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It was just before 6am when Michael’s phone started ringing. He had fallen asleep watching an old Vinewood film on the big TV several hours before and everybody else had long retreated to their respective bedrooms. He grumbled to himself and reached for his phone on the side table. Michael looked at the screen and found himself smiling slightly as he saw the caller ID. Trevor. He quickly frowned again as he saw what time it was. He pressed the call button.
“Hey, T. You know what time it is right?”
He was greeted by a laugh.
“Mikey! I know you’ve gotten all soft in your old age but I figured I want to spend some time with you. Catch up, get drunk, kill some bikers, whatever floats your boat.”
Michael couldn’t help the small smile at the corners of his mouth, even if he felt sceptical about the whole thing.
“Sounds cool, but what about Amanda? She’ll kill me if I’m gone when she wakes up again.”
He was not surprised when he heard Trevor snort on the other end.
“Amanda, Amanda, Amanda… Just leave her a note saying there was some emergency at the film studios or something. I’m not taking no for an answer. I came all the way down here for you.”
Michael felt his stomach flip inside him. He went into the hallway and, sure enough, his suspicions were confirmed when he saw a pair of headlights shining their way through the front door. His first thought was that he hoped nobody had seen, the last thing he needed on his conscience was another huge argument. His second thought was that he should get away for a while and have some fun. Besides, he hadn’t seen Trevor since the Union Depository job.
“Fine. Just give me few minutes will you? Also turn your headlights off, I don’t want anybody waking up.”
He heard another laugh before the call ended.
Michael quickly went to the upstairs bathroom. He gave his face a quick wash and sorted out his hair which was slightly scruffy from falling asleep on the sofa. He wasn’t dressed smartly but he decided that it would be fine as long as he wasn’t in his pajamas, and also that he didn’t want to risk waking Amanda up. He’d rather not have an altercation with her after she’d been rudely awakened. After making himself look a little smarter he went downstairs and left a note on the fridge telling everyone that he would be having a very busy day at the studio.
Michael looked back towards the staircase one more time, making sure that nobody had woken up to ask what he was doing, then went outside to the red truck in the driveway. Sure enough, Trevor was lounging in the driver’s seat with his feet on the dashboard, smirking. His hair was unruly as usual and he was wearing only his faded, worn-out jeans and those brown boots. Michael raised an eyebrow.
“You know it’s October right?” he said as he opened the passenger door, noticing a bag in the footwell.
“October in Los Santos, Michael. Up in North Yankton it hardly got this warm in the summer. I thought you would’ve remembered that,” his voice turned sour, “or did you just conveniently forget about it, eh?”
Michael grimaced. He’d just (probably) avoided an argument with Amanda only to walk into one with Trevor, who was definitely much worse to have an altercation with.
“That’s in the past Trevor. I told you, I’m sorry. I made a bunch of stupid mistakes, alright? We both know that, so please try and leave it in the past, if only for today.”
Michael felt Trevor tense up a little but surprisingly he relented, instead changing the subject as they pulled out of the driveway.
“So, Michael, I decided that we are going to the beach today.”
“It’s fucking October!”
Trevor laughed again at Michael’s outburst, “Ten years in the sun really has fried your brain, eh Sugar Tits?”
Michael opened his mouth with a witty comeback, but stopped himself. It was too early in the morning to deal with an angry Trevor. Not that any time was a good time to deal with an angry Trevor, of course.
They continued the drive in relative silence, other than the radio playing rock music, until they reached the Great Ocean Highway.
“So, Trevor, where are you taking me?” Michael finally asked.
Trevor grinned.
“There’s this beach up by Fort Zancudo. It’s quiet, not many people. Sorry if you wanted Del Perro beach. Too many yuppies, tourists, and roid monkeys there anyway.”
Michael felt his stomach twist again. Being alone with Trevor was certainly not something to be taken lightly. He just nodded and looked straight ahead.
“Come on Mikey, lighten up! A day at the beach, just the two of us!”
Trevor advertised it like it was a big selling point to the whole thing. Just the two of them. Michael would have thought it was a selling point too, if it wasn’t for the fact that Trevor was clearly insane, murderously violent, and was evidently still at least a little bit mad over the whole faking-his-death thing. Also it meant that he would be alone with the one man that him question things about himself that he’d rather not. To put it bluntly, he was dreading the whole thing.
The least he could do was to make conversation though, at least to distract Trevor from asking too many questions again.
“So, uh, why did you show up so early anyway?” Michael asked hesitantly, hoping that Trevor wouldn’t pick up on his anxiousness.
“So your precious Mandy wouldn’t start asking questions,” Michael frowned, “and so we could make the most of this wonderful day.”
Michael lightened up a little at that, “I can’t argue with that.”
The conversation between them became more comfortable as they travelled up the highway and by the time they reached North Chumash an hour later Michael felt relieved. Trevor wasn’t as mad at him than he was before, maybe this couple of months apart and the reassurance that he wouldn’t betray him again had worked after all.
“This is the beach. We’re going further down here.”
Trevor pointed out the people already on the main beach and drove past them, making sure to skid the back tires and cover them all in sand. They drove along to where the land jutted out by the military base and Trevor pulled up on the grassy bank. He hopped out and signalled for Michael to pass the bag in the footwell over. He opened it to reveal some beach towels rolled up alongside a few cans of beer and some underpants. He got a couple of beers and opened them on the edge of the truck bed.
“If you get hungry there’s a little shack along the beach where all the tourists are.” Trevor stated as he passed a beer to Michael.
“Do you want me to lay a couple of towels out?” Michael asked as he took the first sip of beer.
Trevor nodded and grunted in approval as he took a gulp of his beer. He leaned on the edge of the truck and watched Michael as he laid them out, paying extra special attention whenever he bent down.
“Are you gonna help me or just stand there staring at my ass?” Michael eventually snapped.
After they laid the towels down, Trevor took off his jeans and shoes. Michael raised an eyebrow, at which Trevor snorted incredulously.
“You not coming in?”
Michael shakes his head, “You’re joking, right? It’ll be like the fucking Arctic in there. No chance.”
“Suit yourself. Told you LS has made you go soft over the years.” Trevor replied before running and jumping into the sea. He let out an exhilarated cheer and began to float on this back.
Michael found himself watching Trevor as he cavorted in the sea for a good hour or so. They would call out to each other now and again, and whenever they weren’t Trevor would swim around the little patch of sea as Michael watched. He couldn’t help but stare at the water shining off his muscles whenever he rose out of the water or notice the way that his smile, his genuinely happy and carefree smile, make his heart twist up and pound hard inside his chest cavity. Shit, it was like being back in North Yankton, only with more sunshine and less snow.
By the time Trevor came back to sit next to him he needed another beer. They sat there for hours, talking and drinking until they had consumed the entire pack of beers between them and the sun had crossed over them until it was almost time for it to set. By now they were both tipsy but they didn’t care, this was the most fun they’d had together in ten years. Michael couldn’t explain it but he felt happy and carefree around Trevor, as if he was no longer worrying about arguments and fighting with him. For once there was no bitter resentment hanging heavy in the air around them, something both of them seemed to appreciate.
“I’m going in the sea again, wanna join me?” Trevor said with a playful tone as he stood up.
Michael, of course, shook his head for the third time that day, “No, it’s fucking cold in there.”
This time, instead of just making some form of witty insult towards him, Trevor got a glint in his eye and scooped Michael up like that time back in the trailer, carrying him towards the water whilst laughing playfully.
“No, no! Let go of me you fucking idiot!” Michael shouted, kicking the air as Trevor carried him.
“Don’t be a pussy Mikey!” Trevor sing-songed as he carried him closer to the water.
“No, Trevor, I’m serious, my fucking clothes!”
“Well take them off then,” Trevor responded with a smirk, “I’ll help you if you want.”
That statement made Michael’s heart thud in his chest. He could feel his cheeks getting a little red as he lost all ability to argue with him. He tried to speak and for a moment nothing came out except stutters and splutters. Eventually the words came back to him.
“Fine, just put me down and I’ll take off my shirt and jeans. Happy now?” he said with a (mostly) false begrudging tone.
Trevor smirked.
“Very.”
Michael declothed and smiled to himself. Hopefully this would get Trevor off his back about going into the sea. After all, he had just made it very clear that he would like to see him out of those clothes, maybe he’d get too distracted looking at him again. But, of course, this was Trevor and he was wrong. His joy was short lived as he was scooped up into his arms again. Trevor giggled as he threw Michael into the sea, before joining him. He tensed a little at the cold but he didn’t really care. Michael, on the other hand, was gasping and shivering.
“Fuck, you asshole, it’s freezing cold in here!” Michael shouted. Trevor laughed again.
“Lighten up you pussy! Actually, don’t. You’re kinda cute when you’re angry.”
Michael felt his face turn tomato red as he glared at Trevor. Trevor smirked even more at this and splashed him. Michael retaliated, and they soon found themselves in a splash fight. Even Michael found himself warming to the situation, even if he wasn’t warm in the water. He was here, playing around with Trevor like it was 1990 again. He hadn’t felt this young and free in years. Shit, it was almost as if he wasn’t being his usual grumpy self. He smiled to himself at this thought. He was making progress and he didn’t even need a shitty pube-haired therapist to do it.
The sky was turning a pale shade of orange at this point, and the two men were having a lot of fun. Michael found himself shivering less, although it was still freezing cold in the water. Trevor didn’t really give a shit, and was laughing and teasing Michael. After a while though he stopped, when he saw Michael shudder.
“You’re actually still cold?” he asked incredulously.
“What do you fucking think? Course I am!” Michael replied, bluntly but with a giggle in his voice.
Trevor stared at Michael quizzically for a moment, before approaching him with a gentle look in his eyes. Michael felt his heart race yet again and Trevor wrapped his arms around him. Trevor’s eyes widened as he felt how fast Michael’s heart was beating, then smiled and held him closer.
“W-what are you doing?” Michael asked, understandably shocked. He heard Trevor laugh, this time though the laugh was less playful and/or manic and more soft.
“I’m keeping you warm, Sugar Tits.” Trevor answered softly.
Michael found himself becoming more warm in this cold water, something which he welcomed with open arms. Quite literally, in fact, as he found himself returning Trevor’s embrace. When he did this he swore he could hear Trevor gasp softly and feel him tense for a second. He could feel Trevor breathing warmly at the side of his neck, his chin was resting on his shoulder. He smiled to himself, sighing softly as he got comfortable in Trevor’s arms.
Trevor, meanwhile, was smiling softly with his eyes closed, listening to Michael’s increasingly soft breathing and feeling the heat radiating between them. He’d been waiting for this for so long, and even if it was only because he’d had a few drinks, he was hugging Michael with no protests. At a time like this he realised that he had no real reason to be so mad at him anymore, even if he would be suspicious towards him for a long time. He also realised that those feelings he’d had back in North Yankton really had come back full force, not matter how much he tried to bury them. He couldn’t even stop the words from coming out.
“I love ya, Mikey.”
He felt Michael tense against him and their heartbeats both accelerated. He swore he heard a happy sigh from Michael before he softened up. They carried on hugging there in the water until after the sun had set, no longer caring that they had been cold just a few minutes earlier.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After they emerged, it was very late in the evening. The two men leaned on the bonnet of Trevor’s truck, drying off whilst being warmed by what heat the sun had left on the metal. Trevor grabbed the remaining towel from the bag and rubbed himself with it, before passing it to Michael. After the were both dry, they leaned on the bonnet for a while more.
“So, you enjoy yourself today?” Trevor asked, trying not to sound hopeful but failing.
“Fucking A right.” Michael responded.
Trevor leaned closer towards him as they sat on the bonnet for a while, talking about the old days without any bitterness for once. Michael acted cool in front of Trevor, but inside his head was spinning with thoughts mostly consisting of the meaning and reasoning behind what Trevor had whispered in his ear when they were in the sea. Now Trevor was slowly and trying-to-be-subtly inching closer to him, it becomes clearer what he actually meant.
If he was fully sober, Michael at this point would have made some excuse about needing to get back home and ran away from all of this. However, he was a bit tipsy and had lost all good judgement when it came to burying his feelings for this man sitting next to him, leaning against him, he stayed put. Waiting for him to explain himself. However, after their long conversation didn’t drift towards that subject, Michael decided to bring it up himself.
“Why did you say what you said earlier?” he spat out before he could hesitate and ruminate over it.
He looked into Trevor’s eyes properly for the first time since they were in the water, and they were wide. Those deep brown eyes stared at Michael like he was an approaching truck about to collide with him. If anything screamed deer in headlights, it was this. They looked into each other’s eyes for a few moments before Trevor composed himself.
“I said I love you, you idiot.” he said with a breathy laugh, one tinged with nerves. The intensity in his eyes as he said it pretty much clued Michael into exactly what he meant. Against all good judgement, he stayed there, staring into his eyes. What happened next though would be considered pure insanity if he was sober.
Trevor barely had time to react as Michael moved closer towards him. Within a couple of seconds, their lips touched and both of them came undone. Trevor pushes him down onto the bonnet and looms over him with dark, passionate eyes.
“I knew you knew what I meant.” he said with a lustful smirk before leaning down and kissing Michael once more.