Finally, something for the ship that has recently consumed my soul. Whoo!
Inspired by this awesome fanart by @thegilgamesh. Despite the title, not actually porn. Go figure.
---
The first time Jack met Death, Death seemed equally surprised to meet him.
"You're not as scary as I thought you'd be," he slurred through a mouthful of blood, squinting at the black-clad apparition above him. Jack had put a bullet through him upon first seeing him, but it had passed harmlessly through, and when Death had turned to him in shock he'd let his arm drop back to his side. His rifle was too fucking heavy for him to keep uselessly trying to damage the personification of the afterlife.
"What?" Death seemed a little nonplussed, standing in the midst of the dead Talon operatives Jack had already dispatched. They'd arrived at the abandoned Overwatch facility after he had, and pinned him down in one of the server rooms, but they'd made the mistake of bottlenecking at the only entrance. A fatal mistake, in the end.
Jack twitched his other hand in the apparition's general direction.
"You. Death. Dying." He frowned. "Hurts more than I thought, though."
Death took a step further into the room, his cloak swirling around his ankles. Silver glinted at his hips; Jack didn't remember any depictions of Death with shotguns, but he supposed one had to update with the times. Scythes weren't really the weapon of choice these days.
"You think you're dying?"
Jack blinked. Peered down at his left leg, pant soaked through with blood at the thigh, and then at the rifle in his hand. His fingers were too weak to even curl around the trigger. He had three broken ribs and at least two more that were cracked, and the blood in his mouth sure hadn't come from a split lip.
He looked back up with a frown.
"I'm not?"
Death let out a disbelieving huff of air. He stalked forward, steel-booted feet clicking against the tile. Jack watched him approach with vague interest. When Death reached down with a taloned hand he tilted his head up in wordless compliance, not flinching when the apparition pulled his visor off. But he grimaced when the room's dim lighting hit his eyes unfiltered; even now, years after the blast that destroyed Overwatch HQ, the retinal scarring he'd incurred still affected his sight.
He squinted up through watery eyes as Death drew back with the visor in his grasp.
"Morrison," he said softly, quietly, almost as though he was reaffirming it to himself. Jack leaned his head back against the wall with a tired sigh.
"Can we go now?" he asked plaintively. It hurt to talk. Hurt to breathe, really. "I'm ready to be dead. Got some people I need to apologize to."
Death froze. He looked at Jack for a long moment - or at least, that was what Jack assumed he was doing. The mask didn't really reveal much.
After a what seemed like an eternity, Death shook his head.
"No," he murmured, leaning down, reaching for Jack with his taloned hands. "You're not dying. Not today."
Before Jack could protest, those hands curled around his shoulders and hauled him to his feet. The agony that ricocheted through his body with the movement tore a scream from his throat, oblivion reaching up to swallow him whole as he was lifted by a pair of strong arms.
And as he was dragged into unconsciousness, cradled limp and shaking against Death's chest, the last thing Jack registered was the smell of ash and smoke.
Summary: Geoff has no fucking idea how Michael managed to talk him into this. (For the prompt: person A and B are vacationing up at a cabin a cuddle by the fire on cold nights)
Warnings: Semi-explicit sex, slight somnophilia
WordCount: 2,635
---
Geoff has no fucking idea how Michael managed to talk him into this.
No, actually, he knows exactly how Michael managed it. Little fucker had been making suggestions here and there for weeks about how he missed floating the river while it was flooded over and how he loved how Geoff looked in his swim trunks. How he loved the way Geoff’s face lit up with laughter when they got into splash fights when they were swimming together, and how he loved the feeling of Geoff’s slick skin warming up under his fingers when they’d shower together afterwards.
Conniving little shit had pulled the last one at work a few days ago. Out loud. During a let’s play.
Jeremy wasn’t going to be too pleased with them when he had to edit out the resulting conversation next week.
What both of them had failed to realize, however, when they’d rented the little cabin next to the waterfalls and told everyone that they were taking an early weekend to have their little Boner Retreat (thanks for that, Lindsay) was that, hey, it actually got a little colder the farther up north they went. And, hey, it was already pretty cool in Texas for it being spring, so that made it pretty fucking chilly up in Oklahoma. And, oh wow, okay, that water is really fucking cold and there’s no way Geoff is putting more than a toe into that, nope. No way in hell.
“Don’t be such a whiny bitch, Geoffers,” Michael called from the water, small frown tugging at his lips and droplets of water falling into his eyes from soaked curls. And yeah, he did look really good with little trails of water slipping down his collarbone and the bright reflection of the water bringing his eyes into sharper relief where they bore into him, pleading with him. “Come on. It’s not that bad.”
Nope. Geoff was going to go put on a shirt. The air was suddenly a lot colder, and most of his blood was trying to rush to a very unhelpful place.
“Your skin is fucking blue, dude,” Geoff said, pulling a face in Michael’s direction and forcing an exaggerated shiver. “I’m not getting in there.”
Michael’s frown deepened as Geoff turned away from him, presumably to go grab a beer and a book and sit down to watch Michael swim instead. But, really, where was the fun in that?
Humming a soft tune to himself (that may or may not have resembled the Pink Panther theme), Michael slipped as quietly as he could up the ledge and out of the water, and up behind Geoff where the man was bending over their cooler, prompting Geoff to straighten up and glance over his shoulder. Before he could even open his mouth to question what Michael was doing, Michel had grabbed the man by the arm and dragged him the few feet to the water’s edge, throwing him in mid-yell.
Peals of laughter fell from Michael’s lips, the man nearly falling over from the force of his mirth at the undignified sputtering mess that Geoff became as he surfaced in the water, his hair plastered across his forehead and his limbs flailing wildly.
“Holy shit!” He wheezed out, doubling over and holding his stomach. “Your face! The look on your face, Geoff!”
“Oh, that’s it, you little bitch,” came the growled reply as Geoff worked his way out of the water. “This means war.”
---
“Don’t look at me like that! How was I supposed to know the showers here weren’t heated?!”
Geoff almost couldn’t be mad at the shivering mess of a man that walked stiffly beside him back to their cabin. Michael had wrapped himself in three different towels, one of which was wrapped adorably around his head to keep his wet hair from dripping more cold water onto his shoulders. He looked just as miserably cold as Geoff felt after their ice cold shower in the communal bathrooms, which, of course, had stalls that were entirely too small for two people to share. The two had had to suffer at it alone, complaining through chattering teeth about the temperature and the complete lack of water pressure from the half-rusted shower heads.
Of course, almost didn’t mean that Geoff couldn’t still gripe about the situation. He reasoned to himself that starting a small argument with Michael would keep them warm until they made it back.
“You were the one that booked this place, Michael,” Geoff said, raising his eyebrows. “You kept asking stupid shit like ‘Can we bring canned beverages?’…”
“A reasonable fucking question considering how much we drink on vacation!”
“… and ‘Is there a fireplace in the cabin?’”
“Your ass is going to be thanking me for making sure we can start fires here in a minute, asshole.”
“But you didn’t ask if they had a water heater! Really? What was all of that about sharing a shower together and soaping each other up sensually or whatever bullshit that was, huh?”
“Look, Geoff,” Michael sighed as they finally walked up the steps to their small cabin, shoving the door open with a huff. “I’m sorry, alright? I guess we should have assumed they wouldn’t since it’s kind of a camping ground and not a hotel or whatever, okay?”
“We should have assumed?”
“I should have, whatever,” Michael snapped. “Look, do you want me to get out the starter logs I brought for the fire or are you just gonna stand there shivering and bitching like an asshole?!”
Geoff blinked, snapping out of the small fit he’d been working himself into to watch Michael angrily shove his swim trunks down his legs, baring himself to the world as he furiously toweled off the residual cold water from his skin. Geoff’s brain shorted out for a moment at the sight of Michael’s beautiful ass, the soft curve of it meeting his sharp hipbones and the beautiful arch of his back right above. The sight was always enough to bring a little heat to Geoff’s blood, to cause his heart to stutter. God, the man was beautiful.
He shook his head a bit.
“You brought starter logs?” Geoff asked with a small crack in his voice, a smile finally pulling at his lips as he followed Michael’s lead. “What, you didn’t think you could get a fire started on your own?”
Michael gave a small nod of satisfaction at the sight of Geoff stripping out of his own swim shorts to towel off before Michael dragged a pair of boxers and pajama pants out of his bag. “I mean, I probably could, but I really didn’t want to put that much effort into it. Vacation. Laziness. I just wanted a damn fire.” He pulled a loose t-shirt to complete the look and saw that Geoff had stopped to stare at him again, a warm look in the other man’s eyes. “That okay with you?”
“That sounds great, actually, yeah,” Geoff agreed softly, towel draped lazily across his shoulders and boxers hung low on his hips, apparently too lazy to put on his own clothes just yet. “Do you need a lighter or anything?”
“Nah, I’ve got it,” Michael said, his own voice softening up. “But grab the hot dogs and shit from the big cooler, yeah? We can be lazy assholes and cook them in here so we don’t have to go outside again.”
---
A few hours later of ridiculous conversations (“No, Michael, I would not have sex with Ryan for a hundred dollars.” “Even if I said it would turn me on?”), awful camping food (s’mores were a lot messier than Geoff remembered), and convincing Michael to lose his shirt, found the two of them sprawled out in front of the fireplace’s metal screen, mattress pulled from the bed and every blanket and pillow in the place strewn out across in a messy nest around them. Michael’s eyelids had drooped closed awhile ago, his head pillowed across Geoff’s collarbone while Geoff read quietly aloud to them both, the soft light from his tablet and the glow from the fire the only sources of light in the small cabin.
Finally, Geoff hit the power button, making a mental note to charge it in the morning while they went for a hike or whatever outdoorsy shit Michael tried to talk him into tomorrow, and set it aside. He smiled contentedly down at the man curled up against him, slinging his arm across him and drawing him closer, relishing in the heat and the comfort of the moment.
This was how Michael convinced him to do stupid shit like this.
No matter how many times they froze their asses off this weekend, no matter how many times Geoff complained, moments like this were what made time with Michael worth every second.
With a small, pleased hum, Geoff leaned down to kiss Michael’s head and whisper a quiet goodnight before fluffing the pillow under his head and settling down to sleep beside the man he loved.
---
How on earth had they been so cold, yesterday?
It was absolutely sweltering in this bed.
It was kind of damp, too, though. How had they managed that? The water yesterday had been like ice, and…
Oh. Holy shit. That definitely explained it.
Pleasure shot through Geoff’s stomach, wrenching a small, muffled groan from his throat as he gained consciousness a little more quickly, now. Okay, yes, that was a hand wrapped around his cock. A very warm, very well-lubricated hand. And that was a very plush pair of lips pressed against his own, and a very talented tongue trailing across his teeth. Fuck.
“Michael,” Geoff whined, pulling back from the kiss. “Michael, fuck.”
“Oh, good,” Michael grinned, panting softly, his eyes sparkling. “You’re awake. I wondered how long it would take you.”
“Michael.”
“I had wondered,” Michael paused to twist his wrist harshly, drawing a sharp whimper from Geoff’s throat. “If I could make you come like this. If I could wake you up with your own orgasm, wake you up exhausted and sated and so fucking delicious…”
Geoff’s hips bucked into the man above him, making Michael fumble a bit from his straddled position across Geoff’s hips.
“You like that, huh?” Michael grinned, dragging his thumbnail carefully along the vein on the underside of Geoff’s cock. “You like me watching you, getting off on giving you pleasure? Getting off on you looking fucked out and exhausted?”
Geoff whined, nodding frantically.
Fuck, how long had Michael been at this? He felt like he could come at any moment.
“Then come on, Geoff,” Michael growled out, leaning down to run his tongue along Geoff’s ear. He breathed out a harsh breath, sending a shiver down Geoff’s spine. “Come. Let me see it. Don’t you want to get me off, too, Geoff?”
Fuck.
Geoff arched as much as he could with Michael’s weight across his hips, his voice rising and dying in his throat and his hands shooting up to clutch at Michael’s shoulders as he came, spilling across Michael’s fingers. He shuddered through it, his mouth hanging open and his nails digging in, all with Michael’s smile pressed against the side of his neck.
“That’s it, Geoff,” he spoke softly, slowly stroking Geoff through it. “That’s fucking perfect.”
---
“I can’t believe you talked me into coming back out into this shit.”
Geoff looked out over the falls in front of them with an exaggerated pout, his eyes narrowed at the beautiful waterfalls and the sparkling, clear water. He knew what awaited him in the depths of that tempting sight. There was a reason he and Michael were the only people out here, today.
“Come on, Geoff, don’t you want to play in it just a little bit?” Michael pleaded, his voice high and his hands clasped in front of him. “Don’t you think it’ll be fun to swim under a waterfall?”
“Not really, no,” Geoff grumped, arms folded across his chest.
Michael let a smirk twist across his face, slid over smoothly to stand right beside Geoff, leaned his weight into his side. “Don’t you wonder what it’d be like to make out underneath a waterfall?”
Silence.
“To pull off our shorts as we swim underneath it? To struggle to stay afloat as we run our hands along each other, work each other up, get each other off?”
A small fidget.
“…I’ve got the lube we keep in our shower in the pocket of my trunks.”
“Goddamn it, Michael.”
---
They didn’t actually make it out of their shorts, in the end. Geoff was too concerned with losing them in the pull of the water, and Michael was too concerned with the rock he was pressed against cutting up the skin of some very sensitive body parts. Somehow, though, the sensation of their trunks sliding, slick between them as Geoff thrust steadily into him, as the fingers of his left hand dug sharp enough to bruise into the fabric of his waistband to keep the front of them from slipping below Michael’s cock, just added to the experience. And, holy shit, why had no one ever told Michael how nice it would feel to jerk himself off through soaking wet swim shorts?
“Fuck me,” Michael choked out, using the arm he had braced against the rock in front of them to shove back harder onto Geoff’s cock. “Fuck, fuck. Geoff!”
Geoff’s moan of agreement could barely be heard over the rush of water behind them, the push and pull of the water flowing around the fall aiding him in his movements and drawing him even deeper into the man below him.
With a shudder of pleasure, Geoff tipped his head forward, pressing his lips against Michael’s ear.
“Fuck, Michael, you’re so good, so fucking beautiful.”
A sharp whine from the younger man.
“You look so good like this, flushed and fucked hard.”
Michael ground back, his breath stuttering, his heart racing.
“You wanna come for me, Michael?” Geoff bit out, his own orgasm creeping up his spine. When Michael nodded sharply, Geoff wrenched his hand from the man’s hip and dragged it upwards, up his stomach, nails scratching across his chest to pinch sharply at his nipple. “Thencome, Michael. Fuckin’ do it.”
And, fuck, it was a good thing they were alone, because Michael’s quick cry, his heavy sob, would have alerted everyone in the area to what they were doing. As it was, his beautiful noises combined with his clenching down hard on Geoff’s cock wrung his own orgasm from him, his own quiet groan of, “Michael, Michael, yesss” the buzzing across Michael’s skin from where Geoff had his face pressed to the back of his neck.
---
They had lucked out with the bathrooms next to the falls. These were a little more modern and, as such, had a handicap stall that they could both fit into.
While the water was still cold, their blood was still warm from their orgasms and from the drinks they’d had afterwards, sprawled bonelessly across the rocks at the edge of the water. And even the icy water couldn’t take away from the pleasure of having Geoff slowly massage shampoo into his hair, nails scratching delicately across his scalp.
It was fucking heaven.
---
“I can’t believe we’ve never done this before,” Geoff sighed contentedly, sprawled out on his side across the mattress, stomach full of the crappy frozen hamburgers they’d cooked and fire crackling lowly beside them.
“Does that mean we’re gonna do this again?” Michael grinned, propped up on his elbow beside him, running his fingers through Geoff’s hair, along his jaw, and back again.
“Abso-fucking-lutely, Michael,” Geoff hummed, his eyes drooping. “You have the best ideas.”
Summary: Person A is a robot and person B is a human. Person B adopts the robot and one day Person A stops working.
Warnings: Mavin, sexual situation
WordCount: 3,120
-o-
Gavin didn’t think he’d ever have a personal unit of his own, he’d yearned for one since they’d first come out, spent nights looking up the different models and reading about them. They were installed with a special kind of software that learned, picked up on human traits, speech patterns and incorporated them into the unit’s personality and through random algorithms and a bunch of science jargon made them seem human.
He didn’t think he’d ever own one because the prices were woefully out of his salary range. But then again it paid to know people who made a whole ton of more money than he did. Ryan, his downstairs neighbor, a man he’d known since high school days had done well for himself in the technician business, if the problem had to do with a computer he could probably solve it. So it came as a complete surprise when Ryan showed up at his door, with his personal unit Michael and asked if he wanted to adopt. He was upgrading and couldn’t exactly live comfortably with two others in his small apartment.
He’d spluttered and squawked a little and hugged Ryan, stuttering and skipping over his words as he tried to thank the man. It was strange to think that Michael would suddenly be living with him, he’d been fond of the unit since the first time he’d met him down in Ryan’s cave of an apartment.
The older man was an easy going guy and the two of them were both night owls so it wasn’t strange to knock on the other’s door and find them still awake past midnight. He’d shuffled into Ryan’s apartment one night, tired and frustrated with his job and ready to voice his annoyance when he spotted the robot. Well, he hadn’t known Michael was a robot at the time and after an awkward introduction he’d learned Michael was Ryan’s new personal unit. After that a year passed with Michael joining their duo and making it a trio, he had quite a personality too, sharp and funny at the same time.
Not much would change, Michael would move the few things he’d attained over to Gavin’s place and then life would continue. It was a year before Gavin noticed anything wrong.
-o-
They were in the kitchen making dinner, Michael at the stove while he chopped vegetables at the table. Gavin preferred the nights where they cooked together instead of him ordering in or heating up something from the freezer. The quiet domesticity of it got to him sometimes. With the two of them being partners, as strange as it sounded to other people, he felt whole. Gavin wrinkled his nose and snorted a little at the sentimental thought. The dull sound of a wooden utensil hitting the kitchen floor startled him from his repose however and he looked up. Michael was standing deathly still at the stove, his hand frozen in the air, ready to stir but with no spoon in sight.
“Michael?”
At the sound of his voice Michael started, his head jerked around to look at him. He seemed confused, completely silent as his empty hand lowered to his side.
“Mich-“
“There was an error in my programming and a reboot was initiated.”
Gavin felt a shiver run down his spine, Michael’s voice had turned flat and mechanical as he relayed what had happened. He hadn’t heard him sound like that in a long time, he didn’t think he’d ever get used to it. No, it reminded him so sharply that Michael was in fact a robot and not a human, he was a machine made of wires and software meant to act and look as humanely as possible. It wasn’t that he disliked that about Michael, there was no getting around it, he just hated how that voice stripped away all the feeling and liveliness that had been there mere moments before.
“Oh….what does that mean? Are you okay?”
“My systems are functioning within parameters now. However if the problem persists, maintenance will be required.”
He didn’t reply, just nodded and watched as Michael put the dirty spoon away and fetched a new one. The whole moment had taken him unawares. If things were fine then they could continue on. Michael paused to lean in and his kiss temple as if to reassure him it had been some kind of fluke, he smiled and went back to chopping vegetables.
-o-
The months seemed to slide by, some they barely made it through but then there were months like this one, where they had enough to pay rent, buy plenty of groceries and have a little left over to spend on frivolous things (like stupid handcuffs from the seedy sexshop five blocks away from his apartment complex). Michael had gotten a part-time job at the local supermarket, personal units were only allowed to work so many hours and only with a permit and with the required programming. Ryan had helped the two of them out, easily finding and downloading said files into Michael.
There was an air of calm around them in those weeks, a playful tone of cat and mouse as they reached the weekend when they could truly relax and have some fun. Gavin had agreed to be the one in handcuffs that night, he’d squirmed thinking about it all during dinner. When they finally retired to the bedroom he relished how desperately they kissed each other. Michael pushed against him, synthetic tongue invading his mouth as he was lead to the bed and promptly pushed down onto it.
“Michael, do you have-“
“Shhhh, Gav. Of course I do.” He chuckled softly, his lips turned up into a devious smile.
Excitement tingled through his body as Michael, without any effort, gripped him by the hips and pushed him up further till he was dead center on the bed and then proceed to yank his jeans and underwear off. Gavin felt a giggle bubble up his chest but he bit his lip as he watched Michael crawl onto the bed between his legs. Michael took his hands, brought them up to the headboard where slats left perfect gaps in the wood and swiftly took the handcuffs from his back pocket and clasped them around his wrists, anchoring him to the head board. He marveled at the way Michael’s movements were so fluid, human and yet calculated.
A rush of heat flooded his body as Michael pushed his shirt up and leaned forward to lap at his chest. Michael’s mouth wasn’t wet, but it was warm and slightly slick with a thin lubricant and Gavin made a noise as his partner teased a nipple. A warm hand descended to stroke at his length and he groaned for real this time, low and needy.
Michael didn’t have a sex drive like he did, he didn’t have genitals for that matter but he obliged to indulge Gavin in whatever he wished and did so enthusiastically. He was a dirty trickster too, he’d learned all of Gavin’s spots, and he knew where to tease and to prod to make Gavin squirm and even beg if it came to it. Gavin didn’t know what to expect exactly, it was always new, always something different with Michael.
The long pause just after a few strokes of his length were new, Gavin panted quietly, aching under the stillness of Michael’s hand. It was less than thirty seconds though before Michael collapsed onto him. Gavin wheezed uncomfortably, Michael weighed a significant amount more than he did and the suddenness of it caused him to cough and gulp for air. He panicked, wriggled with all his might to get out from under the unit’s body, a task made all the more difficult with his hands stuck up above him.
“Michael wake up!” He coughed hard.
He couldn’t hold out for long, his throat and lungs burned but Michael jolted awake in time to roll off of him. Gavin wheezed and squeezed his eyes shut, they stung with tears as he tried to catch his breath.
“Apologies. I have experienced a hard reset. Errors have occurred within my main programming and require attention.” Again that mechanical voice droned in Gavin’s ears.
Gavin groaned, “Michael uncuff me.”
He was grateful for the quickness with which Michael did it and he sat up, his body shaking slightly but altogether fine.
“Shit, Gav are you alright?” Michael’s voiced had returned to normal.
“What just happened Michael? You just about squashed me!”
“I don’t know, my system is having trouble executing simple commands. There seems to be discrepancies in my software that are causing me to lock up.”
Gavin wiped the tears from his eyes and dragged his hands down his face, his shoulders sagged. He needed Ryan’s help.
It was late in the evening when they banged on Ryan’s door and like always it opened to let them in. Ryan greeted them with a smile and his personal unit, an older model named Geoff said hello from the nearby couch. Gavin felt his heart racing, he didn’t exactly have the money to pay for a visit like this from anyone else. He hurriedly stepped into the apartment.
“Ryan I need a favor. I need you to fix Michael.”
“What? What’s wrong?”
Immediately Michael replied in his flat voice, “There have been 1,365 unchecked errors in the past three months.”
His friend raised an eyebrow, looking the personal unit up and down and Gavin made a noise, his shoulders raising up and his hands waving about a little.
“One thou- Michael! How did that happen I thought it’s only been a couple?!”
Ryan cut off Michael’s reply, “It doesn’t sound good c’mon Michael let’s get you looked at.”
The three of them shuffled back to Ryan’s work room, it had been completely transformed from ever resembling a bedroom or otherwise. Desk’s held computers, shelving units were filled with parts and wires ran in wavy loops around the floor, all skirting the long cot in the middle. Gavin knew that Ryan had an actual bedroom down the hall but when he was working on a project or a particularly difficult problem he crashed in that room.
“Lay down and I’ll have a look at your everything.”
Michael calmly laid down on the cot, he’d been there before of course, almost two years earlier and quietly he raised his shirt and settled in. He looked to Gavin, a slight, almost apologetic smile on his face before he closed his eyes and fell into a sleep like mode. Gavin watched as Ryan pressed certain points on Michael’s skin till they both heard a clicking and he opened up several ports on the unit’s arms and chest. From there he attached wires and cords of varying colors and widths before sitting in his chair and typing on his computer. Gavin wasn’t the least bit savvy in where to begin with these types of problems. Sure, he’d read up on the models, the different features they had and what little he knew of their actual inside wasn’t enough to merit his comments.
“This is gonna take a while Gavin go wait out with Geoff.”
It took all he had to leave the room.
-o-
The news wasn’t great but it wasn’t bad. Ryan had given him quite the lecture the next morning after he’d woken up on his friends couch. Something about too much data and why he hadn’t backed up Michael’s core files and extended his storage and blah blah. The unit’s system were taxed and had been shutting down certain algorithms and programs that ran other algorithms and programs to maintain space and all kinds of computer jargon that just made Gavin’s head hurt.
“So what does that mean?”
“Well,” Ryan sighed and leaned back from his computer, “his model is old now, the market was finished with him over a year ago. If you want to keep it all, all the memories and personality files that Michael has stored away you need to upgrade him and transfer it all to a new unit. The newer models have multiple hard drives to keep things like this from happening, Michael only has the one.”
Gavin groaned, he couldn’t even think of buying a new model, he hadn’t exactly kept up with the current news on them but he knew they weren’t cheap. He paced the length of Ryan’s room.
“You know I can’t afford that! Hell I couldn’t even afford for anyone else but you to do this Ryan!”
“I know Gav, I’ll help you.”
Hot, stinging tears welled at the edges of Gavin’s eyes and he kept pacing. Of course Ryan would, Ryan was the nicest guy he’d ever known. It hurt his heart to think his friend would go to such lengths.
“Ryan you bastard,” He choked out, “I’ll pay you back all of it you know I will.”
“Gavin just listen, I can store Michael’s files but, since he’s had so many errors without actively fixing them it’ll be a little sketchy. Parts of it may come through whole and other parts are probably missing files and memories, you know? We should do it now while I’ve got him hooked up.”
Gavin nodded, of course things wouldn’t be perfect and safe, he and Michael had just continued on so blissfully for the past year and half that of course the shit would hit the fan hard. He might lose parts of Michael and the thought made his stomach sink, but if it meant saving him. Of course he wanted to try.
“Yeah….do it Ryan, please, I-…”
Ryan just waved a hand at him. He hadn’t felt so nervous in his life, his hands shook and his heart thudded in his chest. Ryan typed quickly on the keyboard, he looked calm. The mere thought of his apartment being empty without Michael was enough to cement his hesitant certainty. He knelt down next to Michael and took the unit’s hand, he gripped it knowing that even if Michael’s couldn’t feel it the act comforted him.
“Michael I’m gonna see you again soon, okay?”
It was strange to think that Michael couldn’t hear him, couldn’t talk to him. A part of him couldn’t bear to see Michael laying on that cot, wires spilling out of his form making him look alien, like straight out of some bad science fiction novel. The chance that Michael could come back to him whole, or at least mostly there meant a chance to talk to him again, a chance to laugh with him once more and that hope banged around in his chest till it hurt.
“You ready to do this?” Ryan asked.
Gavin nodded, he let go of Michael’s hand and stepped back from the table, it didn't matter if he wasn't. Ryan leaned over to Michael, his hands quickly accessed a hidden panel behind the unit’s ear and plugged another cord in before turning back to his computers. He barely hit a few buttons before he leaned back and placed his hands behind his head.
“That’s it?”
“What? God no,” Ryan laughed, a deep soft sound in the stifling cave, “It’ll be a few hours while my program extracts the personality data and fixes what it can.”
Gavin swallowed thickly past the lump in his throat. He hurriedly nodded and then left the room. He wanted to stay but something came over him as he fell onto Ryan’s couch. He’d made his decision, come to terms with it out of desperate longing and now doubt came crawling into his mind. What if Ryan’s program couldn’t fix the data? What is something happened during the download and Michael was lost? What it? What if? The questions plagued his mind, till his body felt cold and his world slipped into dreams.
-o-
Five months.
He waited five months.
Buying a new unit wasn’t cheap and having it customized made the process even longer. He didn’t want some new looking toy, no he wanted Michael back and he told them exactly what he wanted. Soft, curly auburn hair, sharp jaw and cute upturned nose. He was sure he sounded crazy as he gave the makers his exact specifications and glared at Ryan who chuckled each time he repeated a specific trait. After their appointment spent the next few months in agony.
When finally the day came that they were all huddled into Ryan’s computer room waiting anxiously as Michael’s files downloaded to the new unit, Gavin had never felt so excited and anxious at the same time. His heart pounded and he paced around the entire apartment and threw his hands up for no reason at times. When the download hit one hundred percent and installed he felt his breath catch as he heard the gentle hum of Michael’s new body as it woke up fill the room. Ryan removed the singular cord attached to the unit. The flutter of Michael’s eyes as he opened them was enough to make Gavin squawk and grip his shirt nervously. He looked at Ryan who was smirking, his best friend and lifesaver it seemed had never looked so pleased.
“M-Michael?” Gavin asked.
Michael slowly sat up, putting a hand to his head before looking up at him, there was a pause as his eyes searched his face then his eyebrows raised, “Gav? Gav why’re you crying? Gavin?!”
Gavin let out a noise as he almost flung himself forward to wrap his arms around Michael. He tried to hold the tears back but at the same time it felt good to let them go. Ryan wordless left the room to let the two of them reunite in private.
“Michael I’m just so happy to see you!”
He relished the feeling of Michael’s arms as they wrapped around his chest, strong and warm and real. Words spilled out of his mouth as he explained what had happened over the past few months to Michael. The unit listened quietly and when Gavin finished he leaned back, almost breathless. Michael seemed stunned, his mouth slightly parted as he looked at Gavin.
“Gav you…you’ve been alone all this time and I’ve been in some computer. What the fuck,” Michael gave a disbelieving laugh and Gavin nodded.
“I know right? I’ve been lonely in our apartment without-“
He didn’t get to finish as Michael pressed their lips together. It turned from something soft to something desperate and when finally they parted Gavin could hardly believe he was sitting in front of his partner again. It was as if light had come back to his life, something so important that had been missing and returned. He hugged Michael once more, he never wanted to let go.
GASP! An ask? Someone actually wants me to do one of these! I’m honored. uvu
C - A ship you have never liked and probably never will.
Theres maybe a few... recently Tuckington form RvB sorry guys I don’t see it. :( You do you tho, you all do you.
F - What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom?
I’ve been in RvB and henceforth Roosterteeth/Achievement hunter and all their children for eeh five years now? At least four going on five. I suppose Pokemon was longer but does it count? Do we ever truly leave the Pokemon fandom? Do we ever truly enter or are we born into it.
N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice).
I need more non-shippy Mianite in my life. Like just gals bein pals and people hanging out, particularly NPC fics.
Yeah fics about the NPCs because Mot and Martha and Andor and Alyssa and Ianita and all the characters from that series are PERFECT.
Also more love and kindness in there guys we have some salty people spread some love.
W - A trope which you are virtually certain to hate in any fandom.
Theres always that one guy that’s a total dick that thinks hes so cool that everyone loves. Glares at Felix McScouty. Glares at Prince Uldren.
X - A trope which you are almost certain to love in any fandom.
There are two, the warrior trapped at home on intel duty. See: Petra and Cayde, and the sass queen badass pilot chick. See: 479er and Amanda Holiday.
Summary: A simple day at the beach for the 6 of them turns into a great day out….with some added extras, and some…interesting events.
Warnings: Slight exhibitionism and offscreen sex.
Word Count: 7,389 words
A/N: Two things, one, as much as I tried to go away from my normal writing style, this ended up somewhat a Ryan-centric fic. I’m sorry about that., Oh, and secondly, I don’t know how other countries have a good day on the beach, so this story has a certain Kiwi (New Zealand) spin on a typical day at the beach (Beach soccer was more American than beach cricket which happens most of the time) so I apologise for any inaccuracies there, I just had no other experience to base it off, particularly American experience so….yeah. Enjoy!
“Come on, please let me play for a while…” Gavin whined as Ray held the Nintendo out of his reach.
“You should have brought your own.” Ray replied, “You knew it was going to be a long journey.”
“2 hours isn’t a long journey Ray. Not really.” Jack reminded him from the front seat.
“Whatever.” Ray replied, going back to his game, “If he wanted to play, he should have brought his own Nintendo. Hey!” His sentence was ended with Gavin snatching the Nintendo and trying to hold it out of Ray’s reach while playing.
“Geoff….” Ray called out, “Make him give it back to me.”
Geoff glanced up from the road and saw the scene behind him and sighed.
“Will you assholes cut it out?” He called, going back to driving. There was a click from the front seat and the lads and Ryan looked up from what they were doing to see Jack had taken a photo of the argument and was smiling to himself.
“Jack, fuck off.” Michael said, his mouth full of sandwich, already tucking into the picnic basket they had brought with them.
“Michael. Leave the food alone.” We aren’t even at the beach yet. Gavin, give Ray the Nintendo back and Ray, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll put it away.”
Michael gave Geoff a dirty look, but closed the lid of the basked and Gavin grumbled but handed the console back to Ryan, who put it in the seat pocket. Ryan went back to his book, stretched out as he was on the back row of seats on his own. Not for the first time on the journey he was glad he had chosen to be on his own at the back of the car, rather than anywhere else.
“I’m bored.” Gavin whined, to Michael.
“If you honestly don’t shut the fuck up Gavin, I will punch you in the face.” Michael replied, staring out the window grumpily. It was bad enough being stuck in a car for a long journey, let alone being stuck next to a whining Gavin.
“Are we almost there Geoff?” he asked, bouncing his seat like a little kid, “Are we there yet, are we there yet, are we there yet?”
“Gavin…” Michael warned, looking grumpy.
“Gavin, we’ve still got an hour of travelling left, okay? Find something to entertain yourself.” Geoff replied, his eyes fixed firmly on the road.
“Shall I put some music on?” Jack asked, reaching out to the stereo.
“No.” Ray and Michael said in unison.
“If you do, we’ll have arguments over whose music gets to play, and whether there will be a change soon.” Ryan remarked in a disinterested tone from the back seat. Gavin turned around to face him.
“Ryan, you aren’t bored, you can entertain me.” Gavin said, excitedly.
“Gavin, I’m reading. Entertain yourself.”
“I swear it’s like dealing with bunch of immature children.” Geoff remarked idly, bringing a smile to both Jack and Ryan’s faces as they both thought how right that statement was.
Gavin sat back in his seat and sulked for a while. The silence lasted all of about 5 minutes before Gavin turned looked up.
“Everybody’s playing now. I start. I spy with my little eye, something beginning with ‘M’.”
“Moron.” Michael muttered from his seat.
Gavin looked hurt but continued, “No it’s outside the car….”
Ryan sighed and went back to his book, knowing the hour would be longest hour he had ever encountered.
As they came over the hill and started down the other side, Gavin caught a glimpse of the ocean.
“I can see the sea.” He chanted, “I can see the se-ea…” He drew out the word sea to have two syllables, something that was distracted Ryan from his book.
“Gavin, shut the fuck up.” Michael yelled from his seat, “I swear I’ll fucking punch you if you say one more word….”
Gavin looked at Michael with puppy dog eyes, “But Micoo…” It was all he got out before Michael started attacking the younger man furiously, causing Gavin to push into Ray, who pushed him right back at Michael.
“Oi. You lot.” Geoff tried sorting it out from the front seat, but it didn’t work, and Geoff was frustrated with Gavin’s antics by now too. Ryan sighed and put his bookmark in, before putting it gently on the seat beside him, taking his sweet time. He reached over the seat in front of him and smacked both Michael and Gavin around the back of the head. Not hard, but hard enough.
“Enough. Both of you. You’re driving me and Jack up the wall and driving Geoff to distraction.” Ryan said in his ‘responsible adult’ voice.
“I thought he was driving us to the beach.” Gavin replied cheekily, which earned him another smack around his ears.
“Any more noise from the pair of you, and you won’t be going to the beach. You’ll be stuck in the car, handcuffed to the steering wheel all day.”
“Handcuffed…...” Michael said and frowned, “You can’t have possibly brought handcuffs.”
“You never know what I’ve got Michael….the question is: do you want to risk it?” Ryan followed that statement up with a wink and then the silence that followed with a smile. “I thought not.”
“You’re one creepy motherfucker sometimes.” Geoff muttered from the front seat, “We didn’t all need to know you had handcuffs in your bag.”
“It’s added silence to the car thought hasn’t it?” Ryan countered, and Geoff had to concede that point.
Soon enough, Geoff was driving around and finding a park in the car park. He finally pulled up and immediately locked the doors from the driver’s seat and refused to open them, despite the whining from Gavin.
“One thing before we all pile out. Everybody takes their fair share of the gear for today okay? Any electronics you don’t want covered in sand, leave them in the car. That goes for games consoles, and cellphones. That includes you too Ray. Leave it here.” Geoff said, noticing Ray trying to slip his Nintendo into his pocket.
“Aw, Geoff, come on. It’s the outdoors.” Ray said, reverting to his usual joke.
“Leave it. This is a date, of sorts. The aim is to spend time together, okay?”
Ray nodded glumly and Geoff unlocked the doors, leaving to a scramble as Gavin tried to climb over Michael in his haste to get out, arms and legs flailing everywhere and got shoved back into his seat. Gavin then tried climbing over Ray, who promptly pushed Gavin away and got out of the car himself. Ryan sighed as Jack opened the rear door, allowing Ryan to climb over the beach gear and out of the car. The car was less of a people move, and more of an oversized 4 wheel drive, with two seats that could be folded down in the boot for when all 6 of them went of journeys.
“Thanks Jack.” Ryan said, stretching, “We really need to get a better car.”
“We decided on getting the new bed if you remember. We could only afford one or the other.” Jack reminded him, grabbing the bag of towels out of the boot. “Michael!” He called out, “Hand it over.”
“Hand what over?” he asked innocently, putting his hands behind his back.
“The food you just snuck out of the picnic basket. Put it back and hand the basket to Ryan.” Michael sighed and did as he was told, instead grabbing a bag out of the boot.
They all grabbed a bag and went to go, before they realised Gavin was missing.
“Hey Ry-?” Geoff called out, “Do you see Gavin anywhere?” Ryan looked around, worried for a moment and then caught a glimpse of the man on the beach.
“He’s already on the beach.” Ryan said, rolling his eyes and picking up the bag that the younger man had left. “Let’s just go after him.”
Jack just shook his head as both Geoff and Michael chased after the younger man, finally bringing him down up the beach.
“I guess that’s where we need to put the picnic down?” Ryan joked, but was backed up by Geoff putting up the umbrella and sticking it into the sand.
Jack just laughed and grabbed Ray by the hand, dragging him onto the beach.
“Stop being such a sourpuss Ray. Enjoy the beach.” Ray opened his mouth to make his running joke and Ryan shook his head.
“Don’t say it. You will enjoy yourself.” Ryan took Ray’s other hand and the three of them calmly walked up the beach to where Geoff and Gavin were wrestling in the sand.
Michael had flopped down under the umbrella, panting slightly. Jack threw the beach blanket to Ray, who unfolded it and laid it out, weighting down each of the corner with one of the bags of. As a final touch, he took the umbrella and shifted over the mat, annoying Michael, who yelled at him for doing so, but couldn’t be bothered moving under it again. Ryan grinned and put the basket in the middle of the blanket. He grabbed sunscreen out of one of the bags and yelled at Geoff.
“Geoff, come get sunscreen on.”
Geoff waved him off, saying he was fine.
“Remember what happened last time?” Ryan countered, squirting sun cream into his hand from the bottle. Geoff grumbled and pushed Gavin into the sand, proclaiming himself as the winner.
“Are you seriously going to take pictures all day?” He asked Jack as he flopped down on his back beneath the umbrella.
“Show me your back.” Ryan told him, raising an eyebrow.
“Of course I am. What’s the point of doing a day like this if we don’t have memories of it?” Jack replied, taking another picture.
“But we do have memories you dope.” Gavin chimed in from his spot on the sand, “They’re in our heads.”
“You know what he means Gavin. Stop being pedantic.” Ryan replied as Geoff rolled over onto his stomach.
“Ooooh.” Michael said, “Ryan the big words guy.”
Ryan shook his head and dabbed some of the cream on Geoff’s back, who tensed at the sudden coldness.
“That’s fucking cold.” Geoff said, tensing every time Ryan dabbed some over the rest of his back.
“Big baby.” Ryan replied, throwing a leg over Geoff and straddling the man so he had better access to Geoff’s back, “Do you want me to warm it up for you?” The last sentence was half spoken, half purred and the innuendo was clear. Geoff pulled himself up onto his elbows and twisted to see Ryan, who waggled his eyebrows once.
“You know I always do.” Geoff replied, lying back down, a grin forming on his face.
Ryan smiled as well, and went to work rubbing the sun cream into Geoff’s back, slowly at first, his fingers working the cream into every corner of Geoff’s back, making sure that the cream was nice and warm. A few times Ryan’s hands drifted down to Geoff’s lower back, and slightly around his sides, inconspicuous enough for a public place, but enough to let Geoff know that Ryan was more than happy to do more than just rub sun cream in.
When all 6 of them were sufficiently creamed up, Gavin grabbed a soccer ball out of one of the bags and proposed a game of beach soccer.
“Are you serious?” Michael said, groaning, “I thought this was a day to relax?”
“It’s an activity people do on the beach. Makeshift goal posts and a drawn field. Lads vs gents, it’ll be fun.”
Surprising them all was Ray, who got up with a cry of “YOLO” and went to help Gavin sort out the pitch. Sticks were found for marking the edge of the goals and a basic rectangle was drawn into the wet sand in front of the guys’ things.
“So I guess we’re actually going to do it then.” Michael said stretching and standing slowly. “Okay then.”
When they were all out on the pitch Ryan cleared his throat and spoke to Gavin.
“Just to clarify, its kick the ball to the goal right. No special rules or anything?”
“Ryan the loophole guy.” Ray replied, grinning. Ryan waved him off, thinking it he would get his revenge on the pitch.
“No, no special rules or anything. No handball obviously but apart from that it’s simple. Score goals. Don’t go outside the marked rectangle. Stuff like that.”
The teams broke up after that, and took their positions. Jack and Michael were the two goalies, so it was Ryan and Geoff vs Gavin and Ray in terms of moving the ball up and down the pitch.
A simple game of paper scissors rock between Geoff and Gavin decided who got possession first, and it went to the lads.
“What’s the prize?” Geoff called out just before the game started.
“A week of submission from the losers.” Michael called out from his position, grinning.
“Deal.” Geoff agreed, also grinning. “I’m gonna enjoy getting that fulfilled. I can feel it already.” With that the game started, but within the first 5 minutes it became clear that the game was not going to be played cleanly. It all started when Gavin climbed onto Geoff’s back to slow him down so that Ryan was trying to score a goal against both Ray and Michael. Ryan succeeded and Gavin was thrown off with a huff.
“No dirty tactics” Geoff said, as the ball was collected and reset.
“Said who?” came the reply from Michael in goal, grinning. There was a brief team talk on both sides, the Gents planning and grinning to themselves, the Lads whispering and giggling. When they went back to their positions, Ray was in the Lads goal, and Michael was out on the field
“Trying to get some action there Michael?” Geoff catcalled from his position opposite the lad.
“You’ll see.” Came the reply. The game restarted and Michael took off with the ball, running down the field with Geoff right behind.
Michael almost made it to the goal. Almost. But almost doesn’t score the goal. Geoff, who was running right behind Michael, caught up and he reached out, wrapping both arms around the younger man, and hoisting him bodily off the ground. Michael kicked out, but Geoff dragged him backwards into the corner of the pitch, allowing Jack to grab the ball and run forward with it.
“Let me go you dirty cheat.” Michael yelled, kicking out and struggling to get free. At the other end of the pitch, Gavin was having to take on Ryan and Jack alone, because Ray needed to defend the goal.
“Looks like we’re about to score another goal.” Geoff said, in a low voice next to Michael’s ear, “The prize is within reach….”
“You dirty cheat!” Michael yelled again, but the struggling ceased when Geoff’s hands went from being around his chest, to round his waist and hips.
“Geoff.” Michael said, warningly, “This is a public place.”
“There’s nobody around.” Geoff replied, keeping his eyes firmly on the game, as Jack lined up a kick to score, Ryan having taken Gavin out the same way Michael was restrained at the opposite end. Geoff’s hand drifted south some more, lightly brushing over the front of Michael’s shorts and finding evidence that Michael was having just as much fun as Geoff himself was.
“Are you enjoying this?” Geoff growled slightly in the younger’s ear, “Being pinned like this and unable to do anything..” Geoff smiled, pressing his own crotch into the younger man’s rear, “Cause I know I am Michael.” There were cheers from the lads as the goal was scored by Jack, and Geoff let Michael go. Michael turned around, breathing heavily.
“I fucking hate you.” Michael said, “Getting me all worked up and you’re just gonna leave me?”
“But Michael, we’re in a public place…” Geoff replied, reiterating Michael’s words from a few moments ago and grinning.
“Screw you.” Michael said, grabbing Geoff’s wrists and dragging him away off the beach and towards the forest.
“No Michael, that is exactly what I will do to you.” He grinned, thinking that he was going to enjoy this as they disappeared from sight of the beach.
“Hey, guys? Where did Michael go?” Gavin asked, as they sat down under the umbrella.
“I saw Michael dragging Geoff off that way into the forest.” Ray replied, flopping down, “Although how they’ve got the energy to do anything right now is beyond me.” Gavin pouted for a moment, the exact moment that Jack took a picture.
“Jack, delete that picture right away!” Gavin yelled, pointing a finger at the camera.
“It’s cute Gavin. You’ve got this little childish pout and…”
Gavin leapt at Jack, who held the camera out of reach.
“Get off me Gavin! You’ll destroy the camera like this!” Jack yelled, trying to push Gavin off.
Ryan grabbed Gavin and threw him back down on the sand.
“Stop being an idiot. The photo’s fine.” Ryan told him, “Or I will be forced to do something about it.”
“Like what?” Gavin replied, licking his lips nervously. He was seriously aroused, after the antics of Ryan stopping him playing the game and where his hands went, and this dominating figure standing over him right now.
Ryan smiled evilly, “Oh, a little like…..this.” Ryan replied, grabbing Gavin’s flailing arms and pinning them down with one hand and straddling the younger man to stop Gavin’s legs kicking.
“And what does that achieve?” Gavin said, breathing heavily.
“Well, it obviously has some effect on you, and when I do this….” Ryan shifted his hips from side to side, rocking against Gavin’s crotch.
“Ry-“ Gavin groaned. Ryan raised an eyebrow. He was shocked that so little elicited such a response from Gavin.
“Oh, Gav, are you all wound up?” Ryan teased, shifting his hips repetitively, still pinning Gavin’s arms to the ground. Gavin managed to bring his knees up and tip Ryan off balance. Ryan’s saving grace was his free hand, and he brought it down next to Gavin’s head just before their heads collided.
“You shouldn’t have done that.” Ryan growled at him. Gavin felt tense, and wound up and ready to explode, so he leant up and kissed Ryan, full on the lips. Ryan sank into the kiss, parting his lips slightly, feeling happy and content, until he heard the tell-tale click of a camera shutter behind him. He broke apart from the kiss, whipping around to find Jack grinning at picture he had just taken.
“Get rid of that picture right now.” He demanded, getting off Gavin’s middle and walking towards Jack.
“No.” Jack replied, “I’m not deleting Gavin’s, neither am I deleting this one.” Ryan huffed, but knew that Jack was in the right. He sat down back on the blanket, and smiled his half smile at Gavin, who was lying on the sand looking highly frustrated.
“Later Gavin.” Ryan promised, winking at him.
Michael and Geoff arrived back at that point, looking satisfied with themselves, and dropping their shirts on the blankets.
“Anybody want a swim?” Michael proposed with a grin.
“Yes!” Gavin cried out, jumping up and throwing off his shirt, revealing the hairy carpet he hid under it. Ryan nodded, and took off his shirt as well, followed somewhat reluctantly by Ray. Jack took a few snaps to the annoyance of Gavin, and then he too took off his shirt, and the 6 of them all headed down to the water.
Ray tried his toes in the water and backed away a little bit.
“It’s cold.” Ray said, as an excuse.
“No excuse,” Ryan replied, wading out to his hips and going under the water, before turning to face Ray who was standing on the beach. Gavin and Michael were slowly making their way out to where Ryan was, pushing and fighting with each other, taking great delight when they finally managed to dunk the other person. So far Michael was winning by a considerable amount. Geoff and Jack were closer to Ray, smiling with each other, and trading the occasional splash. Ryan frowned, everybody else was happy but Ray was standing on the edge of the water, looking lost. He swam in, ignoring the questioning look he got from Jack on the way past.
“What’s up Ray?” He asked, shaking out his hair as he stood next to the younger man.
“Water’s not always my thing.” Ray explained, “I mean, I like swimming in the pool, but the ocean hasn’t really been my thing.”
“Come here.” Ryan said, grabbing Ray in a wet hug. “What is it about the ocean you don’t like?”
“Mostly the waves.” Ray said, “Not really that used to them.”
Ryan considered things for a moment, and then an idea came to him.
“You do want to go swimming right though?” Ryan asked, “If you don’t, I’m just as happy to sit out here with you as I am swimming.”
“I do want to swim, I’m just unsure.”
Ryan knelt down and gestured to his shoulders.
“Hop on.” He said.
“Honestly, what do you think you’re doing?” Ray asked, warily.
“Either you climb on, and you ride my shoulders, or I carry you out there.” Ryan warned. “Your choice.”
Ray finally climbed onto Ryan’s shoulders, and Ryan stood up, a little unsteadily at the beginning but as they started to get into the water, he became more stable.
“Ryan…” Ray warned, suddenly unsure.
“No backing out now.” Ryan said, and they made it out to the others without too many issues.
“What are you doing up there?” Michael asked, amused. Ray suddenly looked really unsure.
“We thought about a wrestle fight.” Ryan said, suddenly coming up with the excuse.
“Dibs.” Gavin called out, as he clambered up Geoff’s frame, coming to rest on top of his shoulders, almost unbalancing Geoff as he went.
“I guess it’s you and me then.” Michael said, with a grin to Jack. As Michael got on top of Jack’s shoulders, Ryan glanced upwards.
“Are you okay up there?”
Ray looked down, and appeared more confident.
“I’m doing good.”
“You know we have to win right? Or you end up in the water?” Ryan grinned and Ray nodded.
“Bring it on.” He said.
Geoff looked questioningly at Ryan, as did Jack.
“All sorted.” Ryan said, nodding. “Everybody ready?”
There were cheers all around as Ryan spoke again.
“Hang on to your fighters, and go in 3….2….1 Go.” They all charged forwards, the riders balancing dangerously on top of their mounts.
It started with Gavin reaching for Michael at first, all because he was closest. Ryan had made his way a little more carefully into the fray than Jack and Geoff, leading to Ray having a choice of targets. As Gavin was trying to grapple Michael into the water, Ray decided to also attack Michael, and that meant Michael was fending off two attacks at once. As for the ‘mounts’, the three of them were trying to keep the balance between them and their rider, but also fighting each other. Jack let go of one of Michael’s legs in order to reach out and try and get Geoff distracted, but the unfortunate timing of Gavin pushing Michael, coupled with the fact that Jack was only holding onto one leg put Michael off balance and at an angle he couldn’t correct.
Jack realised this just as it was too late, and made a grab for Michael’s other leg but missed, and Michael splashed down, followed by Jack in a matter of seconds.
Michael surfaced, spitting salt water and curses, glowering at Gavin, both frustrated and amused at the same time.
Ryan smiled, thinking that Ray would have an easy time taking down the clumsy Gavin, and that it was the battle between him and Geoff that would be the difficult one.
As the riders and mounts split apart for a moment to size each other up, Jack grinned and leaned back in the water, getting comfortable to watch the show.
“CHARGE!” Gavin cried out and Geoff walked forward, pushing through the water and causing Ryan to jump forwards into action as well.
“R&R connection!” Ray called in response as they collided.
“Get him Ray!” Michael called out from the sideline, causing Gavin to try harder at knocking Ray off Ryan’s shoulders. Both Ray and Gavin were trying their best to push the other off, and Ryan and Geoff were having trouble staying balanced.
However it was Geoff’s move that decided the fate of the entire competition.
“Hold on!” Geoff called out to Gavin, and stepped smartly backwards a few steps.
Ray had just gotten a good grip on Gavin’s arm when Geoff stepped backwards pulling Gavin backwards as well. Ray, suddenly dragged forward, let go of Gavin’s arm, but it was too late. He was off balance too much and fell off Ryan’s shoulders, landing with a massive splash in the water.
Gavin and Geoff started cheering, but Ryan’s immediate thought was for Ray, who didn’t like the ocean. He took a couple of steps forward, frowning, and held his arms out as Ray surfaced, grabbing the younger man tightly.
“Are you okay?” Ryan asked, murmuring into Ray’s ear, keeping up the guise of a hug.
“I’m…okay.” Ray said, pulling back, “I’ll be fine.” Ryan noticed Geoff looking questioningly at him as Gavin leapt on Ray, dragging him under the water. Jack sidled up to Ryan and grabbed his arm.
“Ray will be okay on his own.” Jack said, “I have plans.”
Ryan frowned, but noticed Geoff’s understanding nod, and relaxed.
“You guys already knew.” He said, relieved.
“We suspected.” Geoff said, “I mean in preparation for this sort of thing, it’s been obvious something has been up, but he’ll be fine. Trust him.”
Geoff put his arm around Ryan’s shoulders and pointed to the lads splashing and joking, both Michael and Ray not quite as agile as Gavin as neither had their glasses on. Ryan relaxed, and realised that was a bad idea when both Geoff and Jack attacked him, dunking him. He came up spluttering, his eyes narrowed on the culprits.
“You guys are so dead.” Ryan said, staring Geoff down as he started to charge.
All six men staggered out of the water, laughing and tired, Geoff and Ray collapsing straight down onto the beach rug. Ryan laughed merrily, grabbing his town and drying himself off.
Jack immediately picked up the camera after drying himself off and started taking pictures. Geoff and Ray protested half-heartedly from their position on the rug, Gavin squawked when a picture was taken of him lying on his towel in the sun, Michael grinned at the camera catching him leaping on Gavin. Ryan didn’t even notice the picture being taken of him drying himself off until Jack grinned and beckoned the others over.
The others crowded around the camera and gawked at the picture, Jack himself caught Ryan’s eye and winked. Ryan was suddenly curious and walked over to the camera, where he took a look at the picture for himself. Ryan took one look at the picture and suddenly felt quite self-conscious, taking a few steps back from the camera and suddenly looking for something in his bag.
“Ry, I can definitely see why you were a model in your younger days.” Gavin murmured in Ryan’s ear, leaning over the older man.
Ryan shrugged Gavin off, the younger man looking frustrated as Ryan walked over to Jack.
“Before you ask, no I won’t delete it.” Jack said, without looking away from the peephole of the camera as he took another photo.
“Jack, please.” Ryan said gently, placing his hand on the younger’s arm.
“No. The rule was that no photo gets deleted unless we all agree, and I know for a fact that Gavin at least, won’t agree. I suspect none of the lads will. I like it.”
Ryan huffed, but knew what Jack said was true.
“Fine.” Ryan said, sitting down, suddenly ending up with a lapful of Gavin. Jack chuckled but put the camera back in the camera bag and lay down on the rug next to Geoff.
“Did I do something wrong?” Gavin asked, unsure of why Ryan had shrugged him off.
“No, you didn’t.” Ryan said, avoiding looking at Gavin, “That picture just made me very flustered all of a sudden.”
“It shouldn’t have.” Ray piped up from his spot on the sand, “It was a hot photo Ry.”
Ryan laughed slightly at that, but turned his face away.
“Ry, I know how to make you feel better….” Gavin murmured, shifting in Ryan’s lap and subtly started grinding himself against Ryan. Ryan felt blood rush south all of a sudden, and the feeling intensified as Gavin started nibbling at his neck.
“Gav…” Ryan said, slightly breathless. Gavin made no sign that he had heard or was listening as he shifted and his hands started running the length of Ryan’s body, drifting down to the older man’s waistband and untying the cord that was holding his swimming shorts up.
“Gavin.” Ryan said, grabbing Gavin’s hands. “Stop.”
Gavin whined, and started wriggling in Ryan’s lap, both of them acutely aware of a growing problem. Two growing problems actually. Ryan pushed Gavin off his lap and onto the sand.
“I don’t do exhibitionism.” Ryan growled, leaning over the younger man.
“But Ry…” Gavin panted, hot with desire.
“No.” Ryan said firmly, sitting back down. “Later…I promise.”
“Gavin, none of us are really exhibitionists.” Ray reminded him, “Michael and Ryan least of all.”
Gavin huffed, muttering something about “being a hot tease” but lay there for a minute, before Michael took pity on the younger man and challenged him to a sandcastle building competition. Ray was grumpily dragged from his warm spot in the sun out to the competition field, but participated nonetheless. Ryan grabbed Jack’s camera from the bag and took a few snaps of the lads building sandcastles together. Gavin was trying to build a massive sandcastle, Michael was trying to do some fiddly bits and Ray was just happy with a plain mound that he was decorating. Ryan grinned to himself as Gavin got too close to Michael’s castle yet again and was pushed away. He was about to mention this fact to the other two gents when he glanced down and found they were fast asleep.
Ryan grinned at that as well, and took a few snaps of the two men cuddled up to each other, fast asleep, knowing he could always use it as part of a bribery deal, or blackmail, depending on how you looked at it. Before long, Gavin’s castle, was predictably, looking rather wobbly and the man himself stepped forward to try and make it more stable near the top, in doing so he leant forward to grab a bucket, overbalanced and landed on both his and Michael’s sandcastles, leading to a strangled cry from Michael, as he got ready to leap on Gavin. Ryan took a few more quick snaps, capturing the action, before hurriedly putting the camera back in the bag and grabbing his wallet out of his bag and almost running out to the field to stop Michael killing Gavin.
“You three,” He said, as he arrived just in time to stop the fight form happening, “Before you all kill each other, Geoff and Jack are asleep, so let’s go off and get ice-cream, without them.”
Ray looked happy at the prospect of free food, Michael was glowering at Gavin, but nodded and Gavin ran over and grabbed Ryan’s arm, putting Ryan between himself and Michael. Ryan sighed but grinned as well, knowing that he was going to be the adult in this situation. Gavin clung to one side of Ryan, Michael grabbed the other, and Ray was happy just holding onto Michael’s free hand.
Ryan looked at the other three and shook his head, smiling. “I swear I’m the adult most of the time and you guys are just the unruly kids.”
Michael stuck his tongue out at Ryan, causing Ray to laugh. Gavin just moved closer to Ryan, almost tripping the older man. Ryan stopped, and glared at him.
“Gavin, there is a limit as to how far this ‘acting as children’ thing can go. You don’t need to almost trip me to have my attention.” Gavin pouted at this fact, but took a step further away.
“Good.” Ryan said, leaning down and kissing Gavin on the cheek.
“What about me?” Michael protested loudly.
“What about you?” Gavin teased, grinning. Ryan mock cuffed Gavin around the ear and then leant down and kissed Michael as well, before pulling Ray in and giving him a kiss as well.
They ended up without too much fuss at the dairy next to the campground by the beach which, when entered, appeared to have almost every living thing ever created by man. Not only was it a small supermarket, it also doubled as a fruit and vegetable shop, and a book store. It sold camping equipment, stationary, fuel from a small pump outside and most importantly, icecream.
“Now, you have a choice, you can either get a scooped icecream, or an icecream or ice block from the freezers. Once you’ve decided, bring it back here.” Ryan told them, knowing he needed to remind them or they would forget about the possibility of a scooped icecream in a cone. Gavin rushed off towards the freezers, followed by Michael, but Ray stood next to Ryan. Ryan looked at Ray questioningly.
“I’d like a scooped one, but I’m not gonna get it until those idiots have made up their mind. I don’t want it to melt.” Ray said simply, shrugging his shoulders. Ryan nodded at that statement and wrapped his arm around Ray.
From the back of the shop came the usual sounds of Nice Dynamite messing around, before Michael appeared from around a shelf, with Gavin trailing behind. Michael put his chosen icecream on the counter, a sundae like pot and Ryan raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Gavin hid put his down on the counter after Michael and it was a basic lemonade iceblock. Ryan shook his head, he had been expecting something more complex from Gavin but smiled and got out his wallet to pay for the icecreams. Ray chose his flavours, and Ryan followed him as the other two grabbed their icecreams and ran outside to sit on the stone wall overlooking the beach. Ryan made his own way out slowly, enjoying the flavours of his chocolate and mint icecream. Michael was tucking into his icecream with great gusto, as was Ray but as Ryan sat down, he glanced across at Gavin, who was unwrapping his iceblock slowly. Gavin smiled wickedly at Ryan as he slowly slid the iceblock into his mouth, keeping eye contact the entire time. As Ryan watched, Gavin slid the iceblock out of his mouth, licking his lips as he looked down at the iceblock. His tongue darted out and licked the end of the iceblock a few times, swirling around the top of the cylindrical iceblock before it disappeared slowly back into Gavin’s mouth. Ryan’s cheeks heated up when he realised what Gavin was doing and looked at the other two, who seemed oblivious to what Gavin was doing. Ryan’s eyes were drawn back to the irresistible sight, knowing that blowjobs from Gavin were few and far between, but knowing that just the image presented was getting him hot under the collar. Ryan looked away and started eating his own icecream, but was aware of Gavin smirking beside him.
“Getting a little hot and bothered there love?” Gavin murmured quietly, smirking. “I can fix that you know.”
Ryan shuddered as he felt Gavin’s breath on his neck and felt Gavin’s hand running up his thigh.
“Gavin.” Michael’s voice cut into the moment and for that Ryan was grateful.
“Seriously dude, you’re iceblock is melting, and you were the most excited for icecreams.”
Gavin pouted but sat back down, and Ryan flashed him a grateful smile.
Michael just smirked as he leant across and murmured, “You owe me one.” Ryan just hummed in agreement, despite not being able to keep his eyes off Gavin.
Ice-creams were finished in silence and Ryan quickly ducked inside to grab two ice blocks for the Geoff and Jack who hadn’t come along before they set back along the beach. It wasn’t long before they came across their camp, and a panting Jack and Geoff. Ryan noticed Michael smiling and winking, and it was obvious what had just occurred.
“Here.” Ryan said, handing the two their ice blocks, “Looks like you need something to cool down.”
The other two gents accepted gratefully, looking at each other with relieved glances that the other four were not going to say anything.
Ryan sat down next to the other two, ready to relax himself and Ray curled up against him, ready to do the same thing.
“Hey Ray.” Ryan murmured, putting an arm around the younger man. “Enjoying yourself?”
“Mmmh.” Ray muttered, but it was obviously a ‘yes’.
There was silence as the other two gents cooled off with iceblocks and then Gavin sat up suddenly, a crafty smirk on his face. Or what passed as an attempted crafty smirk anyway.
“What?” Geoff asked, warily, “What now?”
“Micoo…” Gavin said, sidling up to the other man.
“What?” Michael snapped back, unsure of what was being asked.
“I bet you won’t go skinny dipping.” Gavin said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.
“Why would I?” Michael said, raising his eyebrows in surprise.
“Because I dare you to.” Gavin completed, and leant back on his hands.
“Gavin…” Jack called out warningly, but Michael waved the concern away.
“I will. I will take your dare, but what’s in it for me?”
“Anything you want.”
“You mean you’ll be my little subservient lad for a night?”
“If that’s what you want Michael.” Gavin replied, “But only if you do the dare.”
Michael grinned and stood up, dropping everything below his waist straight onto the sand and walking down the beach and into the waves as if he had no cares in the world.
“What….” Gavin spluttered.
“You dared him to.” Geoff laughed, “And you presented such a pretty prize as well. There was no way he could refuse, despite it being an illegal thing.”
Jack took a picture of Gavin’s face and everybody laughed as Gavin huffed in the sand, right next to Michael’s board shorts. Jack took a few more pictures, Michael in the surf, and Ray curled up against Ryan who was looking slightly amused at the entire situation. Michael seemed to be having a right old time in the surf, paying no heed to the fact that he was completely naked.
It wasn’t long before a group of twenty-somethings came and set up their beach mats and umbrellas for an evening picnic nearby, just as Michael was starting to head back towards shore. Gavin grinned at this, thinking that Michael would refuse to come out of the surf until somebody came down with his board shorts to put on. Probably Ryan.
Ryan was thinking the same thing, grabbing the board shorts before Gavin could, and disturbing Ray in the process. Gavin squawked as the shorts were pulled out from underneath his hand and he fell over, but he couldn’t fault Ryan for his quick thinking.
Gavin smirked as he walked a bit closer to the waves and faced off against Michael who was standing waist deep in the ocean.
“What are you gonna do now?” Gavin asked, smirking.
Michael looked at the group nearby and at the bemused faces of the gents sitting under their umbrella and he smiled at Gavin.
“Get out.” He said simply, and walked straight out of the ocean and up towards their umbrella, ignoring the gaping mouth of Gavin’s surprised face, and also ignoring the noises from the other camp, including a few gasps, a scream and quite a few admiring looks from both men and women alike.
He grabbed the shorts from Ryan, who was holding them out with a bemused smile and put them on, before flopping down on his towel and lounging back.
“Close that mouth before something flies into it.” He called out to Gavin, who had turned to watch him pass, but not yet managed to get the expression of surprise off his face. He laughed when Gavin stormed up the beach and stood over him, demanding to know what had gotten into him.
“What can I say Gavin, I was dared to.” He replied, before sighing.
Gavin huffed and flopped down onto his towel and Ryan came over, and sat down behind Michael.
“You didn’t have to.” Ryan said, massaging Michael’s shoulders. “You didn’t have to come out like that. I would have happily brought your shorts down to you.”
“I know.” Michael replied, “But the prise was worth it. Besides, I think I got a thrill from it, like Gavin does. It was daring knowing that everybody could see me, but I realised I didn’t care anymore.”
“And so goes my last line of defense against Gavin’s exhibitionism.” Ryan sighed, his hands moving lower down Michael’s back, and Michael grumbled in pleasure as Ryan worked the knots out of Michael’s back.
“Just try it Ry. Trust me.”
“Ryan shook his head, “Call me old fashioned, but I don’t think it’s quite for me.”
“You never know…” Michael replied craftily and stretched, “I needed that.”
“No worries.”
“Anybody up for one last swim?” Geoff proposed, “Before we leave? It’s starting to get colder and we should start heading home soon.”
“I will.” Gavin said, jumping up and following Jack, who was already half way to the ocean.
“Michael?” Geoff queried, “Ray? Ryan?”
“I’m good thanks, just having had a swim and all.” Michael said with a lazy grin.
Ray waved Geoff’s question away without opening his eyes and rolled onto his side, curling into a ball.
Ryan nodded, “I’ll be there in a second.” Geoff took off towards the surf and Ryan extricated himself from behind Michael and disengaged his leg from under Ray’s before taking off for the surf as well, looking forward to the exercise.
Ryan swum back and forth, almost doing laps;, Gavin took great delight in a splash fight with Jack, and Geoff was just happy to float on his back and toss the occasional splash Gavin’s way when the splash fight ended up on him. Before long though, they left the surf and packed up their area, taking every scrap of rubbish home with them. Ryan piggybacked a very tired Ray back to the car, and even the always energetic Gavin Free was acting tired by the time they got back to the car. Geoff grabbed the driver’s seat again, and Jack got in the passenger’s seat. Between the three gents, they managed to get the lads piled into the middle seat, and like usual, Ryan took the back seat along with all the gear.
It wasn’t long before they were on their way and well before half way home, Ryan noticed that the three lads had drifted off to sleep in the middle, curled against each other, but had no energy to point out that fact and instead put his book down, after reading the same line four times, and before long he felt himself drifting off as well.
It was about an hour into the journey when Geoff glanced in the rear vision mirror and saw a sight that warmed his heart.
The lads were fast asleep in the middle seat, all curled up against each other, dead to the world. Ryan was leant over the back of the seat, his arms wrapped around Michael and Ray, who were the ones on the outside. Ryan glanced up blearily, half awake, but he was mostly away with the fairies as he tried not to sleep. Geoff leant across and tapped Jack’s knee and gestured to the back. Jack grinned as he looked between the front seats and saw the image behind him. He took the camera out of the bag and snapped a few pictures of the scene as they continued homeward to the home all 6 shared and adored.
