Who: Michael Glass and Yue Katou What: Random run in of old friends When: End of November Where: A park Rating/Warnings: Lowish Status: Complete when poste
Katou was stressed out. He knew that they’d managed to discover more information about who had stolen the Egg of Wormwood, but Katou felt as though they were no closer to being able to find it, and he was worried that they were running out of time. Rociel had already managed to absorb what was probably a fair amount of Astral Power, and was probably closer than ever to being able to start the apocalypse. Katou wondered if he knew that he’d destroy the whole world, or if he had thought like they all had when Katou set off Armageddon in his dreams - that it would only destroy the evil. With Rociel, it was hard to tell. Out of a dream world filled with psychopaths, Rociel was the psycho-est of them all.
He was sitting in a park, chewing on the end of the cigarette that he was chewing, his head hanging off the back of the bench he was sitting on. It took him a moment to make sense of the blond man that he saw walking, upside down, behind him, but when he did he blinked, sat up straight, and turned around in his seat.
He thought for a moment that he was hallucinating, and then he realized that no, it was, in fact, Michael that he saw walking there. He hadn’t known that he was back in California. Katou quickly checked his phone for any missed messages, and then reprimanded himself. It’s not like he and Michael had anything particularly special going on. They’d hooked up a couple of times and that was it, it wasn’t like Michael had to tell Katou every time he was in town. He put his phone back in his pocket, hopped over the back of the bench, and jogged a little so he could catch up. “Hey,” he said, once he was close enough for his voice to reach Michael without needing to raise it. “Fancy seeing you here.”
***
There were benefits to not having much with him on tour - he hadn’t had much to unpack when he got back to the house. The downside of that was? He hadn’t had much to unpack when he got back to the house. And that place was so full of memories for him that he’d had to get out of there. He wasn’t ready to face them. Sam had been gone over a year but being in the beach house - it still felt like he was there. So instead of sitting around with a ghost - Michael had gone out for a drive and ended up at some park that he’d never been too before. It seemed like a good place to walk around, get some fresh air, clear his head a little and that’s what he was doing when he heard a familiar voice talking to him.
He hadn’t known that Katou was back in California. If he had - he’d have had to fight really hard not to send him a text the second he was off the plane. It wasn’t like they were in a relationship or anything at any point in the time they’d known each other but Katou was his friend. And always fun to be around - whether they hooked up that particular night or not. Although Michael would have been lying if he didn’t say that the nights they did hook up were a little more fun for him than the nights they didn’t.
He smiled at him, sticking his hands in his pockets to ensure he didn’t give into the urge to reach out and touch him. He knew that Katou kept his sexuality close to the chest and Michael respected that, he wasn’t going to do anything that could at all be seen as pushing for Katou to be out just because he was. “Hey. I didn’t realize you were back in California.”
***
Katou blinked, then grinned sheepishly. It hadn’t occurred to him that Michael might not have known that he was back in California, though the last time he’d seen him, Katou had been living in England and had still been convinced that it was going to be a permanent move.
“Oh yeah,” he said. “I moved back in September. Just when I thought I was out, it pulled me back in,” he said, making a pulling motion as he quoted Godfather III. His hands went into his pockets. While he was generally a pretty hands-on kind of friend, but it was different with someone he’d slept with. “You got a show coming up? I didn’t see any announcement or nothing.”
***
It was Michael’s turn to give a sheepish grin at that question. “Actually - I moved back just a few days ago. The label decided it was time to put me back in the studio getting some new music out there.” He said, leaving out the part about not having songs written for that. “Figured why not when I already have a house out here you know?” Was there something in his voice almost forced when he said that? Probably. Maybe he should put the house up on the market. Somebody would pay a lot of money for the place he was sure.
“So been keeping busy since England?” Seeing Katou there had been a great surprise during his tour. Especially getting to see him more open about his sexuality.
***
“Oh yeah?” Katou asked. “So, you're sticking around a while then? If you ever wanna make me listen to some of the new stuff, I'm down.”
Michael’s music wasn't what Katou normally listened to. He generally liked his music faster and heavier and less well known. But he did like listening to Michael’s band. He had bought some of his CDs and listened to them often enough. And any time Michael played nearby, Katou was sure to go to the concert. It had been nice being brought backstage in England. Katou hadn't really known anyone there, which meant he didn't need to worry about running into someone he knew.
“Yeah, it's been non-stop since I came back in September. Sometimes I miss how slow and relaxed London was.” Which might actually be a strange thing to say had London been compared to any other location other than Orange County.
***
“Yeah. I’m sticking around. Might end up selling the house down the road and getting someplace smaller since it’s just me there. Haven’t quite made up my mind about that yet though.” Michael said, shrugging like the house meant nothing. “I’ll take you up on that when I get some new stuff written. Right now - there’s nothing.” He admitted quietly. He hadn’t told anyone at his record label about not having anything written. Katou though - he’d always been comfortable talking about his music with and if anybody would get that the creative juices just weren’t flowing right it would probably be home.
“I’m glad to be home but at the same time - I kind of miss how free it was being on the road.”
***
“Oh yeah?” Katou asked. “My roommate’s moving out around Christmas.” Happy birthday, Katou. The man you trusted the most in the world is fucking off with his girlfriend. It only struck him after the words were out where the rest of that thought had been headed. Which was, basically, the last thought he ever wanted to come into his head when talking to some guy he’d hooked up with a handful of times over the last couple of years. “So I guess I’ll be living on my own too soon. It’ll be nice having the place to myself.”
“Yeah, there ain’t no place like this county. But getting away for a few months had been nice, and you’ve been gone longer than that.”
***
Michael had to bite his tongue to keep from blurting out that Katou could always come stay with him. With any of his other friends the invitation wouldn’t have caused him any pause but things were different with Katou and he knew it. They were close in a different way than Michael was with any of his other friends and living together could mess that up and he wasn’t willing to chance it. “That sucks. I’m sorry to hear that. But you’ll still hang out with him all the time right?” Hopefully. Michael would hate for Katou to lose someone he was close to.
“Yeah. I just...needed some time away you know? And why not get paid for it. I did miss somethings about here. Some of the people.”
***
“There ain't any doubt about that,” Katou said. “He’s more like family than my actual family is,” he said. Not something he'd normally admit to someone, even if it was true that Kanan had been a better father to him than the man who'd raised him.
“Yeah, I know what you mean. Like Homeless Billy. Such a character. Always with the best conspiracy theories.” He grinned.
***
“That’s who I haven’t run across since getting back! I knew it was something. I haven’t gotten my latest update on the conspiracies about what’s going on out here.” Michael said with a grin of his own.
He got serious after a moment though. “So...you want to go finish catching up someplace else?” It was something of a loaded question and he knew it but he was going to ask it anyway.
***
“Like back at your place?” Katou asked casually. He would have offered up his own place but he didn't know if Kanan was home or not. “I could be convinced. It's been too long since we got a chance to really catch up.”
***
“Almost like you read my mind. Do I get a hint as to the best way to convince you?” Michael said, letting his voice lower a little bit as he looked at Katou. There was no one to hear them so he could let a little bit of flirtatiousness and interest be obvious in his voice with that question.
***
Katou gave a couple of quick furtive glance over his shoulders to make sure that there wasn’t anyone nearby or taking an interest in them. As far as he could see, there wasn’t anyone nearby and definitely no one he recognized. He grabbed the front of Michael’s shirt so he could pull him into a kiss.
***
Michael returned the kiss, grinning into it as he did, hands coming out of his pockets to pull Katou closer to him. He’d been willing to wait until they got back to his place for that but he was glad he hadn’t had to. He pulled away after a moment and just looked at him. “I think we definitely need to get to my house and do that again.” He said quietly, a little bit of the Texas drawl he normally worked to suppress becoming obvious.
***
Katou bit his bottom lip to keep himself from grinning. He always counted it as a win whenever he managed to coax out that Texan drawl. It was, for lack of a better word, adorable.
“You and me both,” Katou said, reluctantly letting go of the front of Michael’s shirt and pulling out of his grasp. “Lead the way, rock star.”