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“Fuck off, Gavin!” Michael turned away from Gavin’s pleas, too angry to even look him in the eyes. “Michael what’s wrong? What did I do?” Gavin was crying now, Michael had been distant all month, his temper was shorter and his patience was growing thin. Suddenly all of their play fights and banter had become ‘childish’ and ‘a waste of time’. Their little arguments lasted longer and were always more serious.
“Gavin, I can’t keep doing this, I just, it’s not there anymore.”
“What’s not there? Michael you gotta talk to me.” Gavin moved forward, placing a hand on his shoulder only to be shoved off.
“Whatever the fuck we had, it’s gone now. I’m not in love with you anymore.”
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It had been four months since Michael had left Gavin. He had packed his stuff and went to sleep at Ray’s house until he could find an apartment of his own, leaving Gavin their old one. Although, now that Gavin was the only one living in their apartment, he realized he had never liked it too much, it was always too small for the both of them. But of course now, it was too big. With all of Michael’s stuff gone, Gavin felt like he was drowning in all of the emptiness. The blank walls, once adorned with old pictures of him and Michael, now mocked Gavin, and he hated it.
Gavin had thought he had moved on in four months. Despite being together for almost two years, Michael had just left one day, only coming back to pack up his shit. He said it was because they lost their ‘spark’, but Gavin saw the way he looked at Lindsay. They moved in together two months after Gavin and him broke up. He said she didn’t even know, that they hadn’t ever done anything while he was still with Gavin. He tried to believe them, he really did, but Gavin was there when they moved in together, back when they were still trying to be friends before they agreed it wouldn’t work out. Gavin saw the way he picked her up and carried her over the threshold, like all of the cheesy movies Michael used to hate. You can’t create a relationship that close and loving in two months, could you?
So, he was sure he had moved on. Four months should be plenty of time to forget Michael. But, Gavin had loved him up to the day he had left, and well past that too. Even though Michael was with someone else now, and Lindsay always seemed like a nice person, they really only used to hang out when Michael had her over, Gavin still needed some time.
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Eight months after they broke up, Gavin decided to do some spring cleaning. As he emptied out his drawers, ready to pack up old winter clothes, he found one of Michael’s sweatshirts. At eight months Gavin felt, surely, he had moved on. But, as he held the sweatshirt in his hands, he was suddenly overwhelmed with memories. Every time Michael had worn it, all of those times Gavin tried in on, always a little too big on his lanky frame. It wasn’t really sadness Gavin was feeling, no, it was more like nostalgia.
He put the piece of clothing in a separate pile and continued to sift through the rest of the drawers contents, adding some other articles Michael had left behind to the pile as well. He wasn’t too sure when he could give them back, but maybe Ray could give them back for him.
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When Michael and Gavin met. It was cold and rainy in Austin. Gavin ran into the nearest bar he saw and ordered a beer. That’s when Michael sat down next to him and offered to buy one for him instead. A fair trade for some conversation.
They sat together for almost two hours before parting ways with each others numbers and a promise to meet up the next day. Only four months later were they living together, absolutely enraptured by the others presence.
It had been a tradition between them to go to that bar at least once every other month. So, at nine months, as Gavin walked past that bar to do some errands, it was easy to think over that day, and all of the ones that followed.
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Ten months since they broke up, Gavin bumped into a girl wearing a Zelda shirt while shopping. He was hit with memories of him and Michael. One where he watched as Michael’s fingers flew across his DS, frantically pressing buttons to defeat Morpha. Memories of him, humming music from the game as he cooked. And memories of them in bed, Gavin tracing his tattoo with a lazy finger, as Michael panted below him.
He bought what was in his cart and left, dazed, but not necessarily upset.
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A year after Michael left, Gavin went on a date with a red haired girl. While she was funny, and gorgeous beyond belief, he still briefly thought of Michael in the back of his mind. His curls bouncing behind Gavin eyes as the girls did. But he didn't spend too much time thinking about Michael, not when he was so wrapped up in the story the red head across from his was telling.
And when he went to enter her number into his phone, he wrote an i after the M instead of an e, but that was just a quick mistake.
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One year and six months after Michael and Gavin broke up, Gavin moved out of his too big apartment into an even bigger house with the redhead he went on a date with, Meg.
They had a huge housewarming party, and to his surprise, Michael came. When he invited Michael over, no one expected the Jersey boy to go. But there he was, with Lindsay who wore a ring on her left hand. Michael later invited Gavin to the wedding, saying he’d be honored if Gavin would attend, which he did.
Michael and Gavin spent the rest of the night talking, finding it easy to get back into their old selves. And to their delight, both of their partners became fast friends as well.
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One year and eight months after the break up, Gavin cursed Michael out while the four of them played Mario Party. Michael had been in dead last right until the last two rounds where he made a comeback and won. Gavin called bullshit as he had been in first.
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Four years and six months after they broke up, Gavin got a text at four in the morning of a picture of Lindsay holding a small baby boy. Gavin woke Meg up and they both cooed at the small bundle until it became too late and they returned to sleep, ready to meet the new Jones soon.
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It was almost five years after Michael left Gavin, slamming the door to their apartment and their relationship, when Gavin wiped away a tear as Meg walked down the aisle. Michael a little ways by his side. Lindsay, next to where Meg would soon stop. They said their vows, both smiling and giggling as they recounted old dates and trips.
As they made their rounds at the reception, thanking everyone for coming. Gavin paused to talk to Michael alone.
“Michael, I know it’s been years since we’ve been together but, without you leaving me, we would never be where we are. This is such a weird thing to say but, you leaving has been one of the best things to happen to me, to both of us! Michael, my boi look at us! Look at our wives, and your child! Thank you for teaching me how to love, and for giving me the opportunity to meet the love of my life.”
“Oh shut up you wuss.” Michael jokingly knocked into Gavin shoulder as they made their way back to Lindsay and Meg. “And you’re welcome, boi.” They laughed together before joining in on whatever the girls were talking about before Meg and Gavin left to go on their honeymoon.
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It had been ten years since Gavin and Michael broke up, but only five years since Gavin got married and around eight since Michael and Lindsay did. Ten years since they both went on to find new loves, while still managing to share a life. It had been ten years, and though Gavin still saw things that reminded him of Michael, instead of feeling nostalgia or getting upset, he’d send a picture to his boi and they could laugh about it together, just like they used to.