Chapter Text
The earth had somehow stitched itself back together after Vecna was finally defeated.
The gashes and craters in the soil had healed and looked better than ever before. There was no scaring and no remnants (other than rubble) of the terror that had racked Hawkins only a year and a half before. The sight of it all had kept Will in a state of shock for a while. He was sure that, even when it was all over, there would be something left. Something that would remind him that it had happened, that it wasn't just an amalgamation of his worst and most horrifying dreams. He hoped that there would be something left that told him,
Hey, this shit happened, but you survived.
But in the year after Vecna's defeat, the old buildings that had fallen were swept away and new ones were slowly building up.
Soon, Hawkin's will go back to exactly how Will left it when he moved during the summer almost two years ago. He should be happy about it.
He should be.
But now, he just felt like maybe he was making it all up.
Will hadn't told anyone about this feeling he was having, other than Mike.
Much like the earth, Mike and Will's friendship stitched itself back together too. Things fell back into what it once was, before the fight two summers ago and the fight in the roller rink. Except, their friendship was much different than how it was before. Better even.
Mike was more gentle with him than before, which was saying a lot. He looked at Will in a way that he couldn't place and for much longer than he used to. They hugged more, each one a second longer than the last. When they walked next to each other and their hands brushed, they wouldn't carry on like nothing happened like they used to. They would glance at one another and smile softly. Will would look away but he could still feel Mike's gaze on him as they carried on down the road.
When they were alone together there was a tension in the air that Will tried hard to ignore. It lingered like a cloud near the ceiling, close enough to see it but far enough to forget about it after a while. But at the same time, things with Mike just felt more natural than before.
When Will had told Mike about the thoughts he'd been having about Hawkins, about Vecna and everything that was left after his defeat. Mike listened intently, his gaze never left Will's and Will had to glance away every once in a while just so he wouldn't lose track of his thoughts. It was so easy, getting lost in Mike's eyes. They were probably the deepest brown he had ever seen and every second spent looking in them, he'd find more and more depth to explore. Years could pass as he was staring into Mike's eyes and he wouldn't even notice.
They had laid next to one another on Mike's queen-sized bed. The twin Mike used to sleep on was tucked away somewhere in the basement. Even with the space the queen bed provided, they had found themselves huddled up next to each other, their knees touched as they faced each other. Will remembered how Mike laid his head on his left arm and if Will titled his head far enough, his forehead would meet the apex of Mike's elbow.
Will had spoken about everything that he'd been dealing with, encouraged by the occasional hums that Mike would grant him. When things got particularly emotional, Mike lifted a hand and rested it on Will's. He stroked a thumb on the back of Will's hand as Will wobbled through his words.
Will had laughed through the tears that danced down his cheeks. "Sorry, I know it's really stupid."
Mike kissed his teeth, something he learned from Erica. He shook his head and brought himself closer to Will and soon enough, their foreheads rested on one another's. Mike lifted a hand to the back of Will's head and carded his fingers through the now much longer hair there.
Without the bowl cut and instead a much longer, but trimmed style, the hair kept the back of his neck warm and it served as a reminder that he would never feel that terrifying chill there ever again. Also, Mike said in passing that he liked how Will looked with his hair long. So, of course, Will kept it that way.
Mike soothed all the tangles in Will's hair and allowed Will to take a moment to breathe before he spoke.
"Nothing about you feeling that way is stupid, Will," Mike said softly, the sound fluttered between them and up into the air, adding to the cloud of tension near the ceiling that Will had only just forgotten about. "You can tell me anything, no matter how stupid you think it is."
Will nodded, "Okay."
Mike smiled, it was small and soft but from this close up it might as well have been a grin. "Okay."
Will had fallen asleep with Mike's hands in his hair as Mike whispered all the things they were gonna do with the party the next day. They had fallen asleep close and they woke up even closer. Will had awakened with Mike's face buried in the crook between his collarbone and his neck. Their legs were tangled together and Mike's arms were wrapped around Will's back, his hands clutched his shirt softly.
Will had moved only an inch before Mike groaned and pulled him closer. He felt it as Mike began to regain consciousness.
Instead of jolting awake and moving away like Will was sure he would, Mike removed his face from Will's shoulder and looked at him for what felt like forever (but in actuality was only five seconds) before he pushed his face even further into the burrow he had created for himself. The hands that were clutched on his shirt unravelled into spread palms and Will had to clutch his eyes shut as he felt Mike's hands move up his back and toward his shoulder blades.
"What time is it?" Mike had said. His breath danced along the goosebumps on Will's skin as he continued to caress Will's shoulder blades. Will felt himself falling asleep again at the movement which, in retrospect, was probably what Mike wanted. Instead, Will had checked the clock mounted on Mike's wall.
Will felt like he was no longer in control of his own body. He watched his own hands move to Mike's right arm, the only one not completely engulfed in the soft mattress. He traced his fingertips along the skin exposed by Mike's short-sleeved shit. Mike shivered slightly in his arms and moved impossibly closer to the skin on Will's neck. Will felt Mike's lips on his skin and desperately tried to ignore it as he spoke.
"It's 11:30 am," Will stated. He stroked a hand up Mike's arm and ran it through his long, black hair, He massaged at his scalp for a moment before he forced himself to stop. "We're supposed to meet the party at Steve's house at 12."
He heard Mike whisper a quiet. "Shit." in his neck before Will slowly pulled away. He sat up and swung his legs over the bed. Will sat there for a moment, he yawned and smoothed his hair away from his face before he turned back to look at Mike.
Mike laid there, his hair spread out beneath his head onto the pillow. The white baggy t-shirt he wore was pulled to the side during his sleep and exposed the porcelain skin on Mike's left shoulder. Will had noticed that despite it being the middle of August, Mike's cheeks were a faint pink as if he was cold. Even so, Will looked at him a bit longer and took in all that he was. Mike looked at him too as he sat up, only slightly.
He rested his head on his hand and it made Will's eyes move down Mike's body. From the slope of his shoulders to the dip of his waist to the bony curve of his hip. Wrapped in a white shirt far too big for him, Mike looked like he was shrouded in the white cloth greek gods and goddesses wore. A crown made of leaves and a bowl of grapes would've completed the picture.
Mike watched Will with a grin on his face that looked almost knowing. Mike tilted his head, it exposed more of his neck and as Will felt something that tasted like desire bubble up inside him, he decided that maybe it wasn't a good idea to ogle at his best friend any longer. He kept his gaze on Mike's as Mike finally sat up.
"You ready to beat Dustin and Lucas at Frizbee again?" Mike proposed slyly.
Will rolled his eyes. He got up and moved towards his backpack, he snatched his toothbrush and walked towards the door. "You can't beat someone at Frizbee. It's like trying to beat someone at playing catch."
Mike laughed and was about to argue before Will interrupted playfully. "Come on, jock. We're gonna be late."
There were no words exchanged about the way they had woken up that morning. The moment had simply floated away and joined the cloud that lingered above them whenever they were alone together.
That night had imprinted itself on Will's senses. It replayed in the back of his mind like a song he couldn't get out of his head. So as he lay on Mike's bed tonight, listening to the mixtape that played softly in the background as he stares at the ceiling, he found that that night had reminded him of this one.
Mike is actually doing something productive, he lies on his stomach next to him and turns the page of the book that he's reading. Will would be lying if he said that he was paying more attention to the music than the occasional mumbles that came from Mike's mouth as he read.
The night was calm and colder than the last. Mike had wordlessly kept the windows shut to keep the chill from making its way in. Ever since the whole ordeal with Vecna and the upside down neither of them really enjoyed the feeling that the cold provided them. Much less the memories. The blinds were open and the lamp which sat on a bedside table next to Mike was dimmed down only illuminating the words he read on the page.
Will kept his gaze up, trying to visualize his next painting on the white ceiling until he heard a small laugh erupt from next to him. Will looked over to Mike, watching as Mike's eyes darted across the page before moving down only slightly before doing it again.
Whatever he was reading had amused him enough for a small smile to spread across his face as he kept his eyes on the words in front of him. Will examined his face for a little longer. Mike was focused on his book so who else would judge them? They were completely alone. Mike's parents took Holly to visit some cousins in a neighbouring town and Nancy was more than likely busy with Jonathon, Steve, Robin and Eddie. No one would know if Will stared a little bit longer.
He took in Mike's face and all the shades and shadows of his features. He imagined Mike as a painting and thought of the colours he would blend to get the exact shade of Mike's lips or the shadow under his eyes that his deep-set eyes create. What type of brush would he use to perfect the faint smile line on the right side of Mike's face or the mole that sat just below his jawline? Is there a canvas big enough to capture all that Mike is? His essence? Will he be able to capture the light in Mike's eyes properly or is it incomparable?
Will hadn't noticed that Mike had turned his own gaze toward him, the faint smile on his face dropped and was replaced with the slightest bit of concern. Will wanted so badly to put that smile back on his face.
"Are you okay, Will?" Mike asked, closing his book slightly. Mike's eyes bounced across his face as if looking for something to clue him in on whatever was wrong. But there was nothing wrong, per se, Will was-
"Just thinking." He replied, he shrugged as best as he could while lying on his back and watched in concealed amusement as Mike's eyebrow twitched in suspicion.
"Yeah?" Mike said, "What were you thinking about?"
Will thought about all the lies he could spew. He was more than capable of spinning something to get Mike off his trail, at least for a while. Eventually, Mike would always find out somehow. Either that or Will would finally cave and fess up to everything that was bothering him, and no matter what, Mike would reply with an understanding smile and a "Thank you for telling me, Will.". Even if he did always end up telling the truth in the end, Will was tired of lying.
And there was one more thing Will had yet to tell Mike.
"I was thinking about the painting," Will whispered. The moment he said those words there was a small part of him that wanted to take it back, snatch it away from Mike's ears and throw it up to the ever-looming cloud. But the moment he said it, there was a switch in Mike's eyes. If Will didn't know any better, he would say it looked like relief. Like he had been waiting for Will to bring it up. Will watched semi-anxiously as Mike closed his book and set it on the bedside table.
"What about the painting?" Mike asked, his voice just as soft. It was like he was afraid that if he spoke anything above a whisper, Will would take it back and they would have to go another two years without talking about it again.
"You already know that-" Will sighed, glancing away before looking back at Mike again. Mike's gaze was expectant, but patient. "that it wasn't from El."
"I do," Mike confirmed, he adjusts his body to lie on his side and rests his head on his hand. Mike looked down at Will, a small laugh bubbling up. "She had no idea what DND was back then."
"Yeah." Will tried to smile, but it wobbled a little bit. "All those words I had said, it wasn't from El either."
Mike didn't say anything, instead, he watched Will so closely that he felt like he was under some kind of microscope. Will glanced up at him trying to find the right words to say.
"When I said that she needed you, that she would always need you," Will whispered, Mike leaned in a little closer, most likely to hear him but Will felt his face flush a little. He willed his cheeks to cool and he suddenly felt like maybe it was better if they just left the window open. At least then there would be an excuse as to why Will's cheeks were now a soft pink. "I meant me."
Will continued, "I don't know. It just felt like we were in a kinda weird spot and you seemed like you were kind of losing hope and I didn't want you to give up and El really needed help so, I kind of just.... took everything that I felt and made it look like she had meant it."
"So," Mike started, his lips parted in a bated breath before continuing. "The painting, the things you said, all of it, was from you."
Will nodded slowly, "I thought, maybe it would've meant more to you if you thought it came from her than from me."
Mike stared at him for a moment, his lips were parted and his eyebrows twitched up in what looked like surprise. Silence shrouded the room like a dark mist and Will began to wonder if they would ever find their way out of it or if they would just be lost in it forever. Will watched as Mike looked like he was going through all the different stages of grief or something even more dramatic. He wished that the whole ordeal with Vecna would've somehow gifted him mind-reading abilities because he so desperately wanted to know what Mike was thinking right now.
Finally, finally, after what felt like years, Mike finally spoke.
"Will," Mike scoffed, not in a way that was hostile or dismissive but instead in what sounded like disbelief. "If I knew it had all come from you..."
Mike got even closer and Will felt a gentle hand on the back of his head, which reminded him of the night he and Mike fell asleep in each other's arms. Mike's face was right in front of his own, a soft, almost caring smile on his face.
"it would've meant so much more."
Will's eyes widened and his eyebrows twitched in confusion. "Really?"
"Yeah," Mike replied, Will felt Mike's thumb caress the edges of his ear as the rest of his fingers rest gently in Will's hair. "Anything I get from you means the world to me."
Will let out a whispered, "Oh.", before he threw himself in Mike's embrace. Mike wrapped his arms around him tight like he was afraid Will would fly off if he didn't hold him close enough. Will's cold nose was pressed just beside Mike's adam's apple as they settled into each other's arms.
"I'm sorry for lying," Will whispered. "It's just, you're my best friend and I care about you so much and I-"
Will stopped himself. The words created a lump in his throat that was nearly impossible to swallow. The thing is he knew that El had had issues with Mike when they were dating, that Mike couldn't say that he loved her.
Will didn't find it all that weird at first, Mike had never told him, Lucas, Dustin, or Max that he loved them, but they still knew. The love was still there in Mike's actions and the way he would look them. At Lucas when he would lovingly tease Erica or at Dustin when he got way too passionate about literally everything or the way he had looked at Max and "reluctantly" cheered when she had finally perfected her kickflip and wanted to show everybody. Or the way he would look at Will when... well Will doesn't really know.
Will didn't know how Mike would react if Will said it. He just hoped that Mike would take it in a friendly way instead of what it actually was.
And after everything, Will was just tired of keeping it all to himself. At least, he could say half of what was on his mind and still be telling the truth. So he continued.
"I love you, Mike," Will said, he took a deep breath and held it for a second before releasing it with a shudder "And I will always need you."
There was a long, long, bout of silence. Will yearned to be let inside Mike's mind, to see whatever he was thinking about, whatever he felt or wanted. He buried his head in Mike's neck just a little more and fought with himself to not hold him any tighter in case Mike decided he wanted to let go. Which, in all honesty, would be worse than any nightmare Will had ever lived through, and he's lived through quite a few.
But what happened next was something Will would've never expected. Mike pulled away, only a little. He still had his left arm wrapped around Will's shoulder but his right hand had moved to the back of Will's neck. He trailed his fingertips against it, much like Will had when he felt Vecna's presence before his fingertips found their way into Will's hair. Mike's nails scratched softly at his scalp and Will's eyes fluttered a little at the feeling.
Will finally met Mike's gaze and, oh, god, Mike has never looked at him like that before. The expression Mike held in his eyes and his face was almost indescribable, Will had no idea what it was until Mike finally spoke.
"I love you too, Will," Mike said effortlessly. As if it was just a fact.
The sky is blue.
The grass is green.
Mike Wheeler loves Will Byers.
It was then that Will could finally describe the way Mike was looking at him. Love.
Who would've thought?
It may not be the type of love Will had for Mike. But it was love nonetheless, so Will was happy.
He was about to speak until Mike did something else Will certainly wasn't expecting. Mike had managed to time it perfectly somehow, consciously or not. Because when Will blinked and his vision was enveloped by momentary darkness, he felt the soft press of lips on his own. Almost by nature, he kissed back, it was soft, tentative and lasted all but three seconds. Best three seconds of Will's fucking life.
Maybe it was the lack of oxygen but when Mike pulled away and Will was finally able to take in some air, the events that just occurred registered in his brain and he was suddenly very confused.
"I-" Mike stuttered and moved away. Will's unknowingly tight grip kept him from straying too far but he moved as far as Will's arms would allow. They looked at each other, surprise etched on their faces.
It was deadly quiet at that moment like if one of them even breathed too loud a bomb would go off... like- somewhere.
"I'm sorry," Mike whispered and Will suddenly wanted to smooth away the concern in his brow. He wanted to kiss Mike again and soothe all his uncertainty. He wanted to hold Mike so tight and kiss him so hard that there would be nothing left of them individually, their bodies would merge into one another and they could live in each other's warmth. The chill of the night would fear them as they would never be cold again.
They'd live off the air the other breathed and the food the other ate. Every emotion or thought or doubt that consumed them would then consume the other and they could live in perfect understanding of one another. Will would never have to lie, he would never have to keep secrets because Mike would just know. He would know and he would understand without even trying because he felt it too. He tried to hide his disappointment when he remembered that it would never happen.
Mike loved him, sure. But he didn't love him the way Will did. Mike's love wasn't all-consuming, it didn't rock him in his core so strongly that he thought he would keel over. He didn't have dreams of being in each other's arms at night and kissing until the sun came up. Mike didn't love Will like it was the last thing he could ever do. He didn't-
"Don't apologize," please. Will said softly in sympathy. "Just... why?"
Mike shook his head slightly, "I don't know. I just felt-"
"I just felt like I needed to," Mike whispered. He glanced back and forth between Will's eyes, his eyebrows were pitched up in desperation as if he was trying to ask Will to help him, to tell him how he was feeling, to understand him. And Will wished he did.
"Okay," Will said, he brushed Mike's hair out of his face and caressed a thumb along the curve of his cheekbone before pulling away. He tried to pretend that he wasn't dying on the inside from Mike's words.
"You're not mad at me?" Mike asked, his voice was hesitant and it reminded him of when they were eight.
Mike had broken Will's favourite crayon, it was yellow if he remembered correctly. Mike had been entirely inconsolable when Will had told him it was his favourite one (Will told him in passing, he swore he didn't know that Mike would act like that). It was like the only thing Mike knew how to say after that was an apology, he begged and begged for Will to forgive him, and said that he would never touch his crayons again even.
Will continued to forgive him each time Mike apologized, each repetition of "It's okay, Mike." never losing an ounce of patience. The next day, Mike had shown up on his doorstep to play again, this time he triumphantly held up a brand-new yellow crayon. Will hadn't questioned where he got the singular crayon from but when he went to Mike's house later that week to colour a picture for Mike's mother (who was going to be giving birth to Holly any day now), he noticed that the yellow crayon was missing from Mike's Crayola box.
That's just the type of person Mike was. How could Will ever be mad at him?
"No, of course not," Will answered.
Mike nodded, his gaze still steady on Will's. Will smiled at him. Will was going to let it go, he really was. He'd wait until he got home to scream and cry into his own pillow. Because Mike didn't kiss him because he wanted to, he kissed him because he thought he needed to. Will felt like he could be sick. Sick with longing and desire, sick with how much he wished Mike would just kiss him again. Will sighed, unwrapping Mike from his arms and laying on his back. It was already late. Maybe Will could fall asleep if he tried hard enough; if he could just let this go.
Except, it seemed like Mike couldn't. Because even though it had been quiet for a while, he kept going. Will turned to him as he spoke.
"I mean, friends kiss, right? Max and El do it all the time." Mike said, his gaze bouncing across Will's features frantically as if he was looking for his next line somewhere between the freckles that lay on the bridge of Will's nose. Will tried to ignore just how often Mike's eyes fell down onto Will's spit-slicked lips.
Will wasn't sure if they were going to overlook the fact that Max and El have actually been dating for almost a year now. They both knew it, they had been there when Max and El had come out to the party.
"Hey, stalkers. El and I are a thing now. As in dating, as in we make out. If you don't like it then figure it out somewhere else."
"Yeah! Kick rocks!"
But Mike didn't mention it, so neither did Will. Instead, Will inched his face a little closer, so close that their noses brushed and he could practically feel the heat radiating off of Mike's flushed cheeks.
"Yeah, friends kiss," Will said simply. In truth, friends didn't kiss. Will knew it, he was sure Mike knew it too as his only reference was an already confirmed couple. But Will wanted Mike to be as comfortable as possible, of course, he was trying to justify it, to make things less awkward for him. Will understood that.
"Yeah?" Mike asked.
"Yeah," Will confirmed. Mike nodded, almost dumbly. His eyes stayed steady on Will's lips now. Will wondered what Mike was thinking about and as Mike moved even closer, his hands finding their way to Will's cheeks and stroking the skin there, Will felt like he had a hunch.
"Okay." Mike shuddered. Will decided that maybe it was best that he had no control of his body. Because if he did, he was sure he would end up high tailing it out of the room from the pure fear and anticipation of it all. Instead, his hands moved up to Mike's waist, holding it gently and stroking his hands down the curve to the bony edge of his hips. He could feel Mike's breath hitch, the air fanning Will's lips as he spoke.
"Okay," Will whispered.
They kissed again.
Will could feel the rawest desire creep up on his bones like slowly poured honey. This kiss was heavier than the last, filled to the brim with desperation and longing. Will felt Mike's hand tighten in his hair as he pushed his head closer.
Their lips slotted together and moved in tandem with one another. Will could feel each crevice and crack on Mike's bottom lip and his tongue slid across it. Mike gasped and Will dove in, exploring as much of Mike's mouth as he could. Will kissed him sloppily, more tongue than anything as he mapped the ridges of Mike's teeth.
Will took his tongue and softly grazed it against the roof of Mike's mouth, gripping his waist tightly as Mike began to squirm at the feeling. He made the prettiest sounds, Will found. After summer had passed, Mike's voice had dropped only a little while Will's had become deeper and more based than Mike's. He never really noticed until now as he reduced Mike to soft whines and gasps with just his lips.
Will's hands begin to move, slowly making their way up Mike's back before they gripped the back of his shoulders. Will tugged him forwards roughly, completely overcome by the sheer want he was feeling. Mike had hardly complained, after being pulled impossibly closer, he fully wrapped his arms around Will's shoulders. They panted fast through their noses, trying with their entire beings to keep their lips together for as long as they could.
Mike gasps again before finally letting out a moan as Will sucks his tongue into his mouth. Mike pulls away with a smack of their lips. They peck each other's lips a couple of times, catching their breaths.
"Shit, Will." Mike panted, his voice broken and wanting. Will felt victorious being able to get Mike to sound like that. They stayed close together, their arms not losing any grip on the other. Will hummed and let Mike catch his breath as he pecked the skin next to Mike's lips a couple of times. He moves his kisses across Mike's cheek, to his jaw before kissing his neck. The sound Mike lets out is enough to bring Will over the edge.
He feels like a part of himself, the part that holds all his desires and fantasies and intensities has been let out, completely unstoppable to anyone but Mike himself. Mike didn't know it but he had Will in the palms of his hands. He'd do anything Mike wanted to like this, anything he asked.
The skin on Mike's neck seems to be tender already if the sounds that came out of Mike were any indication. He runs his teeth and tongue along Mike's neck and Mike tilts his head further back at the contact. Mike goes from laying on his side to his back as he loses himself in the feeling of Will's lips on his skin. Will follows him, crawling on top of him and continuing the kisses and sucking on Mike's skin.
Will brings his hand up to Mike's hair, tangling it in his fingers and tugging hard. Mike lets out a drawn-out whine, his hips twitching upwards towards Will's and his eyes shutting so tight he sees stars. Will repeatedly kisses at a particularly tender spot just on top of Mike's pulse point. He releases it from between his teeth for a moment, looking at the red and purple already blossoming on the skin. Lust crashed in his stomach like a tsunami as he took a glance at Mike.
His eyes were closed and his eyebrows twitched up in pleasure as he took in shuddered breaths. Mike's parted lips were bitten red and slicked with spit and his head was tilted back where Will held it by his hair. Mike didn't move a muscle, as if he was waiting for Will's say so. And if that didn't fill Will the most primal desire he didn't know what would.
He released Mike's hair gently to stroke the scalp that he was sure was sore by now. Will leaned down to give Mike a soft kiss on the cheek. Mike's eyes fluttered open and remained lidded as he looked up at Will. His gaze was soft but intense, the look in his deep, brown eyes looked a lot like the desire that reflected in Will's own.
"You okay?" Will asked softly, his hands soothing the tangles he created in Mike's hair. Mike nodded and hummed, his hands making their way up Will's back and towards his shoulders. Will tsked and kissed Mike's cheek again, this time staying close and placing his forehead on Mike's. "I need you to answer with words, Mike."
Mike stayed quiet for a moment, brushing his nose across Will's side to side. It made Will smile, watching Mike act like this, enveloped in his arms.
"I'm okay," Mike whispered, he closed his eyes again, gripping Will's shoulder, looking as if he was in deep thought. Will gave him a soft kiss on his nose, which seemed to snap Mike out of it.
"I just-" Mike shifted under Will, giving him a kiss on his lips before speaking again. "I need..."
Will hummed and allowed Mike to kiss him again. Mike kissed him three times before Will moved his head to the side. He did his best to ignore the complaint that fell from Mike's lips at the dodge. But Will had to know. "What do you need, Mike?"
Mike huffed, "I need you. Closer."
Will obliged, leaning a little further down. Their chests were inches from touching and Will's abs ached as he tried to hold himself up.
"Like this," Will asked, giving Mike a peck on the lips.
Mike squirmed under Will again, moving his legs to lay on either side of Will's hips before tugging Will down by his shoulders. Will's able to catch himself just in time before he collapses onto Mike and instead gradually lays himself on top of Mike's body. It's hard to ignore just how perfectly they fit together. Mike must think so too because when he feels Will's chest lying on top of his he sighs a happy, "Like that."
They kiss again, picking up right where they left off. They bite at each other's lips, eliciting soft groans and moans from one another. Will makes his way, kissing across Mike's face back to the spot on Mike's neck that makes him writhe. The spot is already a deep red, tender from the previous attack on the skin so when he places another fat, wet kiss on the skin Mike's hip twitches up. And, oh boy.
When Will was on top of Mike earlier he was far enough that Mike moving any which way wouldn't cause their hips to knock into one another. He was afraid that if he was able to feel Mike's... that things would get too real for them and it would all come to an end.
It's what Will was expecting, honestly, they'd share a few kisses and stop when one of them, probably Will, felt a stir somewhere lower than just their abdomens. So when Mike's hips twitch up, because of Will's proximity, Mike's cock knocked directly into Will's.
A moan was punched out of both of them, Will's face buried deep in Mike's neck and Mike's hands gripped Will's hair as he threw his head back.
"Fuck." They both whispered. They looked at one another before laughter began to bubble between them. Will shoved his face into the pillow next to Mike's head, their cheeks pressed together as Mike's chest shuddered with poorly contained giggles.
It was all too perfect until Will remembered everything that led up to this point.
"I just felt like I needed to."
Dread began to pour into Will's stomach, casting away any feelings that were coloured yellow. Will loved Mike. He loved him so deeply that he thought the feeling would be etched in his insides forever. That when he died, centuries from now, archeologists would exum his skeleton just to find the name Mike engraved in his bones over and over. He thought of the hard grips and rough kisses and, oh god, had he just forced himself on Mike?
"You're not mad at me?"
He thought of young Mike standing at his front door with a yellow crayon in hand. He thought of young Mike crying, asking Will what he had to do to forgive him, that he would do whatever Will asked.
Is that what this is? Will thought. Is this just Mike doing what he can to get Will to forgive him?
Will felt sick.
He shot up and sat on his knees. Mike flinched, startled by the sudden movement. He looked up at Will, who sat between his spread legs, with wide eyes.
It was silent, the moment filled with Will looking around the room anxiously before landing on the glaring red spot on Mike's neck. He did that and Mike let him because he thought he needed to. Will could feel the tears prickling in his eyes as he stared at the ruined skin.
He ruined Mike, tainted him with his despicable desires and longings. He had marred Mike's skin with his impulses, he wondered how long it would take for it to fade away. If each day, Mike would look in the mirror and cringe at the memory Will left him.
"I'm sorry," Will said, he looked down first because he didn't think he could look Mike in the eye and second because he didn't want Mike to see the pathetic tears that now streamed down his face. "I didn't mean to force you."
"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do, Mike." Will's voice broke with tears and pure regret lodged itself in his throat.
Will was well prepared to let this moment float off and join the cloud of tension, now dark with vileness, up high near the ceiling. But Mike sat up, his legs still on either side of Will's knees. He placed a hand on top of Will's and it reminded him of when he and Mike were cleaning the cabin together. When they sat on the upside-down couch and light streamed in from the broken window. He remembered how beautiful Mike looked at that moment.
"Will..." Mike whispered, "what do you mean?"
Will let out a quiet sob. "You only kissed me because you thought you needed to."
"Oh, Will-"
The bed shifted under Mike's weight as he sat on his knees in front of Will.
"And I said I wasn't mad at you, Mike. You don't have to do this to make me feel better-"
Mike lifted Will's chin and pulled him into another kiss. It was slow, mostly because Will couldn't believe that this was happening again.
Mike led the kiss, holding Will's face and kissing him softly. Will parted his lips when he felt Mike's tongue graze against the seam. Mike hummed happily as he licked into Will's mouth repeatedly before pulling away and kissing Will's chin. Then to his left cheek, then his right, before finishing with a kiss on his forehead.
"Will," Mike started, "I'm not doing this because I think I need to."
"I'm doing this," Mike says softly, his voice is liquid honey as he traces kisses across Will's cheek all the way to his ear. He trails the tip of his tongue along Will's ear before whispering into it. "Because I need it."
Which at a first glance, didn't sound like it strayed much from the problem at hand. But when Will thought about how Mike whispered the word need in his ear it all felt entirely new. Will tried to turn his head to look at Mike but Mike's hand had gripped his hair tight enough that he couldn't move. Will's breaths came out stuttered and he closed his eyes as he felt Mike trace kisses down his neck and sucks a bruise into the skin on his collarbone.
Mike released Will's skin from his mouth with a pop! before he moves back to Will's lips. Their lips rubbed together as Mike spoke, his voice was low and it almost resembled the purring of a cat. "I need you, Will."
He kissed Will like he was approaching his last dying breath. Will grabbed Mike's waist and the boy practically threw himself in Will's arms. He kissed Will's lips repeatedly, running his hands through Will's hair before whispering something that sent a pang of desire to his stomach.
"You gonna let me have you?"
Will's body suddenly comes back online. One of his hands rips itself away from Mike's waist and grabs at his hair.
"Mike." He says seriously. "I need you to be entirely sure you want this... me."
Mike smiles, it would've been menacing if Will didn't have his hand gripping Mike's hair the way he did. The way their roles seemed to switch could make Will dizzy, but all he focused on now was the way Mike's breath hitched when he met the serious look in Will's eyes.
"I want you, Will," Mike says, his gaze softens and he brings a hand to wipe at a tear that had been on its way to drying at the corner of Will's eye. "I want anything you can give me."
Will lets go of his grip slowly, gently massaging at Mike's scalp. His gaze bounced between Mike's eyes like he couldn't believe what Mike was saying was true.
"Really?"
But it was true, wasn't it?
"Yes, Will."
Mike smiled the way he did when he was about to say something stupid. Will sighed expectantly.
"I mean, c'mon." Mike started, his eyes glinting mischievously.
" 'Friends' fuck." He mocked himself. "I'm sure Max and El do it all the ti-"
Will didn't realize he had done it until Mike stopped talking. And holy shit, what a sight.
Will interrupted Mike by shoving his index, middle and ring finger into Mike's mouth. He didn't know how he managed to do it without Mike's teeth knocking into his skin. But as he silenced Mike by pushing down on his tongue and watched as Mike's eyes lidded in what looked like craving, Will figured it didn't matter.
He tightened his grip on Mike's mouth and pulled him closer by his jaw. Their foreheads rested together as he spoke quietly.
"Please, don't talk about my sister and her girlfriend when I'm about to fuck you," Will advised, his voice low and demanding and he can feel the saliva pool in Mike's mouth at the sound.
Mike blinked at him slowly before taking hold of Will's wrist. Mike sucks his fingers and slowly pulls Will's wrist, guiding his now-soaked fingers out of his mouth. Will watches Mike's adam's apple bob as he swallows and Will takes a moment to appreciate just how lucky he is.
Mike guides Will's hand back to his hip and gives him a sly smile.
"Then you better get to it."
Will silences him with a fierce kiss and gets to work.