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They were avoiding each other. It was painfully obvious to those around them. As in, Carlton avoided all conversation topics about Michael and Michael was MIA for a while. The only hint anyone had to what he was doing was his siblings, who went in and out of the Afton family household doing tasks for the eldest.
No one could get a hint about what happened between them with Carlton, and Michael siblings said they knew nothing either. The best they could do was offer support.
John was stuck in the middle far more than he’d like to admit. But he cared enough for Carlton to get unnecessarily angry at Michael (even though the problem could 100% be Carlton’s fault). Even so, he was more likely to get an answer out of Michal, therefore, he did the only thing he could do. He went to Michael’s house and knocked on the door.
Michael’s younger brother, Kenneth his name was, was the one to open the door to him. He was first confused, then downright annoyed by John’s presence.
“What do you want?” He asked. Kenneth was not a fan of John for one reason or another. He reminded John of an angsty teenager, though he seemed to be about mid-twenties.
“I want to talk to Michael,” John replied.
“No.” Kenneth went to close the door, John had to kick it open and force himself inside. “Hey! No! You can’t do that! That’s trespassing!” Kenneth yelled as John bypassed him.
“MICHAEL!” He called, jogging up the stairs, Kenneth yelling after him. “MIKE!” he barged into Michael’s room, (earning a confused; “How do you know which room’s Michael’s?” from Kenneth).
He turned on his hill as Kenneth rammed into his chest. “Where is he?”
“It doesn’t matter!” Kenneth hissed. “Get out of our house!”
John stares at him, the dots connecting in his head. “You know what Michael and Carlton are arguing about.” He decides.
“Even if I did, that doesn’t concern you.” Kenneth hissed. “Now get out.”
A door further down the hall opened, they both paused to stare at it. John recognised it as the bathroom door. “Iiiiit’s fiiiiiinnnnne~” a voice sang. A splash was heard a second later.
Kenneth swore under his breath.
“Is he drunk?” John asked.
“He’s on something,” Kenneth replied, jogging forward to make Michael wasn’t drowning.
He was fully clothed sat in the bathtub with a few scattered bottles around. Some empty some full. He must’ve been handling the fight badly.
John was suddenly more convinced Carlton was in the wrong.
“Heeeyy daaaarrrlinnn’~” Michael greeted, waving the bottle in his hand aloofly.
“What the hell did Carlton do him?” John muttered.
“Yeah, tell Carlton I hate him,” Kenneth grumbled. He coaxed the bottle out of Michael’s hand and placed it on the ground before reaching out again. He held out both arms and made “grabby hands” at his older brother. “Up we go Mikey, you… can’t be like this for the party.”
“Party? What party?” John asked as Kenneth picked Michael up, supporting him on his shoulder and helping him safely step out of the bath.
“You guys were going to be invited,” Kenneth muttered. “But then Michael and Carlton had their argument and Michael’s been like… this - for the past few days.”
“What the hell did they argue about?” John hissed again.
“It’s not-” Kenneth sighed. “It’s not what they argued about, really. Carlton just needs to figure some shit out in his life, and Michael has commitment issues. He hasn’t seriously dated anyone and years, and the sudden rejection to the first person he properly opened his heart to since fucked him up. It’s just a mix of stuff right now, no one’s really to blame.” He explained, carrying Michael out to his bedroom, John following.
“Ssssstooooppp.” Michael slurred. “Iiiii’mmmm fiiiinnnneee.”
“Yeah, sure.” Kenneth agreed sarcastically, tossing Michael onto his bed, still sopping wet. “Sleep it off, asshole.”
“Yoooouuuu’rrrreeee sooooo meeeeaaaannn.” Michael groaned.
“Bitch. I’m not the one who-” he cut himself off.
Michael huffed, pulling his pillow closer to him. “How many times do I have to apologise, Kenny?” Kenneth froze up immediately hearing that nickname. John gave him a strange look. “It was a dumb prank by a dumb group of asshole teenagers. We didn’t mean to-”
“I know, Mikey.” Kenneth cut in, sitting on the edge of the bed. He pulled Michael into his lap and raked his fingers through his hair. “I know Mikey, it’s okay. I forgave you already.”
John backed out of the room slowly. He didn’t need to be here for that conversation. Perhaps he should go talk to Carlton now.
“John!” Michael called. “Don’t leave yet!”
John froze on the stairs. Kenneth came out of Michael’s room with a bag he handed to him.
“Michael got you guys Christmas gifts.” He said. “Might as well give them to you guys.”
John took the bag, staring at it. “You guys are having a Christmas party, yeah?”
“Yeah.” Kenneth acknowledged. “We were gonna have all the others over. Give them something to celebrate. Michael’s really living up to that big brother role.” He gestures back at Michael’s room. “Usually.”
“Others?” John echoed. His head shot up in realisation. “Oh-”
“Yeah.” Kenneth nodded. “They’re basically family at this point.”
John slung the bag over his shoulder. “Okay.” He said. “I’ll make sure they get it.”
Kenneth risked giving him a smile. “Thanks.” He nods in the direction of Michael’s door. “It’d make him happy.”
“You really care about him, huh?”
Kenneth scoffed. “I know you didn’t at first either, sir. But look at you now.”
“Yeah.” John nodded. “I’ll see you ‘round, Kenneth.”
“Bye-bye, John.”
The group all met up at the Burkes for Christmas. With a lot of convincing Lamar to come back to Hurricane.
Carlton, personally, wasn’t even in that great a mood after his argument with Michael. Guilt was crawling in the pit of his stomach like a snake. He couldn’t give in to that feeling though. He had to make the right choice in this relationship.
His father couldn’t be any more fucking ecstatic. He’d never quite liked that Carlton and Michael were dating. (And it wasn’t the 1997 homophobia, either he just didn’t like Michael much.) It did not make Carlton’s feelings any easier, though.
Aside from that, the group really felt like children again, sitting in a circle on the floor around a Christmas tree. Clay seemed happy to hand out gifts though so that was good.
The gifts Michael gave John he just dumped at the back of the pile when no one was looking and said nothing about it later. John didn’t really think about it much until those gifts were being handed out.
John’s present was just most of his clothes back, accompanied by a card and an old Foxy plush.
Thanks for being there, dude. You’re pretty chill when you’re not trying to incriminate me. Call me when you wanna hang out more. As proper friends, this time.
~ Michael
He snorted. That sure was one way to put it.
He looked over at what Michael got the others.
He gave Charlie what John could only assume was Henry’s old work tools. Jessica got some extravagant looking puzzle, along with some papers John couldn’t see. Marla got a small diary (and an additional whole group of Fazbear animatronics plushies – probably for Jason). Lamar got a small ship in a bottle, for some reason, and a buildable castle. One of those types where you push out the pieced from the card and fit them together like a puzzle.
“Who got us these?” Marla asked, waving two of the plushies around with an amused grin on her face.
“I have a bit of an idea,” Charlie replied, looking at the tools in her hand.
“Hey, what did you get, Carlton?” John asked. Everyone’s attention turned to him. Stone-faced and staring at an open book in his hand. “Carlton?”
“I-… I need to go.” He muttered, abruptly standing and taking the book with him.
“Wait- Carlton!” Charlie called. They all ran to follow him, but Jessica was the quickest, managing to slip into Carlton’s car before he drove away.
“Carlton, what the fuck?” Jessica hissed, batting at his arm.
“I just- I need to see him.”
“Is this about Michael?” Jessica asked. “Do you think these gifts are from Michael?”
“I know they are,” Carlton replied. “Fuck- I- I messed up real bad.”
“What did you do?” Jessica asked.
“It doesn’t matter right now.” Carlton spat.
Jessica blinked. “You’re driving over the speed limit.” She comments.
“My father is Chief of Police, I’ll be fine.”
When they arrived, Carlton didn’t even bother to stop the car when he jumped out and ran to the front door.
Jessica cried his name again as he pounded harshly on the door.
Michael was the one to open the door. Carlton didn’t hesitate to pull him down and kiss him then and there. Michael flinched, and Carlton could feel the older man tremble slightly. He didn’t care kiss back.
Carlton had to stand down eventually to breath. Michael was shaking, and Carlton could see the fear in his eyes. The tears threatening to fall.
“Don’t do this to me.” He whimpered. “Not now, not here. Please.”
“Michael, I-”
“Carlton, please. Please, I can’t take it.”
Jessica hesitated outside. Elizabeth and the others were watching from the hallway. She was holding Kenneth back by his shirt. He looked beyond pissed.
“Michael, listen to me,” Carlton said, taking him by his cheeks. “I-I thought about it. And I don’t care. I don’t care about what the people say or what my dad says. I don’t care about that stupid theory. I love you, Michael. I’d do anything to prove it to you, right now.”
Michael stared back at him, wavering. “Tell me,” Carlton continued. “What can I do to prove I love you? Right here, right now?”
Michael moved his mouth to talk, but nothing came out.
“Leave!” Kenneth yelled from down the hall. Michael flinched, curling into the wall as Carlton glared at the younger Afton. “If you care so goddamn fucking much don’t you dare break his heart again! Just leave!”
“I won’t,” Carlton replied, staring steadily into Kenneth’s eyes. “I wouldn’t ever leave him again. I’ll stay with him for as long as he wants me.”
Michael reached out, grabbing Carlton’s arm. It felt as if Michael was trying to judge is Carlton’s presence was real or not. Michael was overwhelmed with emotions he clearly wasn’t used to dealing with, as he tugged Carlton close and kissed him. The kiss was full of many things: desperation, loneliness, desire. Michael’s tears fell, so there was the taste of salt there as well.
They rested their foreheads together, hands shakily holding each other.
“I’m so sorry to put you through this, Michael,” Carlton said, barely holding back a sob. “God, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Michael said. It wasn’t, as far as Carlton was concerned, but Michael was happy right now, and Carlton wasn’t about to ruin that.
“Michael.”
“Hm?”
“Merry Christmas.”