Chapter 1: Strange Love

"And everybody wants to hear
How we chainsmoked until three
And how you laughed when you said my name
And how you gripped my hips so mean."

Halsey

"Sure you don't want some Gav?" You said, offering the joint to Gavin simultaneously dodging Michael's attempts to grab it.

Barely looking up from his beer, Gavin shook his head.

He'd been adamantly opposed to a late night beach trip, complaining about it being too cold out, but to his dismay you and Michael had outvoted him.

The three of you literally did everything together, despite the fact you and Gavin were dating and had been since kindergarten, Michael was always there. You tried not to mind because you could see how much Gav loved Michael. You'd even learnt to tolerate Michael calling you an uptight princess for the expense of Gav's happiness. Because, as insufferable as his best friend was, it was the least you could do, Gavin had been through so much family-wise this year you would do anything to keep him laughing and apparently all that took was one Michael Jones.

"Come on babe, get high with us" you coaxed.

"Nah, not feeling it tonight" he said shortly, leaning back against the lifeguard tower you were all sat in front of, taking another swig of his beer.

Michael snorted, plucking the joint from your hand.

"Give it up Y/N, Gavin doesn't need the added neurological effects, he's already a fucking moron" he chuckled.

You shot Michael an icy glare, it wasn't what he had said (because if you were totally honest he was right) it was his tone, and the fact he had already wound you up so much today - the very reason you suggested this activity in the first place. Part of you was slightly hoping it would be just an Y/N and Gavin activity as they were rapidly becoming a rare occurrence.

Completely unfazed, Michael returned your daggers with a ring of smoke in your direction grinning when you winced and hit him in the chest for being such an asshole.

Finally realising he had been insulted Gavin sat up and let out a very British sounding "Oi!" in Michael's direction.

"Sorry boy, but you don't really have a leg to stand on when just ten minutes ago you asked if gammon was a fish" he laughed.

"It sounds like salmon!" Gavin half-heartedly protested causing Michael to just laugh louder. Gavin clambered on top of Michael and wrestled him for the joint, taking a long drag and flipping him off in triumph when he finally got hold of it.

You would never admit to being jealous, but it did upset you a little that Michael could easily pick up Gavin's mood when you couldn't even tempt a smile out of him.

The effects of the weed started to hit you and you could feel all your stresses float away (you noticed they were almost all Michael related)

"We should go swimming!" you exclaimed, suddenly feeling adventurous.

"In the ocean?!" Gavin squawked "It's the middle of the night, we don't even have swimsuits!"

You wiggled your eyebrows at him before pulling your tank top over your head and running towards the sea undoing your shorts.

As soon as you came into contact with the sea you were knocked sideways by a giant wave. Shrieking, you found you're footing again only to be knocked back down by the next one. Gavin was suddenly behind you in his boxers as he dived head first into waist-deep water before lying on his back to stare at the moon, reverting back into his broody state.

Michael stuck the joint in his mouth as he began unbuckling his belt, he had to admit he was enjoying riling up Y/N more than usual. He found it amusing when she got all indignant and huffy with him. Honestly he didn't blame Gavin for gaping at all the hot Hampton chicks this summer, he was shackled to an uptight princess who showed no signs of handing over her virginity any time soon.

He would never, ever get the appeal of relationships, he thought to himself as he walked over to the shoreline, pulling his t-shirt off effortlessly. The only possible upside to them was regular access to sex but Michael was perfectly capable of accomplishing that on his own.

He walked past Y/N's clothes, she had folded them to retail store standards just out of reach of the advancing waves. He shook his head in amusement Way to let your hair down he thought with a smirk.

When Michael finally got to the shoreline his jaw quite literally dropped, leaving the quickly forgotten joint to burn out in the damp sand. Y/N was splashing about in the water in a lace white bra and panty set screaming her ass off when each wave toppled her over.

He felt guilty for even looking, glancing over at Gavin who was further out, floating on his back so engrossed with the sky Michael was sure he would probably float out into the middle of the sea without noticing.

When he turned his gaze back to Y/N his breath caught in his throat. She was soaking wet and still unaware of him even looking at her, he found himself mesmerised as she rose from the water sweeping the hair back from her face.

Suddenly he was waist deep in the water only realising from the chill of the water hitting his navel, he forced his feet to come to a stop, he was suddenly very aware of the fact he was staring at his best friend's girlfriend… in her underwear.

However, when she was completely stood up Michael's mouth went dry, her innocent little lingerie set had become completely transparent. He could actually see Y/N's nipples, straining against the wet fabric of her bra.

Even the freezing cold water couldn't prevent the rush of blood to his groin.

He was suddenly imagining all the different ways he could divest her of her bra and panties entirely. The animal in him wanting to just walk up behind her and rip it all of right now.

Jesus fucking Christ, he thought. What was happening right now? Was he actually fantasising over the one girl that was strictly off limits? If Gavin could read minds he would be punching him in the face right about now.

Rinsing her hair she finally acknowledged Michael's presence, paddling straight towards him, which would be fine if he wasn't trying to hide a full-on raging boner. If she noticed she would probably tell Gav and he couldn't risk losing his only friend.

He needed to get rid of her… but how? He panicked.

"Heads up asshole!" She laughed, jumping up and splashing him in the face.

"You on your period or something Princess?" he spat back, wiping the water from his eyes.

Her mouth just dropped in surprise, "…Excuse me?"

"I was just wondering why you were being more of a bitch than usual, that's all." He could have sworn he'd seen a flash of hurt in her dark eyes which caught him off guard because up until now, he hadn't seen anything in them that wasn't disgust.

"You're such a jerk" her defences were up now, judging by past experience it wasn't long until she would storm off in a huff.

"I'm a Jerk huh? You've been bitching out on me all day for no reason." He felt like a jerk. He felt like the biggest jerk ever. But she had to leave before she got any closer to him.

"No reason?!" Here we go, he thought. "No fucking reason Michael? You're not even supposed to be here, this was mine and Gavin's trip." She looked away. "He only invited you because he felt sorry for you." And with that she was out of the water, marching away from him in a rage.

Well Michael, he thought to himself this is what you get for going a week without sex, there was no other possible explanation, it was clearly the sex deprivation that had him in this confused state.

As for Y/N she would get over it eventually and Gavin was used to the two of them constantly fighting, so from the outside everything seems exactly how it always was.

As long as she kept her clothes on around him in the future, and he remembered to bang chicks regularly everything would be fine, and nobody would ever find out about this… incident.