RL with Gale | Backdated to around Christmastime

[bare_my_fangs]

So usually Christmas is just another day for Michael. Nena makes him buy stuff for her (but that isn't really anything out of the ordinary anyway) but apart from that, he's not really big on the whole gift exchanging thing. And he certainly never feels obliged to return the gesture, if someone's stupid enough to send him something.

Doesn't explain why he's standing inside the karma terminal though, waiting for Gale.

Michael doesn't get sentimental (except when his siblings are concerned, but shut up), but Gale pretty much became his new best friend with the present he gave him. He idly tossed the knife he had in his hand. Someone looking out for his life like that? Michael could appreciate that.

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[bare-my-fangs.livejournal.com]

"I guess, if you wanna call it that." Michael didn't even have to look to know that Gale was a little bit confused. It was a nice knife, no doubt about that, but... He smirked a bit. "There's a little catch on the hilt; press it."

[donotcomprehend.livejournal.com]

Curious, Gale complied, looking over the hilt until he found the catch and then pressing it with his fingers.

[bare-my-fangs.livejournal.com]

The end of the hilt popped open, and immediately, a purple-black butterfly emerged. It fluttered around Gale's head, wings beating furiously, before settling down to land gently on Michael's stomach.

"That's what I came here to give you," he said, pointing to his stomach. "It's called a tease. A-- friend gave it to me." Well, that was awkward. "It'll take a bullet or a blast for you. Only one though."

[donotcomprehend.livejournal.com]

Gale looked slightly startled as the butterfly emerged, and the startlement didn't fade when Michael explained. He reached out gently towards it, but paused, afraid of damaging the creature.

"But...will your friend not wish you to keep it?" he asked, looking up at Michael.

[bare-my-fangs.livejournal.com]

Michael glanced at Gale, amused. The tease was nowhere near as delicate as he seemed to think but considering the whole flesh-eating nature of it, Gale was probably right in being a bit cautious.

He shrugged in answer to his question. "He gave it to me. It's mine now and I can do whatever the fuck I want to with it. I'm giving it to you, so just shut the fuck up and take it, man." There was no heat in his words though, just Michael being Michael.

[donotcomprehend.livejournal.com]

There were no animals in the Junkyard, and very few even in this new, twisted world. Gale had no idea how to care for such a creature, but he cradled it in his hands, admiring its simple and delicate beauty.

"Thank you," he said sincerely. "I will treasure it. I have never received a gift before."

He hesitated, then looked up at Michael with concern in his green eyes. "What does it eat?"

[bare-my-fangs.livejournal.com]

Michael shrugged in response to his thanks; he didn't give it to Gale gor gratitude, he did it because he wants Gale alive.

He grinned at the query though; Gale really was just a big puppy dog. "It's not like, an actual animal or anything. I just kept it in there most of the time," he said, nodding to the knife still in Gale's hand. "But uh, if you want, you can feed it on the same shit you eat. It's a flesh-eating butterfly." Tyki, you are so fucked up.

[donotcomprehend.livejournal.com]

Gale's eyebrows shot up and he looked at the butterfly with renewed curiosity. He nodded and gently encouraged the creature back into the knife, then closed it up and slipped it into his belt, ready to be used. Both knife and butterfly were excellent gifts just on their own.

He wasn't sure exactly what to do now, so he put his arms around Michael and kissed him quietly, hoping that he'd understand. "It is an excellent gift."

[bare-my-fangs.livejournal.com]

If he were anybody else but Michael (because, really, Michael being bashful?), he'd probably be blushing right about now. Instead he leaned into the kiss, smug, his smirk only growing wider as Gale spoke.

"I couldn't let you show me up, could I?" he said, pulling back the sleeve on his right arm to show the bracer holding the luck noise.

[donotcomprehend.livejournal.com]

Gale was aware of Michael's smugness, but didn't think anything of it. Michael always seemed quite smug, to him.

"I was not aware gift giving was a competition," Gale said, reaching out to inspect the bracer with curiosity.

"I have never seen a noise used as jewellery before," he added.

[bare-my-fangs.livejournal.com]

Michael raised an eyebrow and laughed at the 'jewellery' statement. "Not jewellery, man. Just a convenient way of carrying it around. It so wouldn't be funny if I died because I left the noise in my other pants."

[donotcomprehend.livejournal.com]

Gale's own lips curved upwards just a touch, bemused by Michael's reaction. "It is beautiful, even so."