during the party that you missed meeting someone," Geoff called over to him. Seriously, what the hell, they were going to introduce him to someone during a party? Michael grunted in response, noting out of the corner of his eye that Gavin had turned to him.
And now it looked like the coward was finally going to try to say something. Or maybe not, he just turned back around to his computer, rubbing his knees. Jesus Christ. Michael rubbed his forehead with his thumb, trying not to get too angry at Gavin. He needed to save that for his Rage Quit recording later. Then he could unload on him.
"My last partner broke up with me because we weren't soulmates."
The quiet words almost went unnoticed. But... Michael looked at Gavin out of the corner of his eye, watching him fidget. "Really? You're going spill everything now?"
"I just- wanted to let you know that wasn't what I meant." Gavin reached out for his mouse. "Geoff was going to kick my arse if I didn't say anything by the end of the day anyway. I didn't want you to break up with me just because you found your soulmate later."
"Well, not even starting it because of that bullshit is a good way," Michael grumbled. "Look, I don't even fucking care what your excuse is. Just shut the fuck up."
"What if I want to start it?"
That did make Michael look at him, surprised. "Are you fucking with me?"
"Ask him out during lunch, work now," Geoff interrupted. "And while I'm glad Gavin's not going to be moping like a bitch anymore, both of you need to get your asses back to work." With those words, he pulled out his phone and left, his face a mask of concentration.
Michael rubbed his forehead, eyes slanted over to Gavin, taking in his red face and ears as the Brit worked. He had to be fucking with him. No way he was serious. Michael looked back at his own work, not quite seeing it. What the hell?
Nervousness still ran through him, though. Something was going to happen. He didn't know what, but it was going to be something big. Michael absently clicked on something, then stood. He wasn't going to be able to work like this. Bathroom break time. He strode out of the room, leaving Gavin to look after him in confusion. Let him, he was the one saying shit like that he didn't mean.
Fuck. What if he did mean it? What if he really did mean he wanted to give it a try? He might be just as tired of the soulmate bullshit as he was. Michael finished up in the bathroom and started washing in hands, taking a long breath as he dunked his hands under the stream of water and looked up into the mirror. How likely would that be? He turned off the faucet and dried his hands, starting back to the office.
Anticipation started to wind under his skin, telling him it was about to happen. Michael's heart beat a fast rhythm against his chest as he absolutely knew his life was about to change. Maybe he should be the one to ask Gavin out instead, take that chance. Gavin sure as hell would fuck out of it. Maybe-
A new head sat on the other desk next to Michael's, setting the computer up. He couldn't see him very well around Geoff, but he could see brown skin, glasses, and a beard. Gavin was already in this new person's face, being a pest and introducing himself in the most annoying way possible. The new person turned, smiling up at Gavin and fuck.
Fuck fuck fuck.
"Hey, thought you fucked off again." Geoff waved him over, and took a step back. "So I guess you two already know each other, but just so you actually know who he is outside a voice in your headset, meet Ray Narvaez Jr. Kid's going to working with us now.
Ray turned so he could look at Michael fully, and he had the same stomach-bottoming out look that Michael knew he had.
Ray was Michael's fucking soulmate.