Rescue Me

One cut, two cuts, three cuts, four. It no longer hurt like it used to. Seeing the blade cut into him, feeling the skin split apart and the blood well up, it allowed Gavin Free to see his pain trickle out. He looked at his work, seven cuts on his left arm, seven days have passed already. The salty tears that leaked from the corners of Gavin's eyes fell onto the wounds that he inflicted upon himself, it stung but Gavin did not care. He looked up at the alarm clock on the table with misty eyes, 3am. He knew he should sleep, he had work the next day. He had to face Michael Jones at work tomorrow. Gavin cried into his pillow.

Gavin woke up with deep eye bags under his eyes. He had a restless sleep, pulled in and out of reality by the quietest sounds. While asleep, he saw images of the red-headed man, Michael. But those were not happy images for Gavin. Sure Michael was smiling, but not at Gavin, he was smiling because his long-time girlfriend, Lindsay Tuggey, accepted his proposal. Gavin felt his heart fall again, every night for seven nights already, he had been dreaming about Michael proposing to Lindsay.

Gavin quickly washed up as he prepared for the work. He retrieved the first aid kit from his bedside drawer and cleaned his wounds. This time it stung even more and he winced. He would not have bandaged up the wounds if not for the fact that his workmates would be horrified to see the cuts on his wrist. I slipped and nicked my wrist on the edge of the coffee table, Gavin muttered under his breath, creating a lie about his wrist so his work mates would not be suspicious.

"My boi! What happened to your hand? Your eyebags too, trying to be a vampire eh Gavvy?" Michael's eyes darted to the bandages on Gavin's arm after Gavin entered the Achievement Hunter room. The rest of guys looked over, concern in their eyes.

"I slipped and nicked my wrist on the edge of my coffee table," Gavin lied between his teeth and forced a sheepish smile.

"You pleb, you had me worried there for a second. You are that clumsy after all." Michael laughed it off. The rest of the guys chuckled, knowing how clumsy Gavin can be. They were convinced that nothing was wrong with the man and went back to work. Michael's eyes did not leave Gavin as he watch the Brit sit down at his desk. He's lying to me, Michael thought to himself. I won't push him to tell me if he doesn't want to though, he'll tell me on his own time.

---

Gavin Free was shaking as he walked into the RoosterTeeth building, it was his first day and he did not know what to expect. He felt like he stood out like a sore thumb, everyone was American but him and his distinct British accent. Geoff Ramsey, Jack Patillo, Michael Jones, Ryan Haywood and Ray Narvaez Jr. were all sitting at the Achievement Hunter room, not all of them were official main crew yet but he knew that they were a good team.

The boys all turned to look when they heard the door open. Gavin felt his face grow warm as he immediately looked down, all of them were looking at him curiously. Burnie Burns, their boss introduced Gavin to the group, saying that he was officially hired to be a part of the Achievement Hunter crew. Gavin looked up and smiled at them, offering only a meek greeting. They all chuckled at him as they made him comfortable. No one else made him as comfortable as Michael had.

Gavin always found himself catching glances at the red-headed rage-filled man. He could not help himself as he soaked up the brilliance that was Michael Jones. He imagined his fingers entangled in the red curly mop of hair that Michael sported. He spent his time while not editing or filming counting the number of freckles Michael had peppered on his face. He wondered what it would be like to be kissing and suckling on the lush lips that Michael had. Gavin wanted nothing more than to touch Michael's bare skin, feeling the lean muscles that Michael had spent time working on.

Gavin knew that they were never meant to be. Michael fell hard and fast in love with Lindsay Tuggey, another RoosterTeeth employee. Gavin was too enthralled by Michael to fall for anyone else. He knew that no one should ever know this secret. It would hurt the special relationship that he and Michael shared, it would throw a wrench in Michael and Lindsay's relationship and it would make everything just that much harder to deal with. It's just enough being friends. It's enough that I get to spend time with him at work, and we hang out sometimes too. Me and my boi, that's enough, Gavin thought bitterly to himself. It was not enough but Gavin managed to delude himself into thinking that it was.