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Franklin never really believed in love. He thought of it as a scam- like rich people, sugar free gum or Lamar learning to take precautions. He went his whole life without seeing it. Couldn't even dig it out of his relationship with Tanisha. His body had settled in with the idea that it wasn’t real, like any other urban legend that found its way onto the streets.
When Franklin first met Michael, he had noticed that there was something missing. And he’d chalked it up to the problems with Amanda. Unhappy wife, unhappy life or whatever bullshit married people spew. But he watched Michael and Amanda whenever he got the chance, and what they had was not love- or whatever Michael was lacking spiritually. He knew that because that crazy ass fucking fire inside Michael didn’t burn between them. Their relationship was just another bond where Michael’s self righteous pride was more important. An example of Michaels never failing ego and stubborn character. Franklin brushed off the idea of anything missing from Michael De Santa, and decided the nagging feeling he’d had, came from all the shit he’d been up to lately. Between stealing cars with Lamar, jumping on yachts for Michael and getting shot at by police, Franklin was pretty sure his brain was fucking fried. Or at least missing a few important chunks. He never cared enough to learn the science behind it all but he lost a lot of blood between missions and he knows enough to remember all that isn’t the best for his health.
Regardless, Michael was just another old, rich, white guy; putting himself first every time.
He had thought of Michael as old in those moments. As someone who had worn out around the edges over time. Become stuck in his ways and softer about his beliefs. He made out Michael's erratic behaviour to be some kind of mid-life crisis. Thrown onto him by the never-ending free time that came with being chained up because of Witness Protection. He had thought it was just life crawling its way out of Michael’s body again. Finding its way into familiar spaces and filling it up before absolving back into empty cracks. Fuck, Franklin had seen that shit a million times over when he was growing up. People living for nothing but the next high. Grasping at whatever they possibly can to make them feel alive again. Sniffing out the spark that will turn them into a firework once more. With the kind of life he’s lived he’s learnt that most people end up like that. Washed up onto dry land, walking themselves in circles until they end up in a hole they can’t climb out of, calling out names they don’t even remember clearly.
When Trevor came around, he realised how wrong he had been about all of that. Michael is still a jagged edge. Still able to slice through even the toughest metals. The Michael that Lester talks about in between conversations still existed. And it was actually thriving; racing down dirt roads, shooting up meth labs and scaring the living shit out of innocent bystanders. It was bleeding out in the crevices of Sandy Shores and whipping its way down the freeway at illegal speeds, forever gravitating in Michael's direction. Even unknowingly. It was a fiery substance, filled to the brim with radioactive rage and dangerous impulses.
It was Trevor Philips.
When Trevor stepped (rampaged) his way back into Michael's life, something in him had become terrifyingly whole again.
It was like watching a season change. Before it had been cold and barren. The winter had frozen everything over, some kind of ice age and it took no prisoners; sweeping you off your feet and into an endless sleep. It was merciless, backhanding you into frostbite and shoving snow into your lungs until you were stone from the inside out. You’d choke on the wind before you even had a chance to scream out. Michael had been tucked away in an icebox, frozen in cold water- floating against the ice in slow hibernation and now- now he was fucking burning. A sun violently pierced itself through the sky and lit him on fire. The burning had spread itself across all the trees, ravaging every living organism and leaving an unforgivable coat of ash. He was ablaze again. It was as if time had never passed and Franklin could see the version of Michael that Lester had described to him. The heat smoothing out the lines on his face and melting away the tired age that rested in between wrinkles. He wasn’t being rebirthed- that would mean he was a new person. This Michael, this man that Franklin saw, was the absolute worst. The most horrific version of himself. One that had already existed before and had plummeted to his untimely death at the hands of Michael himself. Because most people decided that the world was better off without a monster of a man wreaking havoc on it.
Franklin was quick to learn that Trevor was the only person in this entire world who was able to blow Michaels fuse. No one got to Michael like this. Franklin felt sorry for Amanda in some ways. Trevor evokes more emotion from Michael than anyone else. He finds his way to Micharls core and yanks- pulls at every artery and vein until Michael's heart is gushing out and overflowing from within. Michael is scared of Trevor. Of his love. The only thing bigger than his ego- than his pride- is the love Trevor has for him. Managing to burn something brighter than Michael's incessant need to prove himself is no small feat. Trevor had some sort of maniacal grip on Michael; his hand twisted so tightly around his neck that De Santa died, and Townley scratched and choked his way out of that throat, covered in blood and wreckage of the past. When Trevor moved, Michael's eyes followed. When Michael moved, Trevor had a gun in his hand, ready to pull the trigger on anyone who stepped in their direction.
Oh, he was utterly devoted. Which in retrospect sounds sweet but having Trevor devoted to you is like being a rabid dog's favourite bone; Trevor sunk his teeth into Michael- made him bleed. Then he licked the wounds clean and bandaged him up right after, giving him back to Amanda in the worlds worst metaphorical bow. Most days, Michael had Trevor's name written all over him. Scars and bruises that said Trevor was here. Because only Trevor gets them into the most shit. Only Trevor can get Michael to risk his own safety. Only Trevor can convince Michael to bleed and burn for a cause.
Franklin watches them in passing. He studies them. He’s never been scholarly or any of that shit, and he’s never been observant before. But their entire worlds seem to revolve around each other and it’s really fucking hard not to notice. Somehow, they managed to get through Lamar’s thick ass skull and even he caught on. The chain that tied them together was knotted over a million times and then welded together. Utterly unbreakable. Franklin can’t imagine anything that could stand in their way. He’s watched them for too long to think of something that would shatter them.
Until Trevor finds out about Brad. And he breaks in a way Michael has never seen before.
Instead of biting into flesh, the teeth retract. All sensation is gone. Sharp is replaced with dull and nothing makes any sense. The leash holds no loyal dog and Michael is alone, with no guard. For the first time in both their lives, Trevor stopped pushing.
It isn’t that Trevor can’t take a hit. They’ve all watched him get bloody and bruised on a heist, punching and shooting his way through every mob and police chase. But this- this wasn’t some physical brawl Trevor could murder his way through. He can’t kick and slash his arms until it’s over and his problem is laying five feet away, bleeding out on concrete. When it comes to Michael, Trevor is thoroughly weak. Trevor doesn’t give a fuck about anyone the way he does about Michael Townley. Finding out about his existence after North Yankton hit him less hard than this because Trevor understands what being a part of this life means. Shit happens, you end up in all the wrong places. He forgave Michael easily enough because they’ve been stuck in the mud together before. It comes with the territory.
But Brad is different. This hurts. Michael used them all. Used Lester. Used Brad. Used Trevor. Lester doesn’t care because he never gets emotionally attached to anything that isn’t a stock and Brad was six feet under. The only one left to care was Trevor. All of a sudden Trevor wants to sink his canines into anything that isn’t Michael and that’s an entirely new feeling altogether. He feels sick with betrayal, heavy with the emptiness Michael always leaves behind. It’s like he’s stuck on the worst high of his life and he’s so fucking angry he can’t come off it. Some part of him definitely doesn’t even want to.
Franklin and Lester watch him closely after that. Trevor was at an all time low at this point. They find him covered in vomit and blood, outside of the worst pubs in town. The entire time Michael is gone, Trevor just breaks and breaks and breaks. His eyes seemed permanently tear stained- despite Franklin never actually seeing him cry. And he’s always bleeding out of some superficial wound. One night he ends up hanging around Lester’s for longer than usual and gets sucker punched with a “this isn’t the first time Trevor has ruined himself for Michael and it won’t be the last. It’s better to leave them both alone until it blows over. That’s what I did after Michael's wedding night…” and the rest of Lesters words just fall right out of Franklins head because there is no fucking way.
And that’s when shit hits the fan for Franklin Clinton.
“Isn’t the first time…won’t be the last…wedding night…”
Trevor’s fully in love with Michael. Like, ride or die type shit. Like he-faked-his-death-and-you-still-love-him type shit. And for a time Franklin believed it was unrequited. Because for a short period of time, he was apparently the biggest idiot walking around Los Santos.
But he goes in with a bang. Comes out with a saved, partially intact Michael. And all the pieces start falling into place.
If Lamar ever did this shit to him, his head might end up on a fucking chopping block. But Michael looks at Trevor like a forgotten toy- like he misses being chewed up by Trevor until he bleeds.
It all makes sense.
Michael wants it.
He wants bruises and bloody knuckles. He wants Trevor to sniff him out and track him down. Every. Single. Time. He wants Trevor to claw scratches down his back when they wrestle and he wants everyone to see it. Michael needs Trevor just as much as Trevor needs Michael. And all of a sudden Franklin believes in something he never thought he would. An urban legend oozed out of the Los Santos gutters and actually came true??? (What the fuck.)
Frank decides two things that day: that these guys are two really fucked up motherfuckers. And that they’re so in love you might as well let them fucking burn.
It’s weird to go on normally after that. You get so used to one idea and life throws the fattest fucking curveball right into your face. Franklin feels a little more stupid than he’d care to admit. So he doesn’t. Even when Lamar picks on him for taking so long to see it. Apparently he caught on way earlier than Franklin (which he refuses to believe). And they both sit by and watch as they fight for each other again. And win. Forgiveness is a breath of fresh air for everyone. Balance has been restored, or whatever. Trevor goes back to sucking the marrow right out of Michaels bones, and Michael pets through his hair as he does it. Franklin never thought love would be so weird. So raw and violent and dangerous. He also never thought he’d get a front row seat to see it either, so, you win some you lose some.
Not only does love exist but it exists between the two craziest motherfuckers Franklins ever met. The worst part is, it makes sense in the worst way possible. Of course those two love each other. And of course the only example of real love Franklin has ever seen is the gayest version of Bonnie and Clyde to ever exist.
He decides he hates them (not really) and he’s probably going to continue to watch them burn each other into the ground, two sparks waiting to ignite the other, for the rest of eternity (when did he get so poetic?).
Oh right, probably after he met Trevor Philips and Michael De Santa. Fuck those guys. If Los Santos manages to stay in one piece while those two are living there, Franklin might even start to believe in Lamar reaching full maturity (It’ll never happen.).