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1.
Gavin and Michael did not work together on their presentation for their Native American Literature course. They might have the same major and they might live in the same dorm, but it did not mean they had to be friends. It didn’t mean that they had to say hello every morning, or good afternoon, or anything. But they both did it, even though they still weren’t completely sure of the other’s name. Michael swears Gavin’s name is Colin, and Gavin only remembers Michael as the kid with the really brilliant Zelda tattoos. Really, neither of them really thought much of the other on move in day. It was junior year, and sure they might live on the same floor of the same dorm and be in every class together, but they already had friends. Talking to new people is obviously too strenuous for either of them.
Michael ended up partnered with the stereotypical burnout and carried the entire assignment. He spent an entire twelve hours huddled over a pile of books in the reference section of the library, attempting to retain as much information on Native American poetry post colonization, that his brain could possibly handle.
Gavin, on the other hand, worked with the exuberant blonde know it all that spends his days commenting endlessly on everything the professor said. Their presentation on feminism in Native American literature went swimmingly and they both receive A’s. And the blonde was a really good lay as well.
2.
Gavin and Michael did not apply for the campus computer lab job. The job was hiring and advertising, and Michael swears he received over 30 flyers for it alone. Part of him considered bringing them all back to his dorm and wallpapering his room with them, and he’s pretty sure his roommate Jack wouldn’t mind.
But instead, he figured he’d go check it out. If they were desperate, maybe they’d be desperate enough to hire him.
Gavin was already at the computer lab when Michael walked in. He wasn’t really here for the job, he got by just fine on his savings from his job back home, but he liked visiting Geoff at work. He liked sitting in Geoff’s chair, behind the administrator’s desk, and scaring off freshmen with off-colored jokes. The chair was comfortable (it’s always comfortable) and Geoff was the only one at work that day, so it really didn’t matter.
It was easier to let Gavin pretend to play administrator than have to listen to him back at the dorm go on and on about how they should really steal that chair and how great and orthopedic it would be for their backs. So yeah, Gavin would sit at the desk and Geoff would break for a smoke. It was easier that way.
Seeing Gavin behind the desk made Michael hesitate, and he wasn’t sure why. Michael wasn’t shy, except for when he totally was, and the thought of asking this guy who’s in all of his classes, who lives across the hall from him, who he’d barely spoken to before, for an application to fucking work with him? Michael would rather leap into an incinerator than put himself in a situation like that.
He smiled meekly at Gavin, “Sorry, wrong room,” before spinning around and getting the hell out of there.
Michael brushed passed a returning Geoff on his way out, and Geoff just raised an eyebrow at Gavin, “What was that about?”
Gavin shrugged and licked his lips. He really has no idea, but goddamn what a sexy voice that guy had.
3.
Gavin and Michael did not attend the math tutoring session together. They were partnered together for the tutoring session, but Michael wasn’t even sure there was a Gavin in his class. What the hell kind of name is Gavin? Probably an idiot’s name, really.
It’s required for the course (whoever thought forcing literature and writing majors to take a math class was a brilliant idea was definitely deserving of a kick to the balls, Gavin mentions every day he’s forced to sit through the shitty class, and nobody listens anymore, but every day, he still insists it) but neither of them care.
Michael’s always been great at math, to be honest, and his mom probably calls from Jersey to yell at him at least three times a week for not majoring in it, or in computer programming, or in something that would actually guarantee him a job and make him money. But he likes what he likes and he likes writing, so she can deal with that.
He really does not need to go to the tutoring session, so he just doesn’t. It’s required, sure, but talk about a waste of his fucking time. That Gavin idiot could learn how to add without his help, thanks.
Gavin just doesn’t even bother. He’s hopeless and he knows it, so who cares, really? He isn’t the best at math. He likes words and pictures, artistic creations. He likes seeing people’s ideas come to life and take form and become films or songs or books for the world to love. Gavin’s currently planning on going into script writing. He wants to see his name in big letters on the big screen.
So, math? Definitely not in his fucking future.
This Michael Jones will have to go partner-less. Michael Jones. Boring name, boring guy, Gavin bets.
4.
Gavin and Michael did not bump into each other, physically or metaphorically, at the dining hall. Rather, they saw each other from across the building, and proceeded to avoid each other for the entire meal.
It was pizza night, and only an idiot doesn’t go to the dining hall on pizza night. There’s only so many ways the university chefs could fuck up pizza, so it tended to be the most eaten meal on the entire campus.
And only an idiot wouldn’t go. So of course, Gavin was that idiot.
Geoff practically had to peel his roommate off of his laptop and away from porn (“Seriously, jackass? Seriously? I’m in the goddamn room!”) and drag him to the dining hall by his stupid big nose. It wasn’t fucking Geoff’s business or not if Gavin starved himself, except after living with the kid for the past three years he thinks of him as a younger, stupider brother, and Geoff will be damned if that idiot didn’t at least eat once a day and get off that fucking computer CHRIST.
Gavin stopped in his tracks the second he entered the building because, hey, it was that kid again. That kid with the curly hair and the brilliant tattoos and the sexy voice. And he just grinned, and it’s big and stupid and it had Geoff calling him a moron for smiling so much over pizza because who does that and he didn’t even want to go in the first place, what an idiot.
Michael had gotten there as soon as the dining hall opened, with his on-again-off-again whatever, Lindsay. She wasn’t really into being labeled, which was cool with Michael because he’s still not sure what to label himself. A part of him wants to spend forever with her while the other isn’t sure about this whole arraignment, isn’t sure about the whole boy/girl thing, isn’t sure about the way that Colin (was that his name? Maybe it began with a G?) always smiles at him when they pass each other.
So when Michael looks up from his spot in line and sees the dude staring straight at him from across the room, Michael purposely walks the complete opposite direction, his face flushed.
“What, hey? Where are you going,” Lindsay huffed, catching up with him. “What’s your problem?”
He shrugs, because he really doesn’t know.
5.
Gavin and Michael did not sit next to each other on the bus during the trip into the city.
There’s really nothing to do in their college town, so the school offers free bus trips into the city so that their students don’t die from boredom or whatever comes from being far too bored with access to an unlimited amount of illegal drugs and alcohol.
To be incredibly honest, there isn’t much to do in the city either. There are shopping malls and movie theaters and the occasional arcade, but it’s better than nothing.
So Michael goes, every weekend, with Lindsay and Jack and his side. They usually see a movie or Lindsay kicks their collective asses in mortal combat at the arcade.
Gavin was bored. Gavin was fucking bored beyond reason, and no amount of porn or dicking around on his friend’s minecraft server could help him. And Geoff was really, really, really fucking sick of Gavin. Geoff had homework to do, he was studying to be a pharmacist (“for fuck’s sake Gavin please shut up do you have any idea how much studying I have to do?”) so Gavin decided maybe going into the city would be a good idea. He could buy stuff, or …something. Sometimes he regrets going to school in the states, regrets leaving home and regrets picking such an obscure fucking state.
When Michael and his friends got on the bus, Gavin was already there, eyeing Michael and smiling cheekily, the empty seat beside him beckoning Michael.
Michael blushed bright hot red and looked down at the floor beneath his feet until he was successfully past the guy with the thin face and the dumb hair and the stupid unmemorable name.
1.
It’s a Wednesday evening when it happens, which is quite odd because nothing spectacular tends to happen on Wednesdays.
Gavin discovers the meeting room for the gaming club halfway through the new term. It’s small and packed to the brim with games. Videogames, board-games, role-playing games. There are consoles placed around the televisions haphazardly, and videogame boxes open and strewn about.
And there he is. The curly-haired guy from all of his classes, from his dorm, from his dreams. He’s sitting cross-legged in front of a television, playing Contra and from what Gavin can see, getting incredibly frustrated.
So he slides up beside him and watches in silence, before Michael finally coughs.
“Dude,” Michael mutters, “Wanna play?”
Michael’s stomach is doing backflips and his heart has transformed into a rabbit and the fact that this guy is so close, he’s talking to him, is making him feel this way. And he might still be a little confused about it all, but he thinks he’s understanding it.
They work fabulously off of each other, and Michael has never been happier and at the same time, more agitated. This guy knows just how to get right under his skin, but it’s okay, and he thinks he likes it. They play together well into the night, until the president of the club has to kick them out and tell them to come back in the morning.
Michael is grinning like an idiot when they leave together.
“It’s been a while since we’ve properly talked,” Gavin notes as they walk to their dorm, “My name is Gavin, Gavin Free. In case you’ve forgotten.”
“Michael Jones.”
It’s silence until they’ve reached the door to Gavin’s room, and it’s awkward and Michael doesn’t know what to say because suddenly it feels a little intimate.
One of Gavin’s hand somehow finds its way to one of Michael’s tattoos, the one of Ganondorf, and he’s stroking it gently, “Mi-cool, your tattoos are totally top.”
And Michael doesn’t know what that means but it sounds good and the way Gavin said his name and the feeling of his hand on Michael’s arm is leaving his head reeling and before he knows what’s going on he’s kissing Gavin.
It’s soft and slow, and it doesn’t last long, but it leaves Michael tingling.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Mi-cool,” Gavin whispers before giving the curly-haired man a kiss on the cheek and disappearing into his dorm room.
Michael is left stammering in the hallway, blushing and feeling like a teenage girl, before he’s rescued by Lindsay.
“Where the hell have you been? You were supposed to help me study for –”
“I’ve been with my boyfriend.”
His grin is huge and infectious and Lindsay just rolls her eyes and punches his shoulder gently, “Dork.”
“Alright, come on. Let’s go to the library so I can see how I can help.