Work Text:
When the app first appeared in the mobile stores, nobody actually paid any attention to it. They would scoff at it’s ridiculous name and claims when boredly scrolling through the app store on their cell-phones, and then continue on with their day.
Nobody is exactly sure when it appeared it the mobile stores, or who even created it. It had no developer information or anything of the sorts. It seemed to have come from thin air as far as everybody was concerned. But nobody really cared about that afterwards, all they cared about were it’s contents.
It seemingly blew up over night. One day it was nowhere, then the next it was everywhere. You couldn’t go anywhere without hearing about it. Everybody was gossiping about how it worked and who it worked for, there were millions of articles being written about it, and every talk show in existence were doing interviews and covering the entire story.
Gavin Free easily thought that it was ridiculous.
He didn’t even consider purchasing the app until he was bored on his iPhone one night. He’d been having trouble falling asleep, spending the last few hours tossing (and turning), and eventually decided to procrastinate the entire event altogether by dicking around on his phone for a little while. Figuring that if he did pointless things on there, he would eventually fall asleep.
He resorted to updating his Twitter app, and once watching the tiny loading bar became even too boring, he settled for scrolling through the store.
Then he sees it. The app cheesily named “iBelong With You.”
It’s at the top of the most popular Free Apps section of the store, having a full five stars and listed under the category entertainment. Which doesn’t even make sense, because how could such a stupid app be entertaining?
The design for the simple smoothed-edged square is just a simple light pink background, and a bright red heart. That was it. A kindergartner could have made a more appealing looking app.
The description to it just reads “Find your one true love.” And that’s it. Nothing else. No information about who made it or why they made it. Just that tiny description and a million positive reviews boasting about how it works and is one hundred percent accurate.
Gavin feels compelled to exit out of it now. He’s already gone into it just to humor himself with it’s contents, but… What’s really the harm in getting it? It’s free after all, and he is kind of curious. Even if it is all just part of some stupid marketing scam or was just made by some idiotic app developer with too much time on their hands.
Sure, he feels like a complete moron when he finally presses the button and then types in his password to confirm his purchase… but, what’s the worst that could really happen? Even everybody at work has it, even those mocking it.
Geoff had gotten it and smugly rubbed it in everybody’s face when it said that his soulmate was Griffon. Kara got it and complained loudly to everybody else when it informed her that her “soulmate” is eighteen thousand miles away. When Ray ironically purchased it, he refused to tell anybody what it said (although Gavin noticed him avoiding Joel Heyman and blushing a little whenever the man would come by.)
Gavin thinks it’s stupid. He thinks this entire app is just a complete waste of time because it’s clearly just some dumb thing that everybody is hyping up for no reason, falling into it’s trap, and chanting that it works because they’re too desperate or paranoid to disbelieve it.
Because… really? An iPhone app is actually going to tell you who your soulmate is? How does that even make any logical sense at all?
He continues to curse the app’s existence as it’s downloading onto his phone.
When it finally finishes installing, he considers just deleting it altogether. He still isn’t completely sure why he’d gotten it in the first place. But he can’t help his curiosity and eventually presses onto the heart icon.
The app launches, and the pink background takes up his entire screen. It’s very plain, nothing flashy or overly eye catching. There are no advertisements anywhere, which makes Gavin wonder how the creator is making any money from this.
There’s a single thick red arrow in the middle, pointing to the right. And directly beneath it, it says “1722 miles.”
Gavin raises an eyebrow, and then sits up. He moves his phone so that it’s turned the other way, but the arrow moves too and continues to point in the direction it originally did, reminding him of a compass.
So his “soulmate” is one thousand, seven hundred, and twenty two miles East of him right now. He attempts to do the math in his head to figure out where they are in the world, but stops himself.
This is stupid. It doesn’t work. He’s being an idiot, and it’s three in the morning. He doesn’t need to waste his time doing pointless crap like this and feeding further into this ridiculous “Soulmate App” bullshit along with everybody else in the world.
He turns off his phone and finally goes to sleep, frustrated with himself for giving in and actually downloading the damn thing.
*
He forgets about it for a while.
A couple of weeks pass and he doesn’t even open the app once. It just remains on the bottom right of his home screen, to the right of Youtube and directly underneath Twitter.
Every so often while scrolling through his apps, he’ll see it and roll his eyes. Making a noise that’s a cross between a scoff and a chuckle to show his annoyance towards actually getting the stupid thing.
When he finally gets around to opening it again, only because he’s curious, he makes sure to do it when there’s nobody around. He’s spoke so badly about it before and would brush off the entire subject so many times that he can only imagine the backlash he would get if someone found out he actually has it.
Especially Geoff, who agrees with him on how stupid it is. Geoff’s theory on how it works is that it just matches you with the person who’s cell-phone your’s is close to most of the time. Which would make sense because where do people go nowadays without their cell-phones? And it isn’t very often that he and Griffon are apart from one another other than work.
Gavin bites his tongue when he and Geoff discuss it, and just agrees with him. He doesn’t mention how it isn’t really possible because his “soulmate” is almost two thousand miles away from him. How could the app be pairing up phones that spend the most time together, when Gavin is certain that he’s never been anywhere near that one?
He spends the next few days pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind until he gives in. This time when he opens it, it does the exact same thing. Nothing has changed about the appearance or style of the app, except that the numbers underneath his arrow are changing.
Going a digit or two higher every so often and then occasionally going lower again, but not staying in one place.
His soulmate must be moving, probably travelling in a car or bus. If they were just walking, then wouldn’t be moving as quickly as they are.
Gavin allows himself to zone out as he thinks about it more.
What is this person like? He isn’t going to believe that the person at the end of these numbers is actually his soulmate, but it’s a nice thought. It would be amusing to meet them and see what their thoughts on it are.
But what if they do believe in all of this soulmate app crap? What if they’re going to start following their numbers just to meet him?
The idea should be scary or at least cause him to panic, but it doesn’t. In fact, he wouldn’t really mind meeting the person at the end of his numbers. It’s all because of his stupid curiosity that refuses to be satisfied.
He isn’t going to be one of those idiots that travels across the world just to meet somebody from an iPhone app, but it would be interesting to meet the person that his cell-phone believes that he’s ‘destined’ for.
And what would even happen when he does meet them? What would the app do? Just reach zero and then be finished? Would the numbers continue to move depending on how close and far away they are from one another?
He wonders what they look like. If they’re a boy or a girl. What color their hair is. What they do for a living. If they have any pets. What they’re thinking right now. Just any kind of random fact about them. He’s curious about it all. He doesn’t try to imagine what they do look like, more like trying to determine what they could look like. Listing the endless possibilities in his brain.
And then what about their personality? They might be clingy and embarrassing to be around. What if they like him too much and refuse to leave him alone? Or they could be obnoxious and rude.
What if his soulmate hates him? He thinks it’s all a load of rubbish too, but what if it’s true? What if they actually are meant to be, but they end up hating him?
He could handle telling somebody else to leave him alone, but he doesn’t think he could imagine hearing it from somebody else. Especially the person that’s supposed to be his “one true love.”
He lets out a sigh, groaning at himself for thinking about this too much and taking it too seriously. He’s such an idiot, he wouldn’t be surprised if his soulmate hated him immediately. The poor sap would probably be extremely disappointed for having such a letdown as a soulmate.
Gavin turns off his phone and puts it on his dresser.
*
He doesn’t think about it again for a while.
He drowns himself in his work, allowing the stress of editing videos to be the main concerns in his head right now.
Whenever he’s overly stressed, he simply relaxes by going back and watching some of their old videos. Not the ones he’s in of course, but the ones that the guys do without him.
He has to admit that he loves listening to his friends bicker and banter, especially when they’re playing a fun game and one of them is bad at it. It’s usually him but in videos without him that torch is passed on to somebody else. Like with Ryan in Skate 3, or Geoff in Sega Bass Fishing.
Geoff’s been talking about hiring somebody new, and Gavin is relieved by it. More people means more videos that can be produced and more people to edit. It will probably take off a little of his workload, and he’d be relieved with even a little bit of reduction.
His boss begins sending him community videos, or just videos that he finds online. Usually they’re pretty funny, and he finds himself laughing throughout the entirety of them. He knows Geoff is sending them because he wants a second opinion, but there’s just so many that it’s almost impossible to imagine just picking one.
He’s relieved that he isn’t the boss, having to make decisions like this would terrify him.
But he enjoys watching the videos nonetheless.
"Dude, check out this guy. He’s fucking hilarious." is the Facebook message Geoff sends him before the link to the video.
Gavin clicks the link, which opens to a video on Youtube. A male voice is heard, probably explaining something about the game he’s playing, but Gavin doesn’t get to pay attention to it.
His cell-phone, which is across the room on his dresser, is vibrating loudly. Gavin rolls his eyes and pauses the video as soon as the phone stops. He continues to get up though and goes to retrieve his phone. Figuring that it was either a text message or somebody beginning to call him and then hanging up.
When he finally reaches his phone, there’s no alerts on it. No unread text messages or unanswered calls. He searches through his apps to see if there’s some kind of stupid update from one of them, but there isn’t.
He continues to search around on his phone for a few moments, confusedly trying to figure out what could have caused it to vibrate, but then gives up. He takes it back to his bed with him, setting it beside him as he settles back onto his bed and pulls his laptop back onto his lap.
As soon as he presses the “play” button and the voice starts again, his phone starts buzzing. This time he doesn’t pause the video when he picks up his phone.
There’s no messages, nobody calling him. Nothing to indicate something new happening with his phone.
He hasn’t dropped it or damaged it recently, so why would it be broken now? But by the way it’s acting, he certainly wants to throw it across the room.
It refuses to stop vibrating the entire time, and it’s only when he finally pauses the video that it stops. He squints down at the tiny device, looking between it and the video that is currently paused on his desktop.
He tests his theory by playing the video, pausing it and unpausing it a few times. His phone only vibrates whenever the man’s voice can be heard.
To help ease his frustrations, he unlocks his phone and begins scrolling through his apps again, trying to determine the cause for it’s ridiculous behavior.
Then he finally notices the little red circle with a tiny white “1” in it, on the “iBelong With You” app. He lets out a frustrated sigh before tapping it. The app launches and shows the usual arrow and numbers underneath.
Nothing has changed.
He wants to just smash his phone against the pavement, or maybe just delete the app causing all of this annoyance altogether. Instead he lets out an annoyed groan before throwing his phone back onto the bed, and starts the video over since he’d missed all of it.
This time his phone remains silent and motionless.
He watches the video and this time gets to actually pay attention. It features a guy playing “The Impossible Game” while doing a very angry commentary as he loses again and again. He continues to get angrier and angrier as the video continues and his death count rises, but it only succeeds in making the video funnier.
He briefly wonder what the man looks like, almost wishing that it had a facecam despite how much he despises those kinds of videos.
After the video ends, and he wipes the tears out of his eyes from laughing a little too hard, he goes back to Facebook and opens up Geoff’s message again.
"Pretty damn top" he sends back, with an emote of a thumb’s up.
*
"We’ve got the new guy coming in today," Geoff says, casually waving a hand as he speaks the words with nonchalance. They’re the only two in the office at the moment, editing a few videos while everybody else is gone to get lunch.
Gavin’s neck almost snaps from turning to look at his boss so quickly, “A new guy? Since when are we getting a new guy?”
Geoff gives him a confused, and slightly annoyed, look. “Uh, since about a week ago when I told you.”
"You did not tell me."
"Yes, I definitely did. It isn’t my fault your dumb ass doesn’t pay attention."
Gavin briefly remembers their conversation about it, and remembers Geoff sending him community videos to look over. He does not remember his boss specifically telling him that he’s finally hired somebody. He’d probably argue about his intelligence or complain about Geoff being mean to him, but right now he’s too enthused about the new hire.
"Who is he?"
"Remember the video where that guy was playing The Impossible Game and spent the entirety of it just screaming at it in frustration?"
"Yeah," Gavin nods, only remembering the instance so well because of how strangely his phone was acting throughout it. "Why? We hired ‘im?"
"Yup! He flew in today from New Jersey. Michael Jones."
"We’re hiring bloody Jersey Mikes?!” Gavin cries.
"He isn’t a restaurant, you idiot."
Gavin grins at him with smugly, “But he’s Mike from Jersey!”
Geoff rolls his eyes, but Gavin can see the amusement in them. “Don’t make that dumb joke around the kid. He seems like quite the hot head, and while seeing you in pain is hilarious, it might not be great for the new guy to beat the shit out of you on his first day.”
Gavin nods, the mischievous glint still in his eyes as he turns back around in his chain and faces his screen again.
"Noted."
"You’re going to tell him that stupid Jersey Mikes joke, aren’t you?"
"Yes."
*
After his conversation with Geoff, the next hour passes with very little excitement. They filmed a short Let’s Play, told some dumb jokes, and now Gavin is back to editing the new Minecraft video. Nothing out of the ordinary. Geoff talks a little more about the new guy coming in, but Gavin doesn’t really pay attention.
His phone vibrates in his pocket, but when he opens it up, there’s nothing on it. Much like how it was reacting when he was watching the new guy’s video.
Instead of getting annoyed with it’s odd behavior again, he calmly unlocks his phone. Hoping that maybe he can solve the problem this time instead of just letting it sort itself out.
His phone opens up on the “iBelong With You” app even though he hasn’t touched the thing in about a month.
Normally he would be confused about this, but right now all he can focus on is the contents of the app.
54 feet.
The numbers read 54 feet. And they’re lowering quickly.
That must mean that they’re coming even closer to him. And they aren’t very far away right now. Do they know that he’s here? Do they have the app too? Are they this close just because they’re trying to find him?
Endless questions buzz through his brain as he continues to watch the numbers in shock.
They’re actually here. They’re nearby.
Gavin stands up from his desk, mumbling out a quick excuse to the rest in the room as he walks out. Geoff yells something at him, probably to ask him where the hell he’s going, but he can’t be bothered to pay attention.
He’s too focused on following the direction the red arrow is pointing him in, feeling the panic rise up his throat as the numbers lower even faster now that he’s walking too.
When the arrow is pointing towards the main doors, he doesn’t hesitate to leave the building. The secretary asks him something as he passes, and he feels guilty for ignoring her, but right now he has bigger things to think about.
Bigger worries.
Every single thing that’s been haunting his brain since getting this stupid app is coming back all at once. He’d been pushing all of those concerns and fears about soulmates to the back of his mind, but now it’s like he has to pay attention to them. He can’t just brush it off anymore, especially when his “soulmate” is only 23 feet away.
Luckily it’s a beautiful day outside because he isn’t sure if he would have stopped if it were cold or raining. Stopping to get a jacket or umbrella would be the least of his concerns right now.
He’s so focused on his phone and watching the numbers go down, that he isn’t even paying any attention to where he’s walking. He just continues to watch them lower at a rapid pace as he walks, at risk to easily bump into anything in the parking lot. Such as a car, a sign, the occasional prop for a shoot, or a person.
Which is exactly what happens.
Gavin feels somebody collide into his front, just moments before the numbers reach zero.
He and the stranger both fall on their asses, almost in a cartoon-y fashion. When Gavin looks up he sees the person he’s bumped into is completely unfamiliar to him. They have curly reddish-brown hair, glasses, and a Red vs. Blue hoodie, but that’s all he’s able to note about the man’s appearance because the glare he’s sending Gavin’s way make him avoid staring at him any longer.
He’s too disoriented from the impact to put the pieces together, and also kind of embarrassed that he caused this other person to fall down too.
Hopefully the security camera’s in the parking lot didn’t catch that.
"Goddamn, watch where you’re fucking going," the man says, their voice laced with annoyance and anger.
Gavin rolls his eyes, as he stands up and attempts to wipe any dirt off of his jeans. Figures if he was going to bump into anyone it would be a major asshole.
"Sorry," he mutters, at least trying to be polite, "But it was an accident. No need to be a jerk.”
The man just scoffs, clearly not worried about coming across as a complete dickhead to a stranger, and picks up the two phones where they have landed on the pavement.
Gavin holds out his hand for it, just wanting to get it back so that this encounter can be over and he can continue to follow the numbers on his phone. The man is in the process of giving it to him when he catches a glimpse of the screen.
It’s still up on the “iBelong With You” app, and is still displaying the arrow and numbers.
The man stops mid-way and pulls the phone back towards him to view the screen at a better range.
Gavin reaches forward to grab it from him, “Oi! You can’t just look at somebody’s phone without asking them, ya’ pleb!”
"Shut the fuck up for a second," the man says, while dodging his attempts to snatch it. Gavin just glares at him and crosses his arms.
The man continues to stare at his screen with confusion, and Gavin feels oddly embarrassed by it. He knows he’s an idiot for actually owning that app and having it open in the first place, but why is the man so interested in it? It isn’t like Gavin is the only person in the world stupid enough to give in to the hype.
The man then looks at his own phone, then goes to looking back between the two of them and Gavin himself.
Finally it’s too much for Gavin to just stand there impatiently waiting.
"Can I have my damn phone back or what?"
Without speaking a word, the man returns the cell-phone. Gavin gives him a suspicious glare but finally understands when he looks down at his phone.
2 feet.
That’s what the app is saying.
He looks up from his phone to the man in front of him, who’s now holding up his phone.
The arrow on the man’s phone is pointing at him, also saying “2 feet” underneath it in the same red print.
There’s nobody else in the parking lot.
"Oh," is all Gavin is able to say.
They’re both at a complete loss for words, and end up standing there in an awkward silence for a few moments. He ends up blushing and staring down at his feet to hide it.
Funny how quickly a situation can change when you find out you’re soulmate. One moment they’re insulting one another and glaring, then the next they’re bashful and coy.
He isn’t sure what he’s supposed to feel. He didn’t imagine meeting the person at the end of those numbers by bumping into them and having a minor fight in his work place’s parking lot.
When Gavin looks up he sees that the man’s staring at him, probably taking in his appearance. Because for the first time they’re really getting to see one another, they aren’t just strangers that are annoyed and wanting to get away as quickly as possible.
He’s attractive, Gavin thinks, damn. He isn’t sure if he should count that as a negative or a positive.
Then finally the man speaks up, “…Sorry for yelling at you.”
"Sorry for… calling you a jerk."
"Yeah. We may have gotten off on the wrong foot."
"At least that’s something we have in common. We both suck at first impressions," Gavin offers.
It works because the man smirks and then holds out his free hand, “I’m Michael.”
Gavin blushes, feeling slightly ashamed that he’s getting butterflies in his stomach just over knowing the man’s name. But when he says it, pairing with that smile on his face, it just sends a burst of europhia throughout his entire brain. As though he’s been waiting all his life to hear that name come fromthose lips.
Mike from Jersey.
He’s the new hire.
He’s definitely not making that stupid Jersey Mike’s joke now.
"G-Gavin," he whispers. Then curses himself for stutters and being so flustered that he can’t speak at a volume any higher than a whisper.
Luckily it only seems to amuse the man.
Michael.
His soulmate.
It’s such a weird thing to consider. His iPhone is literally telling him that the boy standing in front of him is his soulmate. Just yesterday he was rolling his eyes and laughing over it’s absurdity. And now he’s praying more than ever that it’s accurate.
While he’s never been a believer in love at first sight, he thinks he could definitely fall in love with man in front of him if given the time, even if he wanted literally nothing to do with him only a few moments ago.
And apparently his cell-phone thinks the same.
Michael gives him an odd look, and it’s only when he gestures to his outstretched hand that Gavin finally gets the memo.
"Oh!" he cries, and rushes to bring his hand forward as well. He feels like a right idiot for not even realizing that Michael wanted to shake hands. They aren’t exactly sure what the customs are for meeting your soulmate, and they aren’t about to jump into one another’s arms and press their lips together to confirm their attraction. They are still strangers after all, and a handshake seems to be the best thing to settle on.
Michael snickers at him, and mutters out, “Idiot.” The only response Gavin can come up with is to playfully glare at him in return.
But they don’t even get to shake hands because as soon as Gavin’s fingers brush against Michael’s palm, they both jump away in surprise.
Both of their phones have begun vibrating. And not from an unanswered call or text message, but from the iPhone app that brought them together in the first place.
They both stare down at their screens in confusion. It no longer depicts a red arrow with numbers underneath indicating how far away from one another they are. Instead it’s just pink. The same pink that was once the background to the arrow and numbers. It takes up the entire screen, and gives no explanation as to why it’s causing the mobile device to vibrate.
"The fuck," Michael says, "Yours is doing that too?"
"Yeah," he confirms, desperately pressing buttons and the touch-screen to make it stop, "It won’t shut off."
He hears the buzzing sound from Michael’s get louder, and when he looks up he sees that it’s because the phone is being held towards him. They meet each other’s eyes and seem to get the idea at the same time.
Without having to convey their thoughts through anything other than a quick glance at once another, they hold up their phones to the left of them in perfect synchronization. In a position so that the screens are facing them and they can both witness whatever is about to occur. As soon as the sides of their phones touch one another, the vibrating stops completely.
A red heart appears. A perfect half on Michael’s screen and a perfect half on Gavin’s. Recreating the logo for the app, split between their two screens.
It’s only there for a short amount of time, and that entire time is spent with the two watching the heart with confusion and expectancy. But nothing exciting or noteworthy happens. They look back at one another and share a small smile at how ridiculous this all is, ignoring the anxious enthusiasm in their guts.
They turn back just in time to see the app’s crashing on both of their phones at the same time.
Both of their screens return back to the “home” menu, like they’d exited out of it manually. No explanation or reasoning. No more pink background, red heart, arrows, or numbers. Just their other assorted apps staring back at them. The place where the soulmate app used to be on Gavin’s phone is now just an empty spot waiting to be filled, as though he’d deleted it’s original placeholder.
And that’s seemingly the end of the “iBelong With You” app.
"Well," Gavin says, raising a brow at the phones, "The was anti-climactic."
Michael lets out a laugh before finally taking his phone away and slipping it into his pocket. Gavin smiles and feels himself blush again at the sound of that laugh.
"Would you like to…" Michael starts, but then trails off. His smile faltering slightly due to his nervous reluctance. It’s only when he sees the hopeful expression on his "soulmates" face that he finishes off the question. "… go out to dinner or something?"
Gavin rocks back and forth on his heels, looking back down at his feet with embarrassment again. He’s never been good at things like this. Talking to a cute stranger is difficult enough, but it’s even more difficult when your phone is claiming that you’re meant to be with him.
He’s silent for a few moments, but only because it’s both difficult to find his voice and the courage to actually speak. “… Yeah. I’d like that,” he murmurs.
"Cool," Michael confirms awkwardly. When Gavin looks up, he sees that the man is doing just as bad of a job of hiding his smile as he is.
And they both just thinking how ridiculous it isn that they’re meeting one another and agreeing to go on a date because of a stupid iPhone app. But when they look at one another again, shy smiles and red faces as though they’re children on a school playground experiencing puppy love for the first time, it doesn’t feel ridiculous. It feels right.
When Michael holds out his hand this time, Gavin takes it with excitement. He bites his lip like a teenage school girl as they walk into the Rooster Teeth building together. Sharing nervous giggles and snickers over the situation they’re found themselves in.
Maybe that stupid phone app isn’t so stupid.