The Struggle with Secrets [Mavin Fanfiction]

The Man with Green Eyes.

Michael woke up to the world's most horrendous hangover. The man almost screamed when light passed through the curtains and smacked him square on the face. Michael did not want to wake up that morning, but Ray had to ruin it, just like the little shit he is.

"Good morning, sunshine!," Ray sang as he burst through the door. Michael groaned and turned away from the Puerto Rican male, murmuring a "fuck you," before drifting off again. Ray tsked. "Now Michael," his voice mimicked that of a disappointed mother, "you know better than that. That's your punishment for drinking." Michael threw a pillow at him, which Ray failed to dodge. There was a smile on the older man's face that he was trying to hide, but failed miserably. "Fine, mom. I'll get up." Though with the mention of mothers, Michael felt that all too familiar knife cut through his heart. (Shot through the heart! And your too late! You give love a-no? Oh. Okay than, fuck me.)

Ray pumped a fist in the air and whooped victoriously. Michael chuckled as the younger male skipped out of the room. Michael got up and stretched. After successfully doing so, he walked out of his room and went into the kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it with water. After sipping some, Michael walked into the bathroom and looked through the medicine cabinet, finding the correct pills for his headache, he then swallowed two with his glass of water. (Btw, I've never swallowed a pill. I can't do it. I'm a wuss.)

He didn't bother looking in the mirror, he tries to avoid looking at himself as much as possible. He turned on the shower and removed his night clothes. Afterward, he stepped into the warm water and let out a sigh. For about a few minutes, Michael just stood there, thinking about a lot of things, that is, until he realized that he had a job. 'Oh fuck!' He immediately finished washing himself and stepped out of the shower. Grabbing a towel and drying himself of completely, he walked into his bedroom, throwing on some comfortable clothes.

After placing his beanie on his slightly wet hair and adjusting his glasses, Michael grabbed his usual necessities and walked into the kitchen, where he found a note from Ray.

'Dear sweetheart, I've left pretty early to get to work to finish some stuff. I woke you up pretty early just because I'm an asshole and you have to suffer with me. You're welcome, btw. Anyway, go get breakfast somewhere, you got time. Love, roses. No seriously. I love roses.'

Michael chuckled. 'What a fucking jerk.' He made sure he had his wallet and other things before he locked the apartment and closed the door. Even though it was almost autumn, summer was still apparent here in Texas, because the heat slapped Michael in the face. He let out a sigh, which was very close to being a whine, and made his way out of the apartment complex. Luckily, Michael knew where a good coffee shop was because of the small tour Ray had given him when he arrived here. He walked towards the shop and studied his surroundings.

Texas was definitely different from New Jersey. And a bit quieter, which he found was very appealing and relaxing. Arriving at his destination, Michael opened the door to be greeted by the cool air of the AC. He smiled as the fresh scent of coffee wrapped around him. The place was kinda busy, but Michael didn't mind. 'It's about 6:35, so I got a good bit of time.' He relaxed a bit, seeing as he was third in line. He already had an idea of what he wanted, so he looked around.

The store's main color pattern was light brown and white, understandable since it was a coffee shop. There were a few people, most in suits and were wearing tired and grumpy faces. Michael almost chuckled at the sight. That's when he felt it though. Someone was watching him. He tensed up slightly and moved up in line, someone finally finishing their order. Michael's brain processed everyone in the shop. He looked to his right and immediately locked eyes with the culprit.

The man was the definition of attractive. Michael wasn't nervous nor scared to think this, having know his sexuality for a long time now. This man had dirty blonde hair, that seem to suggest he just got out of bed, but it suited him. His skin was a nice tan, but it looked natural. He was skinny and about an inch taller than Michael, who could tell even though the man was sitting down. His nose was a bit big, but it laid perfectly on his face. The real thing that caught Michael's attention was the man's eyes. His irises were so many shades of green, that it completely took Michael's breath away.

Unfortunately, Michael saw, out of the corner of his eye, the person in front of him move away from the counter. He turned and walked up to the barista, asking for caramel coffee with cream and two chocolate muffins. He got the price, paid for it, and received his order. He grabbed the small paper bag with the muffins and his drink. He nodded to the barista and turned to leave. As he exited the door, he withhold from looking at the mysterious man, not wanting to catch those green eyes again.

Strangely, when Michael had stared at the man, his back, more accurately his scars, felt like they were on fire. He had no idea why, but shrugged it off. He notice the heat wasn't as unbearable in the morning, making Michael be extremely grateful. As he walked in the direction of his new job, he couldn't help but feel eyes on him. He picked up his pace slightly, not wanting what happened in New Jersey to reoccur.

When Michael finally entered the building, he let out a breath of relief. He turned around trying to see who was following him but only saw a blur of dirty blonde. Michael narrowed his eyes. He felt a tap on his shoulder, which almost made him scream. He turned around and saw Ray smiling. "So," he stretched the word out. Michael raised an eyebrow. "What did you get me?" Michael scoffed and walked past him and into the office. "What makes you think I got you anything?" He placed the bag and cup down and sat at his desk, which was the middle one to the right. Ray folded his arms on his chest when he sat in his desk beside Michael's. "Because you're awesome!," the Hispanic said in a high pitched whine. "I am pretty awesome, aren't I?," Michael said as he removed one of the muffins from the bag and handed it to his friend, who, in returned, grinned widely.

Ryan, Geoff, and Jack soon entered the room after Michael and Ray finished their breakfast. Geoff clapped his hands, receiving everybody's attention. "Alright, assholes! We've got work to do."