Chapter Text
He finally heard the footsteps that he sensed had been following him for awhile now, not that he needed to heard them, he could feel vibrations and differences in the air whenever something got close enough to him. He's utilized this talent since birth practically, and it only grows stronger as the years go on.
Michael Jones was born without the ability to see, his reliance on his other senses caused him to have remarkable skills with them. He could hear a caterpillar sneeze, he felt a shift in the air if even a mere feather came near enough. This young man could sniff out drugs almost as well as a dog, and interpret the ingredients to a food after only eating it once. His physical strength was also immense, working out was necessary so he could defend himself against bullies he may encounter. Although he could not see them with his eyes, he would always grin when he felt how big his muscle were, something his parents tell him is a good attribute.
After a few minutes Michael realized the footsteps weren't going to stop following him, so he spun around and stood waiting to meet the stranger. He was expecting to hear the footsteps quicken, more bullies running at him looking for a fight. But instead the person stopped a few feet away from him. He lifted his fists, ready to depend himself if need be. But what happened instead was rather shocking.
"Um hallo, Michael Jones?"
"Who wants to fucking know?"
"Well it's just I noticed your little scrap with those two knobs and saw that they took your, um, walking stick. They chucked it only a few blocks down from where your quarrel took place, so here it is."
Michael stood a bit dumbfounded by this stranger, who he could now tell was an Englishman about his age. He's got a lot of friends and family who loved him, and despite all his encounters with various troublemakers, has met plenty of kind random strangers so acts of kindness were nothing new to him. But this case was something new.
He had been walking for some distance after his last confrontation. And it had taken him awhile to sense this stranger, so for him to have caught up with Michael meant jogging if not running after him for some distance.
"Did you run to me to return this?" The young man asked as he took hold of his cane.
"I ran a bit but towards the end I started to walk, my name is Gavin by the way. Gavin Free." By instinct Gavin held out his hand to shake Michael's hand. Quickly realizing what's wrong with this picture he withdrew his hand quickly, awkwardly clearing his throat.
Michael grabbed the other boy's hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you Gavin, but I can sense if you stick your hand towards me for a FYI."
"Oh really? Interesting! How do you tell?"
"Well I mean that would take some hard ass explaining. I guess you could say I feel a 'change' in the air when something near me moves to a new spot? By the way, are you the same Gavin Free from Rooster Hunter high?"
"Remarkable...and y-yes I am, I believe we hang out with the same people and just never talked to each other. Hey would you by any chance like to goto the park with me?"
"The park? Are you six Gavin?"
"Yeah," Gavin begun chuckling."I like to go on lit'le strolls sometimes and then just sit on a bench at the park. Would you care to join me Micool?"
Michael's ears tingled at hearing how Gavin pronounces his name, it sounded adorable, he said it in a way exclusive to him like a signature. He thought a little and decided he's got no plans today.
"Sure Gavin, yeah. I'll goto the park with you."
"Oh top!" Michael could almost see the huge goofy grin plastered on Gavin's face. "Well let's get going then."
'Fucking idiot...' Said smiling to himself, reminiscing of the day he met his boyfriend 2 years back. Michael and Gavin were seniors in high school now, and not a day went by where they weren't together.
Gavin came running through the door of Michael's bedroom, practically a member of his household, and Michael was treated the same way at Gavin's home.
"Micool! I have something to share with you Micool!"
"On my god Gavin! What is it?" Michael asked in a fake surprised tone, topped off with a mocking British accent to tease Gavin. The young Brit walked towards his beloved and Michael scooped Gavin into his strong arms before sitting them down on his bed.
"Okay listen to this." Gavin began. "Don't trust old traditional laser eye surgeries? We can help. At RoosterEyes Medical center, located in Austin, Texas," Gavin looked up and grinned at Michael before continuing. "Our best software developers have created a new age of eye surgery, with 90% less risk. Call, email, text, or visit us for more in depth information."
Gavin put the booklet down and looked to Michael. "Well? What do you think??"
"I um..I'm not sure Gavvy. I'm not against it I'd just have to think of it more, weigh the pros and cons you know?"
"Well really the only cons are death or burnt eyes, but real life isn't Final Destination. But pros? Got a gob full of them."
"Well no shit about death." Michael chuckled. "But how's there so many fucking pros to it?"
"We could play video games together Micool, I have several games that are TOP that I want to show you them. I know you can already do so much, but with vision the possibilities expand even bigger. PLUS...you could finally see me."
"That's only a few reasons stupid."
"A few...but they're huge reasons. Wouldn't you want to see me?"
"I don't need to see you with my eyes, I see you in other ways. I see you by smelling your awful hairspray, I hear your silly British words, I taste your lips when we kiss, and I feel your soft skin."
"Micool, it sounds like you're more concerned about this possibility of surgery, but not because you think it's dangerous." Michael could feel a disturbance in the air's flow as his boyfriend moved his arms onto his slender hips, raising his eyebrow at the New Jersey boy.
"Gavin, the reason my other senses are so strong because I've used them to live without eyesight." Michael sighed and lowered his head before continuing. "People rely on eyesight so much I have to use my other senses on like, hardcore mode to keep up with life's demands."
"Micool I-"
"That's why I'm so fucking good at using them, it makes me an individual. If I start using my eyes, I'm just like everyone else because I'll get used to not using my other senses."
"Micool, you will always be different from everyone else, at least in my heart. But I'm not gonna try to push this onto you, but think about it bit longer will you?" Gavin kissed Michael goodbye before walking out of the bedroom and heading towards his own home.
Michael grabbed the lamp he always kept on his nightstand and hurled it at the wall. The lamp was made out of some material that to Michael's disappointment doesn't shatter. 'Fuck,' he though to himself. 'I was hoping it was glass.' He was however pleased to hear the large thud when he threw the lamp, able to tell it left a dent, or maybe even a hole in the wall.
Michael thought and thought and thought...and thought some more, until his thinker was sore. He just sat on the side of his bed for hours thinking about the surgery, the pros and cons, or if it would be possible. He had been told as a young child that blindness wasn't something one could just cure. And it depended on the cause of blindness, procedures only existed for certain causes and quite frankly Michael didn't know his. His parents told him the doctors were stumped when he was younger, that they couldn't decipher why he was blind. So his family abandoned hopes of curing it 16 long years ago. Still the lad thought of the prospect of this new breakthrough eye surgery. Maybe it would be different, he would like to see the world in a different way. Being blind was by no means a bad thing, yet it could cause some difficulties in his life. Most of all he wanted to see Gavin, with his eyes that is.
Defeated by his own emotions, Michael grabbed his walking stick and began to exit his house. He figured a walk in the late night breeze would help calm him.