Archive of Our Own ^beta

Michael always got shit for being a Faunus.

The long auburn tail that hung from his lower back was a mark of shame that he wore proudly, taking the ridicule and racial slurs that were flung his way.

Sure he could hide it, but what kind of pussy would he be then? He'd be one of the 'pseudo-humans', and to be found as that was a mark of shame. Of course, all of the bullying he endured as a child and even as a young adult gave him a tough exterior and a strong distaste for humans, but he still yearned for equality.

So when he was able to acquire a job at an organization called Rooster Teeth, he was pretty damn stoked.

Burnie Burns, the man who hired him, seemed nice enough. As he was given a tour, none of the employees seemed to pay much attention to him, some of them even stopping to smile or greet him. For once, Michael didn't feel any racism within the confines of the building, and he genuinely couldn't wait to start work. Sure, he was the only Faunus there, but most Faunus tended to have a specific demographic of work, such as dock workers, gardeners and maids, and people who worked in seclusion.

Though he would have to be in close proximity with humans, something he spent a good majority of his time trying to desperately avoid, he would not only be doing what he loved (playing video games for a living!), he would also be getting paid the same as a human, something that was quite a rarity for a Faunus to find. He bragged to his friends later that night in their usual hang-out spot.

Faunus usually only came out at night. Not only did they have fantastic night vision, but less humans were out at the time, which heavily decreased the risk of being cursed at or mugged.

"I'm telling you, guys, this is gonna be the start of something awesome." He had lounged in a tree, eating a banana as he boasted. The other Faunus were skeptical, of course, which only made him more determined to show he could do well at the new job.

Only Lindsay, his best friend and a Faunus with red cat ears, had stood by him.

"I think it's great! This really shows the potential for humans to accept us. Why, I'm sure they're fantastic people!" She exclaimed with a happy purr, and Michael rolled his eyes.

"Calm down there. I'm sure these humans are scum like the rest. Just... less scummy." He said, and Lindsay's ears drooped. She always saw the good in people. No matter how many times she was beat, bloodied, or brought down by filthy humans, she still saw the good in them. She loved the damned things, and Faunus ridiculed her for it. Michael considered her a little sister, and he took care of her as such, taking several punches and even a stab for her.

"I still think it's gonna be good for you. Maybe you could meet someone." She waggled her eyebrows and Michael gagged.

"With a filthy human? You've gotta be kidding me. I think I'd rather fucking die." He rearranged himself so he was swinging by his tail, rocking back and forth slowly.

"You never knowwwwww. Love has a way of sneaking up on you!" She giggled, prancing away as Michael was left to snort at the very notion.

-

His tail was brushed, his shirt nice and flat, and his glasses on neatly (it was rare for a Faunus to wear glasses, and it was only in the sun that he had to wear them. His night vision was perfect). He was definitely ready.

He had taken two steps into the office when a man with messy dark hair and dark eyes scoffed at him.

"Guys, someone left the door open and an animal snuck in." The man called out to no one in particular, cackling as he walked away. Michael growled, tail wrapping instinctively around his middle as the fur on it puffed out angrily. He should have known that even this place wouldn't be any different, no matter how nice it had seemed the first day.

"Ignore him. He's only joking. Joel likes to joke around a lot, but he's never serious." Geoff, a laid back man that would be the boss of where he was, stood beside him, patting him encouragingly on the shoulder. Michael's tail flattened back out and he stroked the tip of it, a habit he had done since he was young to calm himself down.

"C'mon, I'll lead you to the Achievement Hunter office and introduce you to the guys." Geoff gestured for him to follow, leading him into a small office-like area where four men sat working, three at desks and one perched on the couch. Michael's tail stuck hidden behind his back, as it did when he was nervous.

"Hey guys! This is our new employee, Michael Jones." Geoff announced and the men looked up.

A man with dark hair and glasses waved before returning to his work, uninterested. The young guy with golden-brown hair flashed him the goofiest grin Michael had ever seen, and it gave him a weird feeling, like a mixture of annoyance and warmth.

The man on the couch didn't even look up, too absorbed in his work, while the bearded ginger rose to shake his hand. Michael took it cautiously, holding back his disgust.

"Hi! I'm Jack. That guy on the couch is Ryan. He," He pointed at the man with glasses. "He is Ray and the last one is Gavin. You'll get our names soon enough, I'm sure." He smiled sweetly. Michael fought against the urge to roll his eyes, giving his best toothy smirk back. He liked to show humans his sharp teeth, to remind them that if they tried anything, he could bite off a chunk of their flesh lightning quick.

Jack didn't seem to notice as he showed no sign of intimidation, still smiling as he sat back down and returned to work.

"You'll be sitting there." Geoff motioned towards the empty desk beside.. Gavin? Michael was pretty sure that was his name.

Michael nodded, making sure to move his tail out of the way before sitting down; getting your tail caught under you hurt like a bitch. Gavin glanced over and caught sight of the extra appendage for the first time, his green eyes widening.

"Bloody Hell, you have a tail!" Gavin exclaimed in a thick British accent and Michael snarled.

"Yeah, so? You got a fucking problem buddy?" Michael didn't bother looking up, planning out in his head how he could take the tall, skinny man down quickly and efficiently. the moves were already playing in his head, he was just waiting for Gavin to continue with the racial slur that was sure to come.

"That is brilliant! Bloody amazing!" Gavin squealed, and Michael's head whipped up to see the younger man's face lit up with a radiant smile.

"W-what?" Michael cocked his head to the side, thoroughly confused.

"Oh, can you move it?! Is it real?" Gavin was leaning back in his chair to get a closer look and Michael's tail instinctively waved towards him. Michael recoiled it against his body defensively.

"Is this some sort of joke?" He was still waiting to get hit, possibly from behind; Geoff cleared his throat.

"Gavin grew up in a very sheltered house in England. I don't think he knows what a Faunus is." Geoff explained as Gavin scooted closer to Michael, the latter scooting farther away in response.

"Wot's a fon-is?" Gavin inquired and Michael groaned. Fuck, one of those ignorant assholes spawned from even more ignorant asshole parents who liked to pretend Faunus don't even exist.

"We're part human, part animal people, dumbass. I thought that would be fucking obvious." Michael swung his tail around and Gavin's eyes followed the motion, as if glued to it.

"That's so cool!" Gavin's smile widened even more, completely unphased by Michael's rude tone.

Michael shifted in his seat, feeling uncomfortable by the sudden rapt attention of the man. He had never been looked at in a positive way from a human, let alone by someone so excited.

"Yeah.. it's fucking awesome." Michael responded, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I can't believe I've never seen one before! I've been here for a year! Do you all have tails or are there different animals? Ooh are there panda fon-is? I love pandas! You're a monkey fon-is, right? Monkeys are great too! Do you hang from your tail? Can you lift stuff up with it? Man it must be so cool being a fon-is! I bet you get that all the time, actually! If a cat fon-is and a monkey fon-is had a baby, would it be one of the two or a totally different fon-is? Are there even cat fon-is?" Gavin was talking a mile a minute and Michael felt his mouth hanging open limply as he regarded the younger man with an expression between annoyance and confusion.

"Gavin! That's enough." Geoff interjected, clearly embarrassed as Ray snickered in the corner. Gavin shut his mouth with a pop, turning back to his work. Michael breathed a sigh of relief, moving to set his own desk up properly. He noticed, with frustration, that Gavin kept throwing little glances over at him. He could feel the anger boiling inside of him and worked to control it.

He went to set some papers on his desk but was startled by a knock on the door, throwing the papers up into the air in surprise. He snapped out his arms to catch them with lightning speed, stacking them into a neat pile before they even got near the ground.

"GOD THAT WAS BLOODY GREAT!" Gavin yelled, startling Michael once again. His tail frizzed up and he gritted his sharp teeth together as he turned to the young British boy, a look of admiration on his face.

"Fucking dammit, Gavin. Don't just yell like that!" Michael snarled, stroking the tip of his tail slowly.

"I'm sorry, Micoo, that was just so cool! You were like pow!" Gavin struck out his hand in a cobra motion to demonstrate and Michael felt his lips tug up at the corner before he grimaced at the younger man, defiantly turning back to his computer screen.

Things remained quiet until lunch. Michael snaked his tail into his bag and wrapped it firmly around a banana, pulling it out and unwrapping it before eating it with his tail so he could continue typing with both hands. He heard a loud gasp from beside him and groaned.

"You are so brilliant! How are you even doing that?! God I wish I had a tail!" Gavin was fawning over Michael like a teenage girl, and Michael had had enough.

"Do you fucking really!? My life is fucking MISERABLE! I wouldn't wish this on anyone else, and here you think it's the greatest fucking thing in the world! What is WRONG with you?" Michael yelled, stomping out of the room and taking his lunch to the staff kitchen, leaving a stunned Gavin behind him. He sat there fuming for several minutes before he heard someone enter behind him.

The chair beside him was pushed back and occupied by a familiar lanky body.

"I never knew there was a war." Gavin's voice was small and gentle, greatly contrasting his usual loud and harsh manner. Michael sighed.

"Yeah. You wouldn't, because you're ignorant. You're just like all the other humans." Michael looked down and away, his voice heavy with pain and weariness.

"But I'm not, Micoo. I don't see you as lesser, or some sort of animal. You're a person. A really cool person, but a person nevertheless. If anything, you're even more amazing. That tail is quite talented." Gavin smiled encouragingly, and Michael had to restrain his tail from finding its way towards the Brit.

"Just.. shut up, okay? I know this is some act, I know you have some hidden agenda. You humans aren't just nice. Some of you are better at hiding your hatred, like Geoff or Jack, but I fucking know it's there. I've seen the evil you can do." Michael spat out the last sentence like bile in his mouth, squeezing his eyes shut as if attempting to clear images from behind them.

"But... I'm not.." Gavin's voice was merely a whisper, and it sounded a little sad, Michael noticed.

Michael didn't say anything back, choosing instead to stand up and return to the office. Gavin didn't try to talk to him for the rest of the day.

-

"So how was the first day?" Lindsay bombarded him that night as soon as she saw him, eager for answers.

"It was... weird." Michael sighed, climbing up a tree to perch in his usual spot. "There was this guy there." He shushed Lindsay's ooh-ing noises before continuing. "He didn't even know what Faunus's were, then he thought we were the coolest thing ever. You should've seen him practically squealing every time my tail so much as twitched."

"I told you there were good people!" Lindsay pumped a fist into the air happily. "So, he thinks you're awesome, huh? I can't see why." She teased, earning a banana to the side of the head. "Owch! Okay, okay. So the guy isn't a racist asshole and he thinks Faunus are super cool. What's the problem here?" She lounged on the stone wall beside Michael's tree, devouring a can of tuna.

"It's.. not normal! He's got to be hiding something. I bet he's plotting a way to do something terrible to me, like cut off my tail!" Michael shuddered at the thought and Lindsay scoffed.

"You're thinking too much into it. I bet he's just a really cool dude. Give him a chance." She mumbled, not looking up from her meal.

"I dunno, Linds."

-

When Michael entered work the next morning, he was once again bombarded. However, it was not by Lindsay, but by Gavin.

"Hi, Micoo! I saw this on our way to work and thought you'd like it!" Gavin was smiling as bright as the morning sun and Michael rubbed at his eyes before looking down to see what was in Gavin's hands. It was a box of candy. He took it and observed it further.

It was a pack of Runtz, but the only flavor inside was the banana candies. Michael looked back between Gavin and the candy suspiciously before thinking about Lindsay's advice.

"Um.. thanks." Michael muttered and Gavin positively beamed.

"No problem, Micoo!" Gavin practically hopped back to his seat as Michael settled in next to him, placing the candy on his desk. He opened it up and ate one experimentally. Fuck, he actually really loved these candies, he realized begrudgingly, popping a handful into his mouth. Gavin giggled happily beside him and Michael snorted.

"What are you laughing about, dumbass?" Michael finally turned to him as the noises continued.

"You haven't even noticed yet!" Gavin laughed harder, leaning back in his chair.

Michael froze, hand halfway to his mouth with candies in it. Oh God, there was something in the candy, wasn't there? He was so fucking stupid! You can't fucking trust humans! He was about to spit out the candy in his mouth and run for it when he saw that Gavin was actually pointing to something on his desk. He followed the finger to see a small stuffed monkey sitting by his computer. It had wide brown eyes and auburn fur that strikingly resembled Michael's hair color.

"What the fuck is that?" Michael grunted, eyeing the thing.

"Isn't it cute? I saw it this morning while picking up my Red Bull and the candies and it reminded me of you! It even has the same colour! Plus, your desk looked so empty, I thought it needed a little something. Consider it a welcome gift!" Michael was ready to get angry, to be pissed off that Gavin was clearly making a racist joke, but the look of innocence was so pure on the Brit's face, Michael realized immediately that it wasn't meant to be a joke.

Gavin was truly trying to get him a gift. It wasn't out of malice or cruel intention, it was an actual, genuine gesture of kindness and friendship. Michael felt a blush touch his face as he looked at the little monkey. It was kinda cute, he supposed.

"That is so fucking stupid. I'm probably gonna get rid of it, asshole." He grumbled, making Gavin only smile brighter, still unphased. God, this guy was a fucking ball of joy.

"It's okay, Micoo. I know you want to say thank you." Gavin said wisely and Michael blushed even deeper, tail swishing happily behind him. He yanked on his tail roughly, keeping his head down.

He didn't remove the monkey.

-

Over the next couple weeks, Michael and Gavin became close friends, though he would never admit it to any of his Faunus friends. They usually hung out in private at Michael's apartment or the house Gavin and Geoff and his family shared, playing video games or watching movies.

Michael was comfortable around Gavin, no matter how much it annoyed him. Sure, he still distrusted humans, but he didn't really see Gavin as a human. Like the Brit had said the first day they met, they were just people.

They were playing games in Michael's apartment one day, Michael's tail flicking against Gavin's arm as it had begun to do for the past week, when Gavin suddenly paused the game and turned to Michael.

"Let's go get dinner." He said, rubbing his stomach. Michael's brow furrowed.

"I have food here..." He pointed towards his kitchen, but Gavin shook his head.

"No, I want to actually go out for dinner. C'mon, I'll pay." Gavin offered, sweetening the deal.

"Gav.. people don't really take kindly to Faunus outside, especially not a Faunus hanging out with a human." Michael pointed out, nervous.

"Oh hush. It'll be perfectly fine. Now come oooooon." He whined, yanking on Michael's tail playfully. Michael chuckled, pulling his tail back behind him.

"Fine. But if we get into a fist fight, I want you to know that I warned you." He shook a finger at Gavin.

"This is gonna be top!" Gavin squeed, grabbing his wallet off of the desk.

As they walked into the crowded restaurant, Michael felt himself become more withdrawn as disapproving stares bore down on him.

"Table for two, please!" Gavin told the host, his voice chipper as always. The host turned to scowl at Michael.

"I'm sorry. We don't serve animals here." He wrinkled his nose like he had smelled something disgusting and Michael snarled back.

"Well, it's a good thing we are people then, huh, love?" He turned to Michael, still as calm as can be. The host looked between the two men for several more moments before reluctantly grabbing two menus and leading them to an empty table in the very back of the restaurant. As he left, Michael saw him whisper something to the waiter, who gave a short, stiff nod before walking over to their table.

"Hello sir, what can I do for you this evening?" The waiter, an older balding man with grey eyes looked directly at Gavin as if Michael wasn't even there.

"Ah yes, I'd like to start off with a coke and my friend here will take a banana daiquiri." Gavin smiled kindly at the waiter as he gave another stiff nod before shuffling off quickly.

"Was that drink okay? I thought you would appreciate it." Gavin smirked, placing his hands on the table.

"Yes, asshole, I happen to love those things." Michael snapped his tail at Gavin under the table and the latter yelped, making Michael snort. Several people turned to glare, one man in particular even leaned over to say something.

"Hey, boy." Michael assumed he was talking to Gavin. Usually if someone addressed Michael, it was 'animal' or 'savage'.

"Are you some kinda animal loving freak? You get off on having a mutated creature for a boyfriend?" Michael hopped up at that, growling down at the man. He had a big beard and his front tooth was chipped. He stood up as well, easily towering over Michael.

Michael was about to lay into to him when, to his surprise, Gavin intervened.

"So wot if he is my boyfriend, huh?" Gavin growled, sounding more menacing than Michael had ever heard him. Gavin reached down and held Michael's hand tightly, glaring daggers at the behemoth. "He's a bloody person, and a damned good one at that. And I would bet all of my quid that he's more of a man than you! You should feel disgusted, all of you should!" He shouted, turning to the other people in the restaurant. "So what if he has a tail? He is a living, breathing person with emotions and feelings, and he happens to be the most important person in my damn life. So you shut your fucking mouth about my boyfriend, you hear that?" He snarled, pulling Michael forward. "C'mon, Micoo, let's get out of here."

He stomped out of the restaurant, still muttering under his breath as he drug Michael down the road.

"Wow Gav, I've never seen you so mad before." Michael mused, painfully aware that their fingers were still intertwined. Gavin stopped when they hit the park, sitting down on a nearby bench. Michael sat beside him, and Gavin let out a huff of air.

"I just hate that you have to go through that. You don't deserve that; none of you do!" He frowned and Michael hated the sight of it.

"So.. what was the whole boyfriend thing about?" Michael piped up, wanting to change the subject (and maybe a little bit curious, considering their hands were still locked together).

"Oh.. that." It was dark outside, and Michael was able to see the faint blush creep up Gavin's cheeks. "Well, I was hoping the dinner would be a bit more romantic than that, but that didn't really go so well..." He trailed off, muttering to himself. Michael's eyes widened.

"Gavin Free, were you trying to take me on a date?" He mock-gasped and Gavin's lips quivered into an embarrassed smile. Michael smirked.

"That MAY have been my intent." His voice was quiet and Michael was thankful he had extra-sensitive hearing.

"Is this your way of asking me to be your boyfriend?" Michael scooted closer, their faces slowly leaning in.

"Is it working?" Gavin whispered, voice hoarse as their faces inched together.

"You tell me.." Michael breathed out, and then their lips were connected. Michael used his free hand to grip the back of Gavin's head and deepen the kiss further, biting Gavin's lower lip softly with his less sharp teeth. Gavin's hand ran down Michael's side and rested on his hip, gripping it tightly as he slid his tongue into Michael's mouth, flicking it around and exploring it further.

Michael let out a low, throaty groan as he sucked on Gavin's tongue, fisting his fingers into golden brown locks.

He pulled back, panting for air, and that's when he saw them. His eyes narrowed in on the small group of Faunus watching the scene and his blood ran cold.

"Fuck." He whispered, and Gavin smiled.

"I know." The Brit replied, not understanding what was happening.

"I.. uh, I gotta go, okay?" Michael tried to keep the panic out of his voice as he hopped off the bench, stroking the tip of his tail nervously. Gavin noticed the nervous tick and frowned.

"Is it because of me?" He asked, concerned.

"Of course not! I just.. I have to do something. I'll call you tomorrow. And.. thanks." He leaned in to give Gavin a quick peck and could feel the rage radiating from his fellow brothers. Gavin's human eyes were too weak to see them in the darkness, and Michael was thankful.

"Um.. okay." Gavin sounded disappointed, but he didn't question it. "I'm not too far from my house, so I'll walk there. If you need me, for any reason, I'll be there." He sighed sadly before turning in the opposite direction and walking away. As soon he was out of sight, Michael sprinted towards his waiting pack.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" Michael chuckled nervously, attempting to sound nonchalant.

"We saw you with the human." A male Faunus with long horns protruding from either side of his head spoke up, his voice menacing. "We can no longer allow you here."

"W-what?" Michael's eyes widened in fear. "B-but you can't! Who will watch Lindsay? This is part of my home!" He yelled, panic filling him.

"Lindsay is safe back at her house; she does not need you. You have kissed a disgusting human, and you must be punished and never allowed to see us again. We will have moved by then anyways."

"Moved? Where will you even go!? Wait, did you say pun-" Several Faunus jumped onto him, kicking and punching and biting any part of him that they could reach, brutally tearing and bruising flesh.

He screamed out in pain but the park was deserted; no one would help a Faunus anyways.

The pain was excruciating, and it was quite a while before he finally passed out.

-

Michael awoke several hours later in a bush. His eyes stung with tears and blood and his entire body was sticky with the red substance. He tried to move and yelped out in pain.

Everything hurt. His skin, his muscles, his very soul seemed to hurt. He pushed himself up with great difficulty and limped down the street, unsure of what to do. A gash on his head was still dripping blood and he was extremely grateful no one was around; he didn't need to get beat again. He found his feet walking him towards Gavin's house and decided it was the safest place to go, even if he didn't want Gavin to see him this way.

He knocked on the door with great effort, each breath he took felt like he was being shot.

"Coming!" He heard Gavin's chipper voice call and sighed in relief.

The door opened to show a smiling Gavin, a look that quickly changed to one of pure horror.

"Michael, what happened!" Gavin yelled, tears welling up in his eyes.

"F-faunus.." Michael collapsed, barely being caught by Gavin in time.

"GEOFF! Get the First Aid Kid!" Gavin screamed into the house, carefully guiding Michael inside.

"Why do I-" Geoff cut off mid-sentence when he caught a look of his employee. "Fuck. Griffon, get the medical supplies! Millie, go to your room!" A loud 'Awww' was heard from the little girl in the other room but she obeyed. Gavin led Michael to the couch, sitting him down as gingerly as he possibly could.

"Oh my God, Michael. I can't believe this happened to you." Gavin let out a choked sob. "This is all my fault."

"D.. don't... bl-blame... yourself." Michael rasped out; breathing was becoming extremely difficult and he felt light-headed. He looked down for the first time to see his clothes tattered and torn, every inch of his skin covered in blood, deep gashes, bruises, and bite marks.

Griffon rushed in with a large box and gasped. "Michael, honey! Fucking Christ, I can't believe those racist assholes!" She grimaced.

"No.. Faunus did this to him." Gavin informed her and she gasped again.

"Faunus? But why?" Faunus very rarely attacked their own kind.

"It's because they saw us kissing, isn't it?" Gavin hissed out, guilt lining his features. Michael hesitated before slowly nodding, clutching his side as a stab of pain went through him.

"He's definitely got a broken rib, and he's lost too much blood. We need to take him to the hospital." Griffon observed, cleaning a deep bite mark with a wet cloth only for more dark red blood to come spurting out.

"N-no...hosp..." Michael breathed out, his words turning into groans of pain.

"He's right, babe. They'd only turn him away. You've had medical training. Can't you help?" Geoff nudged his wife. She frowned, deep in thought, her eyes resting on Gavin's pleading face.

"...I'll see what I can do." She sighed loudly. "But you guys need to leave."

"G..Ga..." Michael reached out a hand weakly and Gavin took it in his own, squeezing gently.

"It's gonna be okay, love. You're gonna be perfectly fine." He smiled encouragingly, but his tears betrayed him.

"I'm gonna give you this shot, okay Michael? It's gonna put you to sleep so I can work more effectively." Michael's eyes hazed over and he clawed desperately towards Gavin.

"Ga...Gav..."

-

For the second time in 24 hours, Michael woke up in extreme pain. This time, however, he was in a fluffy bed. He looked around and recognized it as Gavin's room.

He caught a glimpse of his lower body and groaned. A majority of it was bandaged, and what wasn't covered up in gauze was a dark purple from bruising.

"Fuck." He gasped. At least it didn't hurt to breathe as bad.

He heard shuffling in the other room and thought about making a louder noise to alert them that he was awake, but his throat was incredibly dry.

He spotted a glass of water on the night stand and stretched out his tail to get it, confused when he wasn't able to reach. He looked down and screamed in horror.

A fourth of his tail was gone, the tip completely severed. He held it in his hand like a wounded animal, tears rolling down his cheeks.

Gavin rushed through the door, slamming it against the wall as he pushed it open with all the force he could.

"OH GOD ARE YOU OKAY?!" He yelled, terrified that something else was horribly wrong. Michael only held up his tail, whimpering incoherently.

"Ohh." Gavin sat on the edge of the bed, stroking Michael's hair. "... it was really important to you, huh?"

Michael nodded, taking deep breaths. "The animal parts of a Faunus are sacred to them. To have them cut down or damaged, especially by another Faunus, is the worst dishonor you can do to us." He petted down the frayed fur, squeezing his eyes shut. He felt a soft hand on the side of his face as Gavin wiped away a tear from his cheek.

"I'm so sorry, love." Gavin wasn't quite sure what to do. He didn't understand the feeling of pure pain in Michael's heart.

"Shh. Just c'mere." Michael pulled Gavin in and held him close, nuzzling his nose into the crook of the Brit's neck. "I just need to be held for a while." Michael took in a deep breath, inhaling Gavin's scent. He smelled like flowery soap and nerves.

"I'm so sorry this happened. It's all my fault. If I had just..." Gavin let out a little cry and Michael grabbed his chin with his thumb and pointer finger, directing his face until they were looking at one another.

"This isn't your fault. It's not even mine. It's ignorance, Gavin. It's on both sides. Before... before I met you, I hated humans. If we had caught a Faunus kissing a human the way I kissed you, I cant say with complete certainty I wouldn't have joined in on beating him..." Michael kissed Gavin's nose. "Before I met you, of course. You changed me. Hell, you probably saved me from the horrible monster I was becoming. So please, don't you dare feel even a tiny bit of guilt." He pulled Gavin in again, nibbling on his lower lip teasingly before plunging in for a deep kiss, yanking on his hair a bit. Gavin moaned into his mouth at this, only making Michael push forward more, their tongues fighting for dominance. Gavin leaned in closer, accidentally rubbing against a bandage.

Michael hissed. "Ow. Okay, fuck. Maybe not the best time to be doing this. Later." Michael chuckled, rubbing the offending spot.

"Is that a promise, Michael Jones?" Gavin smirked coyly and Michael chuckled, sucking on Gavin's neck and making him gasp.

"You bet your sweet ass it is."

-

(Because you fucking know you want some Faunus!Michael and Human!Gavin action, baby.)

It had been months of lingering kisses and teasing touches, but Michael was finally healed enough, and his hands were itching to be all over his cute little British boyfriend.

He answered the door on the first knock, an apron secured tightly around him with small smudges of food on it. His tail poked out of the back, which was officially three feet, ten inches long, hitching it up. The tail was currently wrapped around a giant spoon, swaying carelessly behind him.

"Hello, love." Gavin smiled brightly, producing a bouquet of flowers from behind his back. Michael scrunched up his nose, laying a kiss on Gavin's cheek.

"We are so fucking cheesy." Michael chuckled, taking the flowers and placing them on the kitchen sink, making a mental note to prepare a vase later.

"It's okay, Micoo. I know you want to say thank you." Gavin teased, kicking off his shoes as he shut the door behind him.

"I made banana cream pie." Michael hummed, dropping the wooden spoon into the sink as he passed it. "I figured it'd make a nice midnight snack. Oh! And we should probably keep a piece for Lindsay. She's coming for dinner tomorrow." Lindsay had gotten away from the little group of Faunus's when they had tried to move on without Michael, and was now living happily without them.

"How are she and Barbara doing?" Gavin poked his head into the kitchen as he removed his jacket, watching Michael's ass like a hawk as he bent down to open the oven. Michael noticed and wiggled his hips teasingly.

"Fantastic. They seem really happy. Lindsay's always had a thing for bunny ears." Michael jumped up as he felt a firm hand on his right ass cheek. He placed the pie carefully on the top of the stove and threw off the mittens before turning around.

"Hello there, lovely." Gavin murmured, flicking his tongue over Michael's neck.

"Mr. Free, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to seduce me." Michael sighed out, wrapping his arms around Gavin's neck.

"Mmm it's a shame you know better." Gavin grazed his lips up to Michael's jawbone, leaving feather-light kisses. He grabbed Michael's ass more firmly, lifting him up to sit on the corner and worming his way in between his legs. He caressed his hands downwards, stopping on Michael's thighs.

"Hmm maybe I don't." Michael mouthed against Gavin's mandible, a cocky smirk touching his lips.

"Y'know, those clothes would look so much better on your floor." His eyes went up and down Michael's body and the older man shuddered. "You should leave the apron on, though. I like it." He picked Michael up again and the Faunus wrapped his strong legs around Gavin's body like he was Michael's favorite tree. Gavin continued as he carried Michael towards the bedroom, kissing his neck to accentuate each word.

"Maybe one with more frills. You'd look good in frill." Gavin bit at the soft skin and Michael gasped, bucking forward. "Mmm someone's anxious."

"With how much you've been teasing me this entire week? You're lucky I haven't exploded." Michael's voice was huskier with lust now and his pants felt entirely too tight.

Gavin laid him down gently on the bed before climbing on top of him, holding himself up with his hands. He slowly bent his head to bite at Michael's lip before reaching under his apron, unbuttoning each button with deliberate, painfully slow motions. Michael whimpered when the last button finally unsnapped, taking off the rest of the shirt and throwing it carelessly into a corner. Gavin did the same to his own shirt, grinding his hips forward as he did so.

By the time Gavin was unzipping Michael's pants, the older man was an absolute wreck, tail swinging back and forth beside him quickly.

"Who's a good boy?" Gavin whispered, yanking Michael's pants and boxers down past his knees.

"I.. I am.." Michael mumbled, blushing deeply.

"I can't hear you." Gavin's voice was demanding and it sent a shiver down Michael's spine. Gavin wrapped a firm hand around Michael's cock and gave it one good pump.

"I-I'm a good boy!" Michael yelped out, back arching off of the bed.

"Yes you are." Gavin smiled, undoing his pants and pulling the rest of his garments off, throwing them in the same direction as his shirt. "And good boys get treats." Michael's tail opened the nightstand drawer, pulling out the bottle he had bought last week, slightly used from self-practice.

"Someone's been busy." Gavin remarked with a grin as he took the bottle and unscrewed it, applying a generous helping of lube to his fingers, spreading it around. His nose suddenly scrunched up and he laughed. "Bloody Hell Micoo, is this banana flavored?" He licked his finger experimentally and laughed even harder.

"I like bananas." Michael mumbled, chuckling as well.

"I'll give you my banana." Gavin winked, using a lubed finger to circle Michael's hole.

"You're a fucking idiot." Michael giggled, his laugh becoming more breathless as Gavin slipped in a finger and brought his lips down to kiss the scars on Michael's chest. Most of Michael's skin was scars actually. He had been self-conscious at first, but Gavin only thought they added to his beauty. They told a story.

Gavin slipped in another finger, scissoring them around slowly in tight, wet heat.

"Now let's add another, shall we?" Gavin nipped at Michael's jaw and he moaned aloud, nodding furiously. Gavin did so, gently stroking deeper and deeper until he found the little nub that had Michael writhing in pleasure. He flicked his fingers over it mercilessly for several minutes watching Michael come undone, his dick throbbing and leaking precum onto his stomach.

"On your hands and knees, love." Gavin removed his fingers and Michael whimpered, doing as he was told quickly. "Here we go..." Gavin spread some more lubrication onto his throbbing erection before lining himself up and pushing in gently at a slow, even pace. Michael hissed and Gavin leaned over to press little kisses to the crook of his back, rubbing his sides. Once he was all the way in, he paused, closing his eyes.

Michael felt a fullness and he loved it. Having Gavin inside of him was so much better than he had expected. He pushed back a little and both of them let out a soft groan.

"Fuck Micoo.." Gavin grunted, grabbing the Faunus's ass firmly. He pulled out slowly, nearly completely leaving before slamming back in, in one fluid motion. Michael bit into his pillow, holding back a loud moan.

"Don't muffle yourself love; that's no fun." Gavin purred, pulling on Michael's curls as he slammed in again. Michael let out a strangled cry, reaching a hand down under him to relieve his swollen member. Gavin thrust in harder and faster, rocking them back and forth and making Michael elicit screams of his name. A bead of sweat ran down his forehead as he pumped into the older man, grabbing his tail and yanking on it.

"Ahn.. AHN YES! PULL MY TAIL!" Michael screamed out, biting his lip. He pumped his hand faster, gyrating his hips as Gavin hit his prostate over and over. With a final hard tug of his tail, Michael came in hot spurts across the bed sheets. The tightening of his muscles had Gavin following soon after, filling Michael up completely as he continued to thrust sporadically through his orgasm.

He pulled out slowly, making sure not to hurt Michael, as he collapsed onto the bed, pulling the Faunus on top of him.

They connected their lips in a less-than-chaste kiss, smiling contentedly at one another.

"That was completely worth the wait." Gavin remarked, absently running a finger over a bite scar on Michael's shoulder.

"Fucking Hell yeah it was." Michael smirked, his tail running it's way up and down Gavin's side, caressing him gently. "Do you think the readers will like the story?"

"I certainly did. Except you getting beat up. These scars are pretty hot though." Gavin rubbed circles into one with his thumb as he spoke.

"Yeah, I'm not too fond about losing part of my tail. But hey, it all worked out. That's nice. And I like to think the concept is pretty original." Michael twiddled with Gavin's hair thoughtfully.

"We liked it. And that's all that matters, love." They nuzzled noses and giggled like kids.

"Can we go have some pie now?"