Chapter Text
Gavin had never liked high school house parties. Having only been in Texas for a few months, he didn't really know anyone, and the few people he did know knew everyone else and so he always, at some point or another, got left on his own.
It was at these times that he searched for the alcohol.
He squeezed his way through the mass of gyrating bodies, his heart seemingly pounding to the raucous music. He'd never been good with crowds; he always ended making a fool of himself. When he reached the kitchen, he was disappointed. The only alcohol left was whatever was lying around in back washed red cups. He was not touching them. The thought alone made him queasy and cough. He sighed, condemned to a sober night alone, when a hand landed on his shoulder.
"Vav! " shouted a boy in his ear. He was Gavin's best Puerto Rican friend, Ray.
He didn't drink, so maybe Gavin wasn't so alone after all.
"Hey, Ray. What's up?"
"Okay, so there's a game of seven minutes in heaven starting and we're gonna play. I mean, yolo, right? It's not often I attend one of these gigs regularly. I'm gonna make the most of it. And you're gonna help me through it."
"Seven minutes in heaven?" Although he was British and this was an American game, he knew what it was, and what it entailed. "What are we? Thirteen?"
"Hey, come on. It'll be... an experience. Yolo!"
Gavin rolled his eyes but followed his friend nonetheless. Yolo. Right.
There was already a circle forming in the lounge. Gavin spotted hit other friends, Barbara, Chris and Jordan sprawled out on the rug.
"Gavin! Ray!" They greeted, patting the floor beside them. "Are you gonna play?"
Gavin shrugged and nodded. "Sure. Nothing better to do than faff about here."
Soon there was a circle of around twenty people lounging around, chatting.
And then a voice shouted out as the music quietened, and everyone shut up with it.
"All right, dickbags. Time to play. Rules are as follows; spin the bottle. Whoever it lands on, you and they fuck off into the closet for seven minutes. Do what you like, just don't get spunk on Griffon's coat." Everyone laughed, including Gavin.
Geoff, the person hosting the party and seemingly the game, was a close friend of Gavin's. He and his girlfriend, Griffon, had also been kind enough to put him up for however long he stayed in Austin. Griffon was away visiting her mother, and Gavin missed her. So did Geoff, Gavin knew, and thought that was why he was making such a fuss over these stupid games.
"So, without further ado, GO!"
A boy Gavin only knew by name - Jon - spun first and loped off to the closet with a girl Gavin didn't know. There was a lot of catcalling and jeering, and when the couple came out they were red in the face and holding hands.
This happened again and again; two people hesitantly entered, and either came out flustered and red, or emerged as though nothing had ever happened.
Ray ended up with Barbara and although they made a lot of commotion, everyone knew nothing had happened, though they still emerged red faced, though that was probably due to physical exertion than from making out.
And then it was Gavin's turn to spin. He sighed and, taking a hold of the empty beer bottle, flicked his wrist and watched it spin.
And spin.
And spin.
And then it started slowing down.
And then it stopped.
On Michael Jones.
Everyone was silent. Michael and Gavin were famous around the school for their rivalry and animosity towards each other.
After some glaring, Michael broke the silence. "I'm not going with him."
"Me either," Gavin spoke up, though his voice was meek in comparison to Michael's rage.
"Rules are the rules," said Geoff with a smirk. "In you go."
Michael glared, looking as though he was trying to set Gavin alight with his gaze.
"Fine," he bit out eventually, standing and storming into the closet, leaving Gavin no choice but to follow.
Eyes followed him the entire way as he tried not to fall over his two-big feet.
When he was inside the cupboard, he closed the door, plunging them into darkness.
It was a small closet, with not even enough room to sit down.
"Well," Gavin remarked. "This certainly is heavenly."
"Shut the fuck up," Michael growled quietly.
And so they stood there in silence. Gavin started silently counting the seconds and got to two minutes seventeen seconds before Michael said anything.
"Are we doing this or what?"
Gavin frowned, but then remembered Michael couldn't see him and wanted to slap himself.
"What?"
"’Wot’?" Michael mocked. "Are we making out or not?"
"Y-you want to make out with me?" Gavin didn't know whether to laugh or run.
"No, I don't fucking want to. But there's nothing else to do for the next five minutes."
"Uh... fine. Where are you?"
"Oh for the love of God."
He felt Michael reach out for him hut all he ended up doing was stamping on his foot and slapping him round the face.
"Ouch! Watch what you're bloody doing!"
He didn't get an apology but he didn't get hit again either. Rough hands patted his arms and his head, his shoulders, his neck, until they found his face and a thumb ran over his lips.
Gavin didn't have a chance to revel in how nice it felt, all things considered, before Michael mashed their lips together.
Gavin expected a lot of things; a quick peck and then to be spat at, or aggression - all teeth and bruises. He didn't expect sweetness. He didn't expect soft lips on his own, one hand on his cheek and the other in his hair. He didn't expect to enjoy it.
He sighed into the kiss and relaxed a little. The whole thing was soft and gentle and it made Gavin's toes curl.
Then he felt a soft, warm tongue gliding over his bottom lip, which he certainly wasn't expecting.
A small whimper escaped him and he swore he felt Michael smile against his lips as his tongue found Gavin's.
They stood there, wrapped in each other, lost in the kiss.
And then there was a knock at the door and the moment was shattered.
They sprung apart as though burned and Gavin felt his face heat up.
"Uh, guys?" Geoff called tentatively. It was still silent outside. "Time’s up. You've not killed each other, have you? The same rule applies for blood as it does jizz, y’ know."
They stared at each other, shock evident on both of their faces.
Did that really just happen? reverberated around the cupboard.
But then down came the shutters on Michael’s defences and the stony face was back. He stormed out of the closet, almost knocking Geoff over in the process, (“Oi, watch it, fucker”) leaving Gavin to pull himself together and trail after him.
When he took his place back in the circle next to Barbara, he was met by three raised eyebrows from his friends. He just shook his head, refusing to talk about it.
After a few silent, frosty moments, the party resumed and everything was forgotten.
Gavin kept shooting what he hoped were surreptitious glances at Michael, and a few times he had caught the other boy staring back. That would cause them both to look away sharply with rosy cheeks and racing hearts.
The game went on for another hour or so, the circle growing smaller and more pissed as time went on. Gavin had been paired with Ray, which resulted in hysterics as they made the most obscene, overly played sex noises they could muster.
Michael had left the circle soon after his time with Gavin. It took a while for Gavin to put what had happened in that dark closet to the back of his mind, but when someone announced more alcohol had arrived, he was able to drown it out with cheap beer and throat-stripping whiskey.
“X-Ray! Buddy!” Gavin slurred from one of the many couches later in the night.
It was heading into the two AM region and the police had already been to the house once to tell them to quieten down.
“Vav!” Ray played along, throwing himself down beside his friend. “So,” he smirked, nudging Gavin in the ribs. “How was it?”
“How was wh- ugh… how was what?” Gavin managed to get out without puking.
“You know. The big bad wolf, Michael Jones.” Ray’s eyebrows wriggled suggestively and Gavin rolled his eyes.
“Nothing happened, X-Ray. He was a … gentleman.”
Ray snorted. “I don’t believe that for a second.”
“What?” Gavin frowned, losing track of the conversation.
“Any of it. Something happened, and Michael is certainly not a gentleman.”
Gavin chuckled at that last part whilst taking a swig of his beer and spilling it down his shirt. He frowned at the dark stain it left behind. “Nothing happened, Ray. Why would anything have?”
“Because you-” Ray started with a sly grin but was interrupted.
“Yeah, why would I do anything with him?” Michael laughed harshly, having obviously overheard, or eavesdropped on, their conversation.
Gavin looked up at him in surprise. When did he get there? Gavin wasn’t surprised, however, to discover he was almost as drunk as Gavin was. His face was flushed and he was swaying on his feet. His eyes met Gavin’s, he frowned – it wasn’t the glare Gavin expected.
“Nothing happened, Narvaez. You hear that?” he said louder so as the rest of the party could hear. “Nothing happened in that fucking closet.”
Everyone one stared until Michael glared at them, then they found the floor and ceiling very interesting, or were involved in very animated conversations.
Michael then turned his glare on Gavin. “I need to speak to you. Now.” Then he walked off, leaving Gavin no choice but to follow for the third time that night. Gavin just caught Michael leave through the back door, and pushed through the remaining bodies and out into the back yard.
It was dark and for the hundredth time since living with Geoff, he cursed the older man for never getting his porch light fixed.
“Michael?” Gavin called tentatively, walking around the corner of the house.
Then he found himself pinned up against the side of the house with a growling Michael in his face.
“I swear to fucking fuck if you said anything about what happened earlier I’ll fucking gut you. Understood? Breathe a word of what happened and you’re dead. It was nothing but a fucking mistake.”
Gavin nodded meekly.
And with that Michael stormed off back through the house, and a moment later Gavin heard the front door slam shut.
At four in the morning, there was still a few straggling party-goers. Ray had fallen asleep on the couch and Gavin and Geoff had just left him there. Gavin had passed out on the kitchen floor and Geoff took it upon himself for kick him every time he stumbled past.
By sunrise, everyone minus the people who lived there (and Ray), had finally left the house.
When Gavin woke up Sunday afternoon, his face stuck to the kitchen floor and his shins feeling rather tender, he sadly remembered everything.
He heaved himself into a sitting position, ignoring the pounding in his head that tried to floor him again, and sighed.
Getting completely wasted was supposed to wipe his memories, not make them more prominent. He groaned, clutching his head, and heard someone laugh behind him.
“Heavy night, Gavin?”
Gavin snapped his head round and instantly regretted it; it felt like someone was trying to rip his eyes out of his forehead. “Ugh, Griffon, it hurts so much.”
“Poor sweetie. Would you like some water?” Griffon offered, still chuckling. Gavin gratefully accepted the cool glass, and the two aspirin, also. “It seemed like you had a good time. I’m sorry I had to miss it.”
Gavin just grunted and sipped at his water. Around half an hour later, Ray came stumbling in the kitchen, too, looking worse for wear considering he doesn’t drink.
“Oh, hello, Ray. Did you sleep well?” Griffon greeted, handing him the cup of coffee she had just made for herself.
“Thanks. No, your couch is fucking uncomfortable as hell,” he grumbled.
“Well, you look better than Gavin, at any rate.”
And then in walked (although it was almost a crawl) Geoff, still looking completely trashed.
“Griffon!” he said, his voice slurring a little. “You’re home early. Is everything okay?”
“Of course. Mom didn’t stop complaining and I wanted to come home anyway, so we thought we’d leave. Sorry I had to miss the party. It looks like you had fun,” she laughed lightly.
“Yeah, it was great. I missed you though, babe,” he sighed, taking his girlfriend in his arms. It was a nice moment, promptly ruined by Gavin half sprinting, half falling over to the sink and emptying his stomach into it.
“I’m never drinking again,” he groaned, causing everyone to laugh. They all knew that wasn’t true.