Work Text:
The first thing Gavin noticed about him were his eyes; a stunning cobalt blue that looked startlingly bright under the nightclub lights, staring straight at him from across the bar in amongst a sea of unfamiliar people. The music played around them, some annoyingly overplayed tune no doubt that pounded in their ears and made the sounds of conversation around them almost impossible to hear. But that didn’t matter to them. Their gazes met and instantly Gavin felt a spark from within him, and as the captivating stranger smiled brightly and started to make his way over to him Gavin instantly knew that he’d fallen fast.
The stranger’s name was Luke, he was 29 and - to Gavin’s delight - he was British, English more specifically, from Burnley, with a heavy Northern accent that sent tingles down Gavin’s spine; his dialect and accent blending with Gavin’s own Southern accent comfortably.
Their relationship started out slowly, but through it all Luke was a total gentleman - completely different from Gavin’s preconceived notions of northern boys - with a university education and a steady job in a technical company just outside of Austin. He was patient, kindly dealing with Gavin’s shyness in the relationship with gentle kisses and comforting words, their bodies entwined on the sofa in Luke’s apartment most nights whilst some movie played unwatched in the background.
It was after one of these evenings, barely two months into their burgeoning relationship, that Gavin was faced with the prospect of coming out to his co-workers. He’d fallen asleep on Luke’s sofa, wrapped in his warm embrace and lulled into dreams by the steady thrum of the other man’s heartbeat, and was rudely woken in the morning by the shrill ring of his phone - Geoff’s name on the screen far too bright against his sleep-filled eyes as hazy, early-morning sunlight streamed in from the blinds.
Gavin had panicked, his heart pounding painfully against his ribcage as he sat in the passenger seat of Luke’s car as his boyfriend drove him to work. Their kiss in the car park was quick, Gavin’s face apologetic and he darted out of the car and into the building without registering the odd look that crossed Luke’s face.
“Look who finally decided to show,” Michael teased as Gavin slipped into the Achievement Hunter office and into his chair without a word, a sheepish grin on his face. Michael’s teasing look didn’t disappear. “Late night last night?”
Gavin fidgeted, suddenly aware of how dishevelled he looked in yesterday’s clothes, and shrugged; lunging forward almost desperately to turn on his monitor.
“Somebody didn’t come home last night,” Geoff piped up jokingly from his corner, and Gavin ducked down under his battered desk in a bid to look like he was too busy to talk; prodding around with wires that shouldn’t really be touched and turning on his computer tower. He could feel eyes on his back and a blush rising in his cheeks. “Who’s the lucky lady?”
Gavin thought for about half a second before he heard himself reply, his brain not quite registering the words that spilled from his lips before it was far too late to stop them. “His name is Luke.”
He didn’t move from under his desk, feeling the eyes of everyone in the room on him as no one spoke. Sighing deeply, he slowly pulled himself up into his chair and - swallowing hard - he turned to face the rest of the room.
“His name is Luke,” he repeated, clutching the arms of his chair tightly to hide the nervous tremors in his hands. “We met in a bar about two months ago and I stayed at his place last night.”
He expected to be met with shocked looks; dumbfounded looks from the friends that didn’t know this side of him and - despite knowing how open minded they were - couldn’t help but fear the rejection. Couldn’t help but resign himself to how different they’d look at him from now on.
What he didn’t expect was for the momentarily stunned faces to turn into genuine smiles, everyone grinning at him in congratulations and for curious questions to be sent his way.
It didn’t take long after that, soon after they decided to take their relationship a step further - Gavin’s hands tangling in Luke’s short blond hair, with his lover’s hands running purposely over his skin to rest firmly upon his skinny hips - for Luke to ask Gavin to move in with him.
Geoff’s reaction to the news that he’d be moving out, tentatively brought up during the recording of a particularly slow Let’s Build, was positive. Gavin couldn’t help the warm feeling that spread through him at Geoff’s approval, and that weekend he found himself sat in Geoff’s truck - boxes and suitcases stacked up across the back seats - practically bouncing in the front seat as Geoff drove him across town.
“You’re sure you wanna do this?” Gavin, staring out of the window as his attention was unable to focus on one thing, turned to Geoff and let out a questioning hum. Geoff, his attention firmly on the road, raised an eyebrow. “There’s still time to back out.”
Gavin grinned. “I’m sure, no backing out!”
“Moving in with someone is a pretty big commitment,” Geoff countered, shooting him a side glance as the traffic before them flowed easily. “I would’ve thought that you’d have a problem with that, Mr. Commitment Issues.”
Gavin looked out of the car window at the clear blue sky above, his grin changing into a warm smile. “I know,” he muttered, watching the odd bird flying overhead. “I’m really sure, Geoff.”
The move went smoothly, Luke eagerly unpacking Gavin’s possessions into the spaces he’d cleared in his one-bedroomed flat with a level of enthusiasm that Gavin couldn’t help but love, and he found himself watching Luke as he moved around - a spring in his steps and flushed cheeks - with a goofy grin on his face; a look that made Luke grin in return, mutterings of how much he loved that look on Gavin’s face whispered in his ear as the taller male pulled him closer.
Gavin didn’t immediately notice any change in Luke’s personality over the coming weeks, and when he did start to notice the subtle differences - the shortened temper, the tetchiness, the firmer hands upon his skin - he put it down to the hours Luke was working. Technicians worked long hours, often under a lot of stress - heck, editing videos was hard enough and the workload was something Gavin could sympathise with so he made sure to give Luke the space he needed after a hard day.
But then the comments started.
“I don’t like that shirt.”
Gavin looked up from where he was pouring milk onto his cereal and shot a quizzical look at Luke. The older male was sat on the sofa, his plain buttoned t-shirt a stark contrast to the brightness of Gavin’s ‘Touch My Awesome Button’ shirt and with his gaze fixed steadily on Gavin. His face was expressionless and Gavin felt himself fidget.
“Huh? Why?” Gavin asked, looking down in an attempt to see what had spurned on his boyfriend’s statement. “I’ve worn it before.”
He looked up again, brow furrowed in confusion, and watched as Luke sighed deeply before pulling himself to his feet; his actions heavy, almost like he was burdened by something and Gavin felt a twinge of worry stir from within him. Luke strode over to him, stood by the counter in the small kitchen, and took his hands in his.
“I know Gav,” he purred, pressing his lips against Gavin’s neck in a trail of light kisses. Gavin let out a surprised cry, one that tapered off on a note of delight, and tried to duck away with a grin but Luke’s hands held tight. He pulled back with a serious look on his face. “But you’re twenty-five, don’t you think you should start…dressing like you’re twenty-five?”
Gavin blinked at him, his mouth slowly falling open in surprise. He spluttered, trying to tie together a coherent reply, as Luke smirked. “And besides, only I’m allowed to touch your awesome button.”
Gavin tried to ignore the looks that the others sent his way as he entered the Achievement Hunter office later on that morning. He tugged at the uncomfortably stiff collar of his shirt, feeling the sweat that had been stuck between the fabric and his overheated skin slip down in beads to linger awkwardly on his chest, as he sat down in his desk chair. He could feel the eyes on his back and tried to stop the self-conscious blush from reddening his cheeks.
“Does Gavvy Wavvy have a date tonight?” Geoff teased tiredly, waving a mug of coffee in his direction, and Gavin swallowed deeply before turning to face the older man with a grin on his face. He leant back in his chair and gestured towards himself.
“Do I need a date to look this good, Geoffrey?” He joked, shooting a charming smile in Geoff’s direction. Geoff snorted and turned back to his computer screen, catching Michael’s amused gaze in the process. “What?”
Michael chuckled, reaching across his desk to pick up his XBox controller. “If it’s not a date then what’s with the fancy get up?” He asked, his raised eyebrow disappearing in the curls of his hair.
Gavin shrugged, lowering his gaze. “Luke suggested it, I said I’d give it a shot.” He absentmindedly played with the chipped paint on his desk next to the huge hole that had been there for months. “I didn’t think anybody would be this bothered by it.”
He missed Michael rolling his eyes but was snapped to attention when Michael’s hand smacked down on his desk, disrupting the YOLO glasses precariously perched atop one of his monitors and causing The Queen’s figurine to fall behind the desk. He looked up, startled, and met Michael’s annoyed gaze.
“We’re not bothered by it you idiot, you’re a grown man you can wear what you fucking want to,” Michael seethed, pausing for a moment before putting the YOLO glasses back into place. He waved his free hand. “You could dress in a fucking tutu for all I care and it wouldn’t bother us. If it’s what you wanna do, do it.”
Gavin wheeled his chair closer to Michael’s and sidled up to him, bumping their shoulders together. “Awwww, okay Michael! I’ll come in tomorrow wearing a tutu just for you.”
“You don’t even own a tutu,” Michael laughed, pushing Gavin’s chair back towards his desk. Beside him Ray sniggered.
“He does own that giant penis costume.”
“Maybe I’ll wear that tomorrow, thanks X-Ray!”
“No problem Vav.”
Michael groaned. “Please don’t,” Gavin laughed in response and Michael resisted the urge to shove him. He threw up his hands and leant back in his chair, looking between Ray - still staring at his screen - and an amused Gavin with a small grin fighting to appear on his lips. “Think of the children!”
Both Ray and Gavin burst out laughing; Ray turning to give Michael an incredulous look whilst Gavin doubled over with giggles.
“Guuuuuys,” Geoff groaned from where he’d propped himself up at his desk, rubbing his forehead. “Do you have to do this so early in the goddamn day?”
“Did somebody have a little too many bevs last night?” Gavin teased, unphased by Geoff’s one-fingered salute in reply. “Aww, Geoffy Weffy.”
“Shut the fuck up, I wouldn’t have drunk so much if you were there to remind me I had work today,” Geoff grumbled, stifling a yawn. “I’ve barely seen you outside of work for weeks man, I could say that I sorta miss you.”
“I’ll make a special effort to drop by tonight, just for you,” Gavin replied sheepishly. “I haven’t been gone that long.”
“You’ve been gone long enough to lose your keys and forget to drop by,” Geoff huffed, picking up his coffee mug and taking a sip. “Luke must really be something.”
Gavin squirmed under Geoff’s steady gaze, suddenly feeling like a small child under the intense scrutiny of a protective parent; scared of being truly honest in the face of someone whose opinions were held in high regard but also wanting to spill all of the feelings that were swirling inside, desperate to be shared with the world. He smiled without thinking, a bashfully happy grin that held a hint of natural shyness. “Yeah, I…really like him,” he absentmindedly played with the cuffs of his shirt, slightly uncomfortable with the show of feeling and wanting to keep his hands busy. Geoff’s goofy smile in return only made him fidget more. “I’ve uh….never really felt like this before.”
“Like there’s a warm, fuzzy feeling in your gut and every time you think of him the feeling turns into butterflies?” Michael asked as Geoff nodded in approval. Gavin smiled shyly and Michael grinned widely, bringing out the dimples on his cheeks. “You can see him clearly in your mind? Down to the very last freckle on his cheeks and you can recognise his scent, hear his voice in your mind and feel his touch?”
"Er…yeah."
“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay,” Ray chimed up and Michael batted him away. Gavin chuckled, a hint of nervousness overpowered by relief in his tone, and Michael shook his head.
“Man, you’ve got it bad,” he chuckled, leaning over to smack Gavin on the back. The warmth of his hand seeping through the thin fabric of Gavin’s shirt and Gavin couldn’t help but feel reassured. “Our little Gavvy Wavvy’s growing up.”
“Michael!” Gavin groaned, shrugging the other man’s hand away and joining in the laughter that filled the office. Geoff spun his chair back around to his desk and Ray’s attention once again returned to his screen but Gavin could still see the grin on his face.
“Gavin!” Michael responded, jabbing the power button of his XBox with a smirk. “Nah man, I’m happy for you,” at Gavin’s hesitant look, his eyes steadily scanning Michael’s face for any hint of a lie in the statement, he raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“Thanks,” Gavin replied quietly, reaching across his desk to turn his monitor on. He shrugged sheepishly and shot Michael a lopsided grin. “I thought you guys would be a bit weirded out if you knew I liked guys, I wasn’t expecting such…acceptance I guess.”
“You’re still you Gavin, nothing’s changed. And if anybody gives you any hassle about it then let me know and I’ll beat the shit out of them for you. Nobody hurts my friends.”
Behind them Geoff made a noise of agreement, and Michael swivelled in his chair to face him. “Hey, listen to your own damn conversations!” Geoff snorted, not looking at them, and Michael turned back to Gavin with an exasperated look on his face. “And that goes for Luke too. I’ve got your back.”
“Thanks Michael.”
“Anytime,” Michael responded cheerfully, sitting back in his chair before he straightened up with a surprised ‘oh!’. He pointed at Gavin. “Me and Lindsay are going to see a movie tonight, d’you guys wanna come? We’re gonna go out afterwards for something to eat, we can get to know Luke.”
“I’ll send him a text and ask,” Gavin replied, pulling his phone out of the pocket of the smart black jeans Luke had suggested he wear; found in the dark recesses of his closet, buried under a host of sweaters that would’ve been foolish to wear in Texas sun. He tapped out the message and hit send.
Luke’s reply never came, and as the day steadily wore on with no reply Gavin felt himself grow anxious; the unease easily diminished by the friendly banter that filled the office. So, when he turned up at almost exactly five thirty it was entirely unexpected, the taller Brit slipping into the Achievement Hunter office silently amidst the loud shouts that came from the recording of a Let’s Play that had been going on for far too long.
Ryan spotted him first from his seat on the sofa.
“Hey Gavin, look who’s here,” he announced, raising a hand in greeting to Luke who waved to the room in general. Gavin turned in his chair, dropping his XBox controller onto the table, and smiled brightly at his boyfriend with an outstretched hand. Luke took his hand with a small smile and allowed himself to be pulled closer from his perch by the door.
“Hey you,” Gavin greeted. “What brings you here?”
“What d’you think, love,” Luke responded with a lopsided grin as he looked at the microphone sat on Gavin’s desk along with the recording program and game still up on his screens. The grin vanished, an odd look creeping up on his face as he raised an eyebrow at Gavin. “I was going to pick you up, but if you haven’t finished…”
“We’re just about done here if you wanna go,” Geoff interjected, waving a hand absentmindedly in Gavin’s direction as he checked his recording. “We’ve got enough footage to make a video, well, for JJ to make a video anyway.”
“Are you guys gonna hang with us?” Michael asked as Gavin rose from his chair, leaning down to pick up his backpack. Luke intercepted him, slinging the bag over his shoulder, with a confused look on his face and as Gavin spun on his heel to look at him.
“Michael and Lindsay are going out tonight and wanted to know if wanted to come with,” Gavin told him, looping their fingers together with an affectionate smile. “A film, dinner and a couple of bevs…it’ll be top!”
“Er,” Luke began, looking slightly apologetic as he squeezed Gavin’s hand lightly. “I did have something planned for us tonight.”
Gavin blinked. “Oh, really?” He cooed, returning the squeeze. “What exactly did you have planned?”
“Dinner,” Luke replied with a small smile as he looped his arm around Gavin’s waist, hooking his hand from the back pocket of Gavin’s dark-coloured jeans and pulling the shorter man closer. “A film, just the two of us,” he said, running a hand gently down the length of Gavin’s back. “Might even have an early night.”
“Jeeze guys, too much information,” Michael groaned. Gavin felt the blush staining his cheeks and spreading down to his collar, the heat uncomfortable against the scratchy fabric and he lifted a hand to try and alleviate the discomfort. Luke raised an eyebrow as Gavin spluttered incoherently, his eyes darting between his boyfriend and his friend. Michael snorted.
“But what abou-”
Michael waved him off. “You go and have fun, we’ll catch a movie another time.”
“Are you su-”
“We’re sure Gavin,” Geoff interrupted, swivelling around in his chair. “We’re pretty much done anyway, go and have fun.”
“Your lot have spoken,” Luke tugged Gavin towards the door, the younger man’s backpack still slung over his shoulder, and pulled it open. “C’mon.”
Luke led the way out of the Achievement Hunter office, across the reception area and out of the front doors. The bright Austin sun, usually a pleasant warmth against his skin, only served to add to his discomfort - the unfamiliar coarseness of his shirt sticking to his skin even on the short walk from the door to Luke’s car. He slipped into the passenger seat, momentarily shifting in place at the temperature inside - the typical stuffiness of a vehicle that had been sat out in the direct glare of the sun for a time - before buckling his seatbelt, Luke shifting in the drivers seat beside him.
“You didn’t have to pick me up,” Gavin said as Luke put the keys into the ignition and, with a sharp click upwards, spurned the car into life. Luke looked in the rear view mirror and eased the car into reverse, managing to lightly smack Gavin’s hand away from the radio dial without looking.
“Of course I did,” he mumbled, straightening the car before turning to raise an eyebrow at Gavin, his hands poised on the steering wheel. “How else would you get home?”
“Geoff or Michael or someone would’ve given me a lift, I’m not completely helpless y’know.”
“And what if they said no? They’ve got their own things to do Gav without having to run you around town,” he pressed lightly onto the accelerator with his foot, putting the car into motion, and turned back to face the road ahead.
Gavin shrugged. “They’ve never had a problem with it before.”
“They’re American, they’re not going to tell you that they have a problem,” Luke sighed, and Gavin’s brow creased; unable to align the mental image of his friends being anything less than vocal about things they had a problem with and the image Luke presented. His boyfriend, pulling the car to a halt at a set of traffic lights, put a comforting hand onto his knee. “But don’t worry, I’m not bothered by it. If I have to pick you up from the moon I would.”
“Awww, Lukey,” Gavin breathed with a teasing smile. “You’re such a sweetie.”
Luke snorted, not replying as he focused on the road ahead, as Gavin’s smile lingered and his gaze drifted out the window; watching the cars that passed them in a blur of colour.
It didn’t take them long to get back to their apartment, the rush hour traffic making the journey longer than it should’ve been, but Gavin couldn’t help but feel a bit disheartened by how quiet Luke was; the taller Brit wasn’t singing along to the songs on the radio in the slightly out-of-tune way Gavin had come to really like, or bopping his head to the beat in a way that managed to make his hair catch in the sunlight. Gavin hummed, unconsciously drumming his fingers upon his thigh as he shot furtive glances towards his boyfriend out of the corner of his eyes.
They ascended the stairs in silence, Luke unlocking the door with a harsh click and disappearing into dark of the living room without a backwards glance. Gavin blinked in confusion, stepping over the threshold and shutting the door behind him. He placed his backpack on the floor next to the door and slipped out of his shoes, shuffling across the carpeted floor to pull open the blinds that had been left closed in their semi-rush to leave that morning.
He hummed to himself as he gripped the cord, unconsciously narrowing his eyes to avoid being temporarily blinded by the stream of sunlight that filtered through as he opened them, and moved lazily towards the kitchen. A deep sigh from behind him made him pause and he turned to look at Luke, the blond leaning against the doorframe of the bedroom. Gavin’s face relaxed, a small smile gracing his features, and he asked.
“What’s wrong?”
“Are you even in this relationship Gav?” Came the quiet reply. “I’ve been putting my all into this and you don’t seem to be trying at all.”
Gavin spluttered, his eyes wide and shining in confusion as the sudden change of persona. “I am trying! What’re you talking about?!”
Luke growled, running his hand through his hair as he pushed off the doorframe to glare at Gavin. “What am I talking about? What am I talking about?! Us, Gavin! How you’re more interested in spending time with those bloody Americans than with me!” He spat, waving a hand wildly.
“They’re my friends Luke! I’m allowed to go out with my friends! Besides, I came home with you didn’t I?!”
Luke stalked over to him, and Gavin felt himself involuntarily taking a step backwards; the small of his back colliding sharply with the handle of the fridge behind him. He hissed in pain, his hand flying up to rub at the sore spot even as Luke reached out to grab a hold of the arm.
“I’m your boyfriend Gav,” he spat, his hand uncomfortably gripping Gavin’s wrist tightly. He stepped forward, Gavin squirming at the unwanted invasion in his personal space, and cupped Gavin’s chin in his free hand. He jerked it upwards, forcing Gavin to meet his eyes. “Don’t you love me?”
“Of course I do,” Gavin whispered, trying to push against the hand upon his chin. Luke stared at him, blue eyes smoldering with something that Gavin couldn’t quite name, before he took a step back. Huffing, he stalked across the room and disappeared into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him with enough force that Gavin couldn’t help but flinch; his heartbeat pounding loudly in his ears and the dull throb of pain in his back radiating throughout his body.
Sleeping on the sofa that night certainly didn’t help, but Luke never reappeared from the bedroom and Gavin didn’t want to aggravate him further, not wanting to see the look of rage on his face and smoulder in his eyes again. He stumbled into the bathroom as the first rays of light pilfered in through the blinds, lifting the bottom of his crumpled dress shirt and twisting to try and get a better look at his back. He frowned, noting the beginnings of a bruise forming - molted purples intermixed with a sickly green stark against the tanned skin - and ran a hand through his messy hair, looking carefully at his reflection in the glass. Dazed hazel eyes above light smudges stared back at him and he huffed softly, pulling open the bathroom door and padding barefoot across the room with a side glance towards the closed bedroom door.
He picked up the bright red t-shirt slung across the back of the sofa, laying discarded from the day before and unbuttoned the wrinkled dress shirt he wore, slipping out of it in one fluid motion and pulling the ‘Touch My Awesome Button’ shirt over his head with a hiss.
The bedroom door opened with a light click, and Luke - dressed in fresh clothes and looking ready to go to work - slipped out from within, his outline hazy from the dim sunlight streaming in from the open bedroom blinds behind him, a deep frown on his face. Gavin froze, hands gripping the fabric of his t-shirt tightly, and cleared his throat.
"I’m sorry, er, for the last night," he muttered, twisting the cottony fabric between his fingers. Luke shrugged, reaching across the counter for his car keys with an unchanging expression on his face. Gavin shifted on the balls of his feet, attracting Luke’s blank stare.
“Get in the car.”
Gavin blinked, his mouth involuntarily opening in confusion before he snapped it shut with an uncomfortable clunk of teeth. “Huh?”
Luke sighed as he strode towards the front door, picking up both his bag and Gavin’s backpack as he went. He held out the latter. “If you want a lift to work you’d better get in the car.”
The ride to work was fairly silent, despite the radio being on and blasting the latest hits at a far louder volume than Gavin was ready to deal with that early in the morning, with Luke’s continued silence forming an icy pit in Gavin’s stomach that he couldn’t shake. The car pulled up alongside the curb outside the Rooster Teeth office, and Gavin slipped out into the early morning sunshine without a word.
Suppressing a yawn, and with a brief backwards glance towards the car that was quickly rejoining the others on the road, he shuffled across the parking lot and in through the front doors. The contrast between the silentness of the car and liveliness of the office was startling, and Gavin was immediately met by a cacophony of noise from the group crowded around the door to the Achievement Hunter office.
Michael spotted him first. “About time!” He yelled, darting forward and grabbing Gavin by the arm. He dragged him away from the group and forced a nerf gun into his hands before he could protest. “The power’s out, so it’s Lads vs. Ladettes.”
“Hey! I thought it was gonna be us against everyone else,” Lindsay pouted, folding her arms and sending puppy dog eyes towards Michael. To his credit, Michael didn’t waver, and instead he clapped Gavin on the shoulder with a grin.
“I’m gonna be on a team with my boi,” he replied cheerfully, and Gavin couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped him as his grip on the nerf gun tightened. Barbara, leaning against the wall with a similar model of nerf gun in her hands, audibly muttered a barely contained ‘Mavin’ as she laughed and Lindsay responded with a long suffering sigh, the breath she exhaled heavy enough to make her fringe flutter slightly.
“What, no penis costume today?” Ray gasped mockingly, appearing at the end of the corridor that led to the kitchen. He slipped into the space between Michael and Gavin and rocked awkwardly on the balls of his feet, glancing at the members of the group with an eyebrow slightly raised.
“Sorry X-Ray, I forgot,” Gavin responded sheepishly, a look of apology clear on his face. Ray shrugged.
“No worries,” Ray mumbled, peering into the Achievement Hunter office where Jack and Geoff were sat, deep in conversation. His gaze moved back to the group, spying the nerf guns with an amused look. “What’re you planning on doing with those?”
“Pfft, we can’t do any work until the power comes back. We might as well dosomething fun.”
“And I can record it for an RT Life,” Lindsay winked, darting forward to kiss Michael. He wrapped his arms around her waist, raising a hand to shove his middle finger in the faces of his friends as they groaned jokingly at the public display of affection.
Stepping back, he grinned mischievously at Lindsay and raised his nerf gun up. “Ray, if you would do the honours.”
Ray rolled his eyes and tilted his head back. “Leeeeeeeeeeeeet’s Play!”
The game that ensued was nothing short of spectacular; the majority of the company having been enticed outside to join in due to the lack of power, and as a result the teams changed regularly and fluidly - often without warning - until everyone had long forgotten the scores. The shortage of readily available nerf guns mean that they had to get creative, and Gavin lost count of the number of times he was smacked on the head with a plush Grifball accompanied by triumphant laughter from his friends.
It did wonders to get the worry of Luke off his mind, and he welcomed the distraction with enthusiasm and open arms; the day hazing away in a blur of adrenaline and excitement. He ducked down behind a car, Geoff - who had given up with getting the electrics to work by magic in the Achievement Hunter office and had joined the game with barely contained glee - scanning the area with focused eyes beside him as Barbara signalled to them from across the parking lot. Gavin looked between the two, so engrossed in the game that he had - as so often happened - almost forgotten where he worked and visibly jumped when Burnie charged out into the open space.
“The power’s back, quit fooling around guys!”
He should’ve expected the numerous nerf bullets that came flying his way - accompanied by a stray Grifball - and Gavin couldn’t help but crack up at the unimpressed look on Burnie’s face as his employees roared with laughter around him; barely able to conceal the mirth in his eyes.
Everyone’s spirits were high that afternoon, and when Luke appeared to pick him up at the end of the day Gavin found it difficult to get rid of the bright grin on his face; Luke’s look of confusion lasting until they’d made it into the silence of their apartment.
“What happened?” Luke asked, leaning against the kitchen counter with his arms folded. Gavin’s head shot up and the shoe he was removing dropped to the floor with a ‘thunk’, the smaller Brit chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.
“Nothing important,” he shrugged, pulling himself to his feet and hooking a hand into his pocket. He shifted on the balls of his feet. Luke sighed.
“You’ve had that fucking shit-eating grin on your face since I picked you up,” he muttered, raising an eyebrow. “Does this have anything to do with the grass stains I can see on your trousers?”
Gavin blinked and immediately looked down to his trousers where, visible even on the dark fabric of his jeans, green stains could clearly be seen on his shins and around his kneecaps. He laughed nervously. “Yeah…”
Luke marched over to him and gripped his upper arms tightly, his face inches from Gavin’s. “You’re a grown man Gav, fucking act like one.”
“It’s a bit difficult to do where I work Luke,” Gavin replied hotly, trying to pull out of his boyfriend’s hold. But Luke held tight. “It’s not like that.”
“Maybe you should look for another job,” Luke hissed, speaking over Gavin’s attempt at spluttering a response. “If this one keeps you acting like a baby then maybe it’s time to move on.”
“Luke, I like my job!” Gavin cried, attempting again to pull back from Luke’s grip. He succeeded this time, and stumbled a step back from the taller Brit. “D’you know howhard they fought for me to get here? I’m not just going to throw it all away!”
He didn’t see the fist coming, but he sure felt it. The hard bones of the knuckles colliding with the soft skin of his jaw sent spikes of pain through his face and caused stars to appear in his vision; the force of it knocked him sideways to the floor with a surprised ‘oof’.
He looked up with wide eyes and scrambled back towards the wall as a hand flew up to his cheek. Luke stared, his arm frozen in midair and a look of dawning horror on his face. “I’m so sorry!” He cried, falling to his knees. “I don’t know what came over me.”
Gavin stared at him, his hand frozen on his cheek. “I-it’s alright,” he swallowed, shuffling across the floor on his knees to kneel before Luke. “You d-didn’t mean it.”
Luke kissed him, trailing kisses from his lips and across his jaw as he mumbled apologies intermixed with sincere ‘I love you’s.
Gavin shakily forgave him, brushing off the questions from his concerned co-workers the next day at work (all of whom found time to corner him and ask him about the bruise upon his cheek), continuing on as normally as possible.
But as much as he wanted to forget it, and as much as he wanted to believe it couldn’t happen again, it wasn’t a one-time thing.
Gavin couldn’t help but notice the looks Luke gave him when he thought the other man wasn’t looking; the glares, the narrowed eyes full of disappointment and the voice that rose against every opinion that Gavin tried to express. The voice that snapped at him. The voice that started to call him names (‘Idiot. Little shit. Useless’).
The voice that was soon followed by a sharp slap, or a harsh smack and sometimes the feeling of a cold, flat wall pressed against his back. But afterwards, apologetic kisses covered every abrasion, every ache with muttered words of love whilst warm hands caressed him.
And that made it better.
He was fine. Absolutely fine. He couldn’t understand why people kept asking him how he was - why he was wearing long-sleeved shirts when it was far too warm outside for them, or why he was hiding in hoodies, or limping, or being far quieter than any of them had ever seen him.
But he was fine.
Even when his phone went missing he was fine.
Even when Luke stringently escorted him to and from work - effectively vetoing any plans he’d made with his friends for the evening. He was fine.
Even when he followed Luke into the apartment after a particularly quiet day at work and saw the place covered in boxes. His brow creased in confusion.
“What’s going on?” He asked, slipping out of his shoes and padding into the middle of the room. He looked around at the stacks of boxes, his eyes finding the empty spaces that had formerly been occupied by DVDs and trinkets. “Are we moving?”
Luke folded his arms and sat on the end of the sofa, shrugging dismissively. “My work contract’s up, I’m going back to England next week.”
Gavin spun to face him and his jaw dropped. “What?!” He breathed, waving one hand whilst the other pulled at his hair. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?!”
“Didn’t cross my mind,” he shrugged in response, leisurely pulling himself to his feet. He lazily put his hands into his trouser pockets. “The sooner we get out of here the better.”
“We?” Gavin yelled, stepping back as Luke took a menacing step towards him. “Who said anything about ‘we’?!”
“You’re coming with me, aren’t you love?” Luke’s reply was matter-of-fact, and Gavin couldn’t help the confused look that crossed his face; his jaw opening and closing as he tried to articulate words in response. Luke grabbed his hand. “I’ve booked us both tickets, and I’ve been looking at flats online for the two of us in Oxford, you’ll be near your family and I can easily drive up to see mine. It’ll be great, going home. Much better than being stuck in this place.”
“Luke, I have a job here.”
“You’ve got enough time to tell them that you’re going home,” Luke replied, squeezing Gavin’s hand. Gavin made a feeble attempt to pull back, wincing as his boyfriend’s grip increased.
“I like my job here!”
“There are other jobs Gav,” Luke sneered, digging his nails into the soft skin of Gavin’s palm. Gavin hissed. “Plenty of other jobs, specially for someone of your talents.”
“What d’you expect me to do? Walk in tomorrow and go ‘oh, sorry for the short notice. But I’m leaving next week’?! They’ve done so much for me and I’m just going to repay them by buggering off with barely any warning?!”
“In life we’ve all got to do things that maybe we don’t always like. But things end up being better in the long run.”
“That’s utter bollocks!” Gavin cried, wincing as Luke’s grip moved up to his wrist; the grasp tight and constricting. “No!”
“What was that?” Luke asked, pressing forward - Gavin’s back meeting the wall with a resounding ‘thud’ - against his boyfriend and leaning down; his breath warm against Gavin’s neck. “You don’t want to come with me?”
“What?! I didn’t sa-”
“You said no, Gav,” Luke sighed, one of his hands still gripping Gavin’s wrist tightly. The other came up to run fingers lightly through his hair. “That means you don’t want to be with me,” he chuckled softly, kissing Gavin’s neck. “Which is a shame, because I want to be with you.”
“And I want t-”
Luke interrupted him once more, his hand straying to the waistband of Gavin’s jeans. “Just tell them. Tell them you’re coming home with me. It’ll be hard, yeah,” he kissed Gavin softly and then shot him an easy smile. “But think of it as an adventure.”
Gavin squirmed, unable to see past Luke. The blond was staring at him with an unreadable expression in his eyes; the look was so intense that Gavin found it difficult to look away, and before he knew it he was nodding slightly. “Alright,” he whispered, the words spilling past his lips before he’d realised he’d spoken.
Luke smirked. “Good.”
Telling Burnie the next day was difficult, and he found it increasingly harder throughout their conversation to keep the conviction in his voice as his mind spoke the words he never thought he’d say.
‘I think it’ll be a good idea if I… No! It’s nothing anyone here did! You guys are amazing… I just need… Yeah… No! It’s just time that I… Burnie…. I just want… I needto go home. End of.’
If he thought telling Burnie was hard, breaking the news to the rest of the company was almost impossible. In fact, it was only after Geoff had been pulled into an emergency meeting that he was forced to come clean; Geoff staring at him, slumped in his chair wearing an oversized hoodie, with incredulous eyes and a number of swears passing his lips.
“When the fuck were you gonna tell us?” He yelled, unable to see the way Gavin shrunk into his chair at the volume. The Achievement Hunter office, in contrast to its usually loud and happy state, was silent. Four pairs of silent eyes stared at him in shock, and he dug his fingers into his palms in an attempt to stop the burning in his eyes. “When you were on the fucking plane? Huh?! Or when you were back in England?”
“I’m sorry,” Gavin mumbled, staring at Geoff’s shoes. “I just need-”
“Need what?” Geoff bellowed, waving his hands erratically. “Manners maybe? What a good fucking way to treat your friends Gav, leave them in the dark about something as big as this!”
Gavin remained silent, hands clenched. Geoff exhaled sharply and stormed out of the room, muttering obscenities under his breath. Gavin swallowed.
“When’re you leaving?”
Michael’s question shattered the silence that’d fallen in the wake of Geoff’s departure. Gavin looked up slowly, meeting Michael’s offended eyes with timid hazel. He shrugged.
“Next week,” he muttered. The look on Michael’s face didn’t waver.
“You were gonna tell us, right?” He asked, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Because if you were just gonna leave without saying goodbye…” He trailed off.
“I was,” Gavin replied, feeling his nails digging into his palm almost hard enough to draw blood. “It was just…difficult.”
Michael stared at him closely, waiting for him to continue. He sighed when Gavin looked down again and ran a hand through his hair. “We’ll drive you to the airport.”
“…Huh?”
“If we’re only gonna see your stupid face around here for another week, I might as well see it for as long as I can. Who knows when I’ll see it again.”
Geoff took some convincing, and despite his apparent anger at the entire situation he begrudgingly offered to drive the two Brits (plus Michael and Lindsay) to the airport a week later; the group trudging into the terminal - the place surprisingly busy despite the early hour - pulling suitcases and surrounded by an awkward silence.
The check-in line was short and after a short time Gavin let Luke drag him to the counter; handing over their suitcases without a word and allowing themselves to be checked against their passports. The woman handed them their tickets and waved on the next customer.
Standing to one side by the automatic ticket machines the three Americans who had accompanied them stared at them with stony faces, and as they walked back Luke looked at him out of the corner of his eye. “Go and say your goodbyes Gav, we need to go.”
Gavin pulled his hand out of Luke’s grasp, a feeling in his chest tightening and his mouth dry. He licked his lips. “I’m just going to run to the loo first, I’ll be quick.”
Without waiting for Luke’s reply he turned on his heel and jogged off towards where the signs promised a bathroom would be. Stumbling into the men’s room, he threw himself across the room and into the disabled cubicle. He locked the door with a sharp click and sat down on the closed lid of the toilet, pulling his knees up and wrapping his arms around them. He exhaled shakily, zoning out the familiar chime of the airport announcements and the monotonous voice that followed.
“I can’t go with him,” he whispered, his voice cracking and a dead weight settling in his stomach. He rested his head on his knees and fought with the burning sensation in his eyes. “I can’t go with him.”
He let out a shaky breath and felt his mind switch off.
Consequently, he didn’t know how long he was sat there. And he certainly didn’t pay attention to the bathroom door opening and closing; the restroom was public, and he wasn’t the only male in the building.
He did, however, jump when Michael’s voice appeared.
“Gavin? You’re gonna miss your flight, idiot.”
Gavin couldn’t reply; his tongue feeling thick in his mouth and the burning feeling in his eyes growing nearly unbearable, just waiting for the final wall to come down and release the tendrils of emotion that gripped him inside.
There was a moment of silence, broken only by the squeak of the door hinges, and for a split second Gavin thought Michael would let it go and leave - choosing to continue his search elsewhere. But that thought was short lived, as the sound of footsteps - followed by the clang of the door closing - got louder and Gavin could see, from his position curled up on the closed lid of the disabled toilet, the bottom of Michael’s sneakers before him.
“Gav, are you in here?”
Gavin buried his head in his knees and gripped his arms tightly with numb fingers, bunching them up into the soft cotton of the long-sleeved t-shirt he wore, ignoring the way the fabric stretched over the bruises marring the tanned skin beneath. He heard rustling, and then the familiar tapping of fingers on a touchscreen phone. Moments passed, Michael waiting for the phone to connect him through to his friend - unknowing that it lay in pieces on the floor of the hastily abandoned apartment - and Gavin closed his eyes, letting out a small sigh that was barely audible to his ears.
“Gavin? C’mon man, talk to me.”
Gavin didn’t look up, not even when a hand tapped against the cubicle door, not even when Michael repeated his call - concern layering his tone - and not even when the door rattled as an attempt was made to open it; the lock the one thing standing between the two. His arms tightened around his knees, his nails digging into his arms as he swallowed dryly.
“Go away,” he forced out through chapped lips, his voice pitiful to his own ears. He could almost see Michael’s brow crease in confusion, and flinched when he spoke.
“Open the door.”
“Go away,” Gavin repeated quietly, curling up further in on himself. He lifted his head slightly as Michael’s sneakers squeaked upon the tiled floor, and he sighed as he saw them disappear from the gap between the floor and the bottom of the cubicle. “I can’t go with him,” he added, feeling the burning in his eyes give way to wetness. He sniffed, burying his head in his knees again with eyes closed.
His head snapped up as a great rumbling sound signalled the arrival of Michael dropping into the floor space of his cubicle, the older male having clambered over the top of the cubicle next door with all the grace one would expect. Gavin saw a myriad of emotions on his face, annoyance laced primarily and overwhelmingly with concern, and shied back as the usually-angry young man stepped towards him.
Michael stopped immediately, his eyes wide and hands held out before him in a placating gesture, before he dropped slowly into a crouch. “Woah woah, what happened?!”
“E-everything,” Gavin choked out, resting his head on his knees as he felt the unfamiliar tears he’d tried so hard to hide soak the material beneath, his body shaking with barely concealed sobs. ‘Men don’t cry. Babies cry. Are you a baby Gavin?’
“Gav, what happened?”
Gavin couldn’t see his face, and could barely concentrate on his voice as the feeling in his gut twisted and crushed at him, but he could imagine the protectiveness swirling in the confused brown orbs. He hiccuped, trying hard to stop the tears (‘Men don’t cry. Babies cry.’) that ran down his cheeks and dampened the coarse fabric of his jeans, and instead pried his fingers from his arms. Slowly, he rolled up the sleeve of his right arm and recoiled at the sharp hiss Michael emitted in response.
“Holy shit Gav.”
Michael’s voice was low and carefully measured, but despite this Gavin still shied away from the warm hand that gently held his arm, coarse fingers maneuvering the limb away from his body and turning it over lightly. Fingertips moved across the multi-coloured bruises that marred the skin, barely making contact, and suddenly Michael’s voice was closer than it was before.
“Gavin, talk to me man,” his voice was soothing, and his warm hand gripped Gavin’s reassuringly. Gavin raised his head to stare at his best friend with blurry eyes, shying away as soft brown eyes scanned his face for a hint of the truth. “Who did this to you?”
“N-no one,” Gavin stuttered, trying to pull his hand away from Michael’s hold. Michael held tight. “I was j-just being an idiot, as p-per usual.”
“Bullshit!” Michael cried, turning Gavin’s arm over. “These sure look like fuckinghandprints Gavin! Who the fuck did this?!”
“Please let go of me,” Gavin gasped, feeling his breaths coming in quicker and shakier; his head feeling heavy and dizzy from the lack of oxygen. Michael dropped his arm as if burnt and ran a hand through his hair, working it under his woolen cap as he exhaled slowly. Through a panicked and detached gaze he saw Michael pull his phone from his pocket and hurriedly type out a message, hitting send with a flourish, before looking back up.
There was a moment of silence before he held out his hands again and Gavin slowly tracked their movement through the air, letting out an involuntary shudder as his head dropped back to his knees. He heard Michael sigh before he spoke. “Who did this?”
He couldn’t speak, feeling a rush of disappointment run through him as he heard Michael stand up and fumble with the lock of the cubicle door followed by low conversation.
A smaller hand gently rested on his shoulder and he jumped, head springing up to meet warm blue eyes with panicked hazel.
“Shh,” Lindsay soothed as she leant down to entwine her fingers with Gavin’s, surreptitiously eying the discoloured skin. Michael, pushed up against the door to the cubicle, mumbled something in a low voice that Gavin couldn’t quite catch and Lindsay didn’t outwardly react to, instead she smiled kindly. “It’s alright.”
Gavin shook his head before he realised he was doing it, utterly convinced of this and biting his lip hard enough he was surprised it wasn’t bleeding. Or maybe it was.
Lindsay crouched down, her stance nearly identical to how Michael was before - an offhand observation that made him realise just how suited they were to each other - with the kind smile still on her face. “We’re here now, and we’re going to help you okay?”
Michael huffed, his arms folded. “But you’ve gotta tell us who did this to you so we can get the fucker.”
His eyes flashed in anger and Gavin tightly shut his eyes, his ears picking up Lindsay’s chastisement and Michael’s hurried apology. “‘M sorry,” he mumbled.
“Oh Gavin,” Lindsay sighed. “You haven’t done anything wrong.” Gavin shrugged in reply, his eyes downcast as his hand involuntarily rubbed his arm. Lindsay’s grip on his other hand tightened.
“Are you hurt anywhere else?” Michael’s voice was unusually level, and Gavin lifted his head to look at him in confusion before he nodded shakily. Michael cursed, his eyes blazing. “Was it him?”
Gavin’s eyes widened and his breathing hitched. Michael’s gaze didn’t waver and Lindsay fixed him with pleading eyes. “C’mon Gavin, help us out here,” at Gavin’s blank look she continued soothingly. “I know that this is probably really difficult for you, and I promise that we’ll do everything we can to help you out. We’re your friends Gavin, it hurts us to know that you’ve been hurting and didn’t feel like you could tell us,” Michael made a noise of agreement and Gavin’s eyes darted to him. “Friends help friends, and the only way we’re going to be able to do this properly is if you tell us who did this to you.”
At Lindsay’s pleading look Gavin felt himself unable to speak, his blood running cold. He spluttered. “I…n-nuh…h-he…” He closed his eyes, his free hand coming up to wipe at the tear tracks decorating his cheeks. Lindsay squeezed his hand gently.
“You don’t need to say anything Gav,” she whispered. “All you’ve got to do is squeeze my hand back if the answer is yes. Did Luke do this?”
Gavin swallowed heavily and, mustering the last of his strength, squeezed Lindsay’s hand.
There was a brief silence before Michael cursed. “That motherfucker,” he growled. “How fucking dare he lay a hand on you?! Why the fuck didn’t you say anything?!”
“I-it was my f-fault,” Gavin stammered, pulling his hand from Lindsay’s grip to pull down his sleeve and wrap his arms around his knees. “I was an i-idiot…c-couldn’t show that I c-cared about him enough.”
“Is this why we haven’t seen you outside of work in weeks?” Lindsay asked quietly, staring off into the distance; the gears in her head clicking into place. “Why you’ve been really out of it and never reply to our messages?”
“H-he took my p-phone. It’s b-broken now.”
“You should’ve said something,” Michael seethed, a hand tangled in his curls. “FuckGavin, why did you stay with him?”
Gavin stared. “I love him,” he couldn’t understand the heartbroken look on Lindsay’s face, or the kicked-puppy look on Michael’s, and continued. “And he loves me.”
“No Gavin!” Michael cried, smacking the side of the cubicle; the resulting clang reverberating uncomfortably around the room. “If you love someone you don’t hurtthem! Fuck! Can yo-”
“Was it his idea to go back to England?” Lindsay asked, cutting across Michael’s rant at Gavin’s startled look. He hesitated for a moment before nodding, causing a light curse to leave her lips. She looked up at Michael.
Michael turned and unlocked the door. “We’ve gotta tell Geoff.”
“No!” Gavin cried, staggering to his feet as Michael opened the cubicle door. Lindsay moved back to let him pass as he reached forward for Michael’s sleeve, giving it a harsh tug. Michael looked unperturbed.
“He needs to know, Gavin!”
“Michael,” Lindsay began, a hint of warning in her tone. Michael raised an eyebrow incredulously.
“What?! He does!”
“We need to do this calmly Michael,” she began, looking between the two men slowly. “There’s no point in making a scene-”
“Making a scene?” Gavin was fairly certain he saw Michael’s eye twitch, and he felt himself involuntarily taking a step closer to Lindsay in response. Michael exhaled loudly, the fury draining from his face to be replaced with a look of fierce determination, before he outwardly conceded. “Oh of course, why would we want to do that?”
Lindsay glowered. “Michael-”
Michael waved a hand sharply. “Yeah yeah,” he turned to Gavin. “We’re gonna get your stuff and go home, okay?”
“B-but-”
“This isn’t open to debate Gavin,” Michael stalked across the room and pulled open the door, magnifying the sounds of the bustling airport beyond and causing Gavin’s nerves to resurface; paling his face and adding a light tremor to his hands. Lindsay gently reached out and took his hand in hers, leading him out of the bathroom in Michael’s wake - the Rage Quitter not sparing them a backwards glance.
They strode through the crowds of travellers, most pushing luggage trolleys and bustling around in groups to find Luke and Geoff standing where they’d left them by the automatic ticket machines; the older man was looking down at his phone whilst the British man stared down at the set of plane tickets in his hands. They both looked up as the group approached.
“There you are,” Geoff greeted, slipping his phone back into the pocket of his jeans. “We were wondering where you’d run off to.” His brow creased in confusion as he scanned the group with tired eyes; taking in the dried tear tracks down Gavin’s cheeks and the murderous look on Michael’s face.
“Yeah, about that,” Michael started, striding forward towards Luke. He ducked down to pick up Gavin’s bag and slung it over his shoulders in one fluid motion. He stepped back, half-turning towards Geoff, and raised his chin. “We’re leaving.”
“Why?” Geoff’s eyes darted between Michael and Luke. “What happened?”
“Something’s come up,” Lindsay began, her hand still grasping Gavin’s. Geoffs stared at their entwined hands and looked up at Gavin’s face with a look of paternal concern.
“Oi, hold on a minute,” Luke interjected, reaching forward in an attempt to pull Gavin’s bag back towards him. “We have a flight to catch, we can’t just bloody leave.”
“Gavin’s not going anywhere with you,” Michael hissed, jerking back away from the older Brit’s reach. “Not now, not ever.”
“I’m so outta the loop,” Geoff stepped forward, positioning himself in between the two men, his hands held out placatingly. “What the hell happened?”
“This asshole,” Michael seethed through clenched teeth, his eyes blazing. “Thismotherfucker has been hurting Gavin.”
There was a split second of silence, in which Gavin could see Geoff’s mind processing what Michael had just said, before the man turned around and punched Luke in the face.
Luke yelped, immediately recoiling and clutching at his bloodied nose with shaky hands, and then spluttered - tripping backwards over his bag to land flat on his back on the terminal floor. Gasps and exclamations of surprise could be heard from the people around them, and Lindsay’s yell of ‘Geoff!’ was drowned out by Geoff’s incoherent roar of fury.
Geoff picked Luke up by the front of his shirt and hauled him upright, not releasing his grip even as the other’s feet touched the floor. “You little shit,” he spat, his knuckles whitening. Luke choked. “You mo-”
“Geoff! Stop!” Gavin pulled his hand from Lindsay’s and stumbled over. He lunged for Geoff’s hand and tried to pry it away from Luke’s shirt, cold fingers shaking as Geoff stared at him with incredulous eyes. Taking advantage of the distraction, Luke brought his knee up sharply into Geoff’s stomach, the older man immediately dropping his hold with a grunt as the Brit pulled back.
“Luke!” Gavin cried, stumbling to the side as Michael joined the fray - the Rage Quitter putting himself bodily between Luke and Geoff with a snarl. Geoff, one arm wrapped around his midriff, pushed past the barrier to stand alongside him; his face like thunder.
“We’re not here to make a scene,” Michael hissed, his eyes darting towards the crowd that was watching them steadily and the security officers that were making their way towards them. Geoff seethed, clearly not finished in dealing with the situation, but nodded slightly.
“It’s just like you Americans, to punch first and ask questions later,” Luke sneered, his eyes ablaze as blood from his nose dripped onto his shirt. He shrugged, leaning down to pick up his bag and sent a contemptuous glare towards Gavin. “You coming or what?”
Michael and Geoff bristled as Gavin shakily shook his head, his eyes wide. Luke glowered, reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small, burgundy book. He threw it at Gavin, spun on his heel - muttering a ‘good riddance’ that could barely be heard by Geoff and Michael - and marched off towards the security gate.
“Is everything alright here guys?” The officers had reached them, the lead one asking his question in a deep, no-nonsense tone of voice.
“Everything’s fine officer,” Michael replied, watching Gavin carefully as he pocketed his passport with shaky hands. “We were just leaving.”
He moved passed the officers and linked arms with Gavin. “C’mon, let’s get you home.”
Gavin smiled slightly, allowing himself to be led by Michael through the airport to the exit. Lindsay appeared on his other side, clasping his hand in hers, and Gavin turned his head to see Geoff hovering behind them with a protective glower on his face towards the groups of strangers around them. He gently squeezed Lindsay’s hand, and as the group stepped out into the sunny Texan afternoon he breathed in the fresh air, a weight lifting from his chest, and whispered.
“Home, yeah. That’d be top.”