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Will hadn’t even properly registered what woke him up when he felt the mattress move.
It was pitch black in his room, which meant Carlton had turned his night light off. Again.
Will knew it was childish, and embarrassing, and it was probably a habit he should’ve grown out of by the age of eighteen. But whatever, that didn’t mean Carlton could just turn it off. There was a reason Will kept it on. And it was his dorm room, anyway.
He could tell Carlton was awake solely by the loud and frankly inconsiderate stirring next to him, and he was about to mumble some passive aggressive remark about the lack of light when a knock echoed through the room. Will frowned. He turned around to face his alarm clock. His eyes were still adjusting to the completely dark of the room, but after a couple of seconds he could make out the outlines of the clock arms. Three AM. Which idiot was knocking on his door at three AM?
Another knock followed; faster, more impatient. Will was still cursing him out in his head when Carlton practically fell out of the bed next to him and made his way towards the door, mumbling something incoherent. Will’s dorm was no bigger than the size of a shoe box, so it wasn’t like he had the time or opportunity to call Carlton back before he was opening the door. Whoever was knocking like a madman out there was either a drunk student mistaking his dorm for someone else’s, or someone trying to play some poorly thought out prank. Either way, not worth their time. Especially at three AM. Will turned around and let his face fall into his pillow. He was too tired for this.
Carlton opened the door way too loud. It hit his dresser and Will groaned into his pillow.
“Hey dude,” Carlton’s voice sounded, somewhere between pissed off and tired. “Wrong dorm, I think.”
“Oh,” another voice said. “Sorry. I thought…”
Will raised his head from his pillow. He was tired, and still half asleep, and probably not completely sound of mind, so he shouldn’t trust his own judgment. Still, he knew that voice.
“No worries, man,” Carlton said.
Will turned his head to face the door, but Carlton was standing in front of the stranger on his doorstep. He was about to close the door when he spoke up again.
“Do you maybe… erm… know a guy called Will? Will Byers? This is supposed to be his dorm number but-”
“Oh-”” Carlton said, slightly surprised. “Will?” He turned around, immediately making eye contact with Will. Will just sat there, messily tangled in his own sheets, mouth fallen open as he stared at the door.
There was no way. There was absolutely no fucking way.
“Mike?” He barely noticed he was talking until he heard his own voice speak his name. For a second he thought he was hallucinating. Dreaming. Having a nightmare. Maybe Vecna was back and showing him some messed up, terrifying thought that had been spiraling in the back of his mind for the past few months.
But this wasn’t Hawkins, and Will had seen Vecna’s head get chopped off with his own two eyes, and yet Mike Wheeler was still here, hovering on his doorstep. His hands buried in the pockets of his denim jacket, his hair slightly dishevelled, like he ran there. Not to mention the glasses.
Will realised he should probably get up from under the covers. He scrambled upright, carefully making his way to the door. The other two boys simply watched him.
Something in Will’s stomach turned, seeing Carlton stand next to Mike. When Lucas and Max had come to visit him just a month ago, they’d joked about how much Carlton resembled Mike. ‘O my god, You so have a type, Will.’ It echoed through his head as both stood in his dorm room, lit by the dim hallway lights.
He should probably say something. He should definitely say something.
“Hey,” Mike said before he could. It came out quietly, like he wasn’t really sure yet if he actually wanted to say it. “Sorry… Did I wake you up?”
“Well, it’s three am,” Carlton mumbled.
“What are you doing here?” Will asked at the same time.
Mike shrugged. “I was in the neighborhood,” he mumbled.
That was bullshit. He lived a two hour flight away.
Mike turned towards Carlton before Will could point out the blatant lie. “Who’s this?” He asked. His eyes narrowed as he examined him. Carlton frowned at him, looked to turn at Will, looked back at Mike. “Erm… I’m Carlton,” he said then. “Who are you?”
“I’m Mike,” Mike replied in an instant, eyes still looking down at Carlton, his stare growing more resentful.
Jesus Christ, it was way too early for this.
“Carlton this is my friend, Mike,” Will interjected, knowing Mike would most likely say something rude or offensive if he gave him another second. “Mike, this is Carlton, my boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?”
“What are you doing here, Mike?” Will asked again.
Mike looked back at him, his eyes still caught somewhere between confusion and annoyance. Will hadn’t seen him in months, and he looked the same, but not fully. Something had changed. He was wearing the same sweater, the same beat up sneakers. His hair had grown a bit, but it still fell the same way. But he looked different.
Will realized it then: Mike looked sad. Not just sad, he looked exhausted. There were dark bags under his eyes, and his brows were still furrowed in a way that looked unconscious and permanent, wrinkles forming around it. He was chewing the inside of his cheek in a way he thought was subtle, but Will always noticed it.
This was Mike, Will realized then. His Mike.
“I just… wanted to say hi,” Mike offered eventually. “See how you were doing.”
“We were sleeping,” Carlton said, annoyed.
Will couldn’t stop himself from rolling his eyes slightly, and he swore he saw Mike smile when he caught it. He felt himself mirror it.
Then he snapped back.
This was Mike. On his doorstep, at three AM. And he was with Carlton.
Panic set in then, slowly. The way Carlton had straightened up next to him, the sleep completely leaving his eyes. This was not happening. Will could not let this happen.
“Okay… uhm, well, I finish class at two tomorrow,” he said in hopes of diffusing whatever tension had filled the air. “Maybe we can grab coffee after?”
“What?” Mike said, as if he had just proposed some outlandish idea.
Will swallowed. His mind was running in circles, trying to comprehend at least part of what was currently happening. Mike just stood there, slightly awkward, staring at Will in a way that made his stomach turn the wrong way. He couldn’t do this. Mike had to leave, right now.
Will turned to Carlton. “I’ll be right there,” he said. He could tell Carlton was going to pick some type of fight about this in a bit, or maybe tomorrow morning if he knocked out before that, but whatever. Will could do that too. He could bring up his nightlight, for one.
He didn’t wait for an answer from Carlton. Just turned back to Mike and slightly nudged him further into the hallway, till he could step out too and close the door.
“I don’t like him,” Mike said as soon as the doorknob clicked.
Will sighed. “Seriously, Mike?” he asked. “It’s three in the morning!”
“I was in the city.”
“Cut the crap.”
“What?” Mike countered. “I’m not allowed to come visit you?”
Will closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Not at three in the fucking morning, Mike.” He looked back at Mike, who was now staring at the door behind him.
“Can’t you tell him to leave?”
“Who?” Will asked.
“That guy… Carson.”
“Carlton?”
“Yeah.”
Will blinked up at him. He wondered if Mike had always had this level of audacity or if it was a recent development. “Then what?”
Mike rubbed his neck. “I could stay here?”
“I’m not going to tell my boyfriend to go home at three in the morning because you decided to show up to New York unannounced,” Will dead-panned. He crossed his arms as he silently stared at the boy in front of him. “Go find a fucking hotel Mike,” he sighed then. “We can talk tomorrow.”
If Will were a slightly better person, he might’ve let Mike stay. He would’ve seen the hopeless way Mike was staring at him, the way all of his nervous tells were practically screaming to his face. The way he was chewing up his bottom lip, or pulling at a loose thread from his jeans. He would’ve offered him a place in his room, listened to him talk about his problems all night. He would’ve been there for him.
But sue him, Will was doing so good. He found his place in New York. He had a boy who actually liked him and wanted to be with him. He had friends who were like him. He had a freedom he never had in Hawkins. He was thriving. Mike Wheeler was not allowed to make that all come crumbling down at three in the morning.
So he watched as Mike held back whatever comments he had ready to fire back and buttoned his jacket up. Will wanted to offer him some type of scarf, or gloves, at least. It was the end of December in New York and Mike was wearing a thin denim jacket over a barely thick enough sweater. But Will didn’t do those things anymore, so he swallowed it.
“Fine,” Mike mumbled. “See you tomorrow, then. For coffee, or whatever.” He was staring at the tips of his shoes. Will sighed. This sucked.
Carlton was fast asleep when Will went back into his room. He walked around the bed, crouching down to turn his nightlight back on. Then he got back in bed and closed his eyes. It took him an hour to fall back asleep.
Mike had his hands wrapped around his coffee cup, but Will didn’t miss how they were shaking. He didn’t mention it, because he never did. He never pressed Mike about it. He just noticed, that was all.
Will could see him better now, in the bright lights of the cafe. Better than the dark of his dorm’s halfway, that was for sure. He could see better how Mike’s hair was longer since the last time Will saw him. Messier too. The summer after their senior year Mike had been set on styling it neatly every morning. But he’d given up on that, Will guessed.
“New glasses?” Will asked to fill the silence. He took a sip of his coffee.
Mike nodded.
Great, Will thought. So he is willing to talk at three AM, but god forbid I try to have a conversation at a reasonable time and place.
“Why are you here, Mike?” He tried then.
Mike pressed his lips together. He was staring at Will so absent mindedly Will wondered if he had even heard him.
“I, uhm…” Mike started. “I just… haven’t heard from you,” he swallowed. “In a while.”
Will blinked. “... What?”
Mike shifted his eyes back to his cup. “The last letter you sent was in November. And I tried calling you three times this month, but you didn’t pick up. You didn’t even call back.”
Will had to take a second to process. He had to take another sip of his coffee, letting the scorching hot bitter last in his mouth to stop him from replying too hastily. “I was busy,” he said finally, sitting his cup back down.
“For four weeks?” Mike scoffed. “Did you even get my last letter?”
Will had gotten Mike’s last letter. It was stuffed in his socks drawer. He’d read every word over and over again and if he had to, he could probably recite it in his sleep. Which was exactly why he hadn’t replied.
Mike hadn’t even said anything crazy. The usual; how are you, this is new with me, remember this?, come visit soon, wish you well. It was like any other letter Will had received from him since he had left Hawkins. And it still made Will’s stomach turn.
It wasn’t for a lack of trying, Will knew that. He had hoped the distance would help him out. New York was far from Hawkins, especially by car. And now that his mom and Hopper had moved to Montauk, Will barely went back. He hadn’t seen Mike since the summer, and he’d hoped that would help. Which, in hindsight, was foolish. He’d been in this exact situation years ago. Granted, a different place, on the west coast, but it still came down to the same conclusion; not seeing Mike did absolutely nothing to rid him of his feelings for him.
So he did whatever he could to forget about Mike. He hooked up, he went out, he even got a fucking boyfriend. And still, when Mike’s stupid, ordinary letter showed up at his dorm at the end of November, none of it had had any effect.
But he was supposed to have moved on. Mike wasn’t doing anything wrong, and Will knew no part of him could logically blame him. This was all on Will. For pretending he was over all of it, for making Mike believe that. So he didn’t send a letter back, and he watched each time as the phone rang, waiting it out till Mike grew tired on the other side of the line. Because what else could he do? He had a boyfriend. He had a life here. He had to let Mike go, even if he had to force himself to.
So he shrugged, and lied; “I have exams.”
Mike’s shoulders grew tenser, and Will could see he knew Will was lying.
“I’ve been trying to talk to you, Will,” he said. “For the past three weeks.”
“Well, you’re here now,” Will replied bitterly. “So what is so important that you had to show up to my dorm at three in the morning, Mike?”
Mike pressed his lips into a thin line, sighing as he leaned back in his chair. “You’re still mad about that?”
“Yes, I am,” Will bit before he’d even finished the question. “You can’t just do that, Mike. It was the middle of the night. You asked me to kick Carlton out-”
“So this is about your boyfriend?” Mike spit the last word with such disgust Will’s brain buffered for a second.
When it came back to him, he waited a bit before he spoke. “I have a life here-”
“I don’t like him,” Mike said. He crossed his arms, staring down at his untouched coffee as if he was protesting.
Will stopped himself from shaking his head, or rolling his eyes, or sighing so loudly it would expose his annoyance. “Yeah, you’ve said that.”
“Who even is he? You’ve never mentioned him before.”
“He’s my boyfriend,” Will said, and Mike was looking at him so intensely he had to look back down at his cup.
It wasn’t not true. Will had tried bringing it up on the phone once, but he couldn’t get the words out. He’d written it in his letters, but always crossed the sentences out before he sent them. He wasn’t sure why he couldn’t tell Mike, especially since everybody else in the party knew. But it felt different. Maybe it was different, because nobody else had responded like this when they found out Will was dating someone.
But maybe that was just Mike; always slightly too protective over Will. Even now that they were grown. Even if he knew better.
Mike stayed quiet for some time, and Will tried to remember what they were even arguing about. Will not calling him back?
“Is it serious?” Mike asked then.
Will looked back up. “Sure,” he replied, too fast.
It wasn’t. Will didn’t even question that. Not when he had a list of excuses to use if Carlton tried meeting up, or if he asked Will to come over. He was nice, Will supposed, and he was attractive, and he liked Will, which definitely helped. Will needed to date to move on, and Carlton would do. But it wasn’t serious, and it never would be. But Mike didn’t have to know that.
Mike furrowed his brows. “Why are you with him?”
Will let his hands fall flat onto the table. “This is what you want to discuss right now, Mike? Seriously?”
Mike considered it for a moment, then his eyes dropped. “I- Whatever.”
“Whatever,” Will echoed quietly. He stared back at his coffee too. Around them, people sipped their drinks and actually talked to each other. They laughed, chatted, did whatever people did at cafes. Yet here they were, both refusing to look up from their barely touched drinks. Will didn’t want to be the first to speak, but Mike had always been better at waiting him out than he was.
“How are your classes?” He mumbled, trying to sound uninterested. He was, slightly, but only because he was more interested in other things about Mike. Things he could not afford to think about, let alone ask.
Mike shrugged without looking at him. “Fine.”
“Just fine?”
“It’s community college, Will,” he said, making eye contact right as he said his name, because sure, Will’s dignity was a joke already, anyway.
Will opened his mouth to respond. Some rehearsed lines about how he was sure it wasn’t as bad as Mike made it sound, or about how he could drop out, about how at least Lucas and Max were close by. Only the words never made it out of his throat, because his eye got caught on a familiar silhouette walking through the door. One Will really did not want to see.
“Jesus,” Will sighed, before plastering a smile on and standing up, waving across the cafe.
He only did it because Carlton had already seen him. He didn’t know why he was even here, since he never wanted to go when Will asked him. It was just some dumb, overrated cafe and he knew much better places. Usually Will wouldn’t even try to fight the battle, he’d just go alone. But now Carlton was here, and he was heading straight for their table.
“Hey, babe,” he smiled, leaning down to kiss Will’s cheek. Will tried to smile, but he couldn’t look away from the daggers Mike was throwing with his stare.
“Hi,” Will mumbled quickly. “Uhm… What are you-”
“I just saw Joshua on my way back from class,” Carlton cut him off. “There’s this massive party tonight. At Record. We have to go.”
“Oh, I’m not-”
“They’ve completely rented the whole thing out. It’s going to be fucking insane, Will.”
Will shrugged. “You can go,” he said, his eyes flicking back to Mike. He was sitting quietly, his hands wrapped around his coffee cup, and he was looking straight at him. Will looked away in a heartbeat.
“No, come with me,” Carlton pleaded. Will winced, and he couldn’t believe this was happening right now, in front of Mike, in the middle of whatever conversation they were having. He didn’t want to go to a party. He didn’t care how “insane” it was going to be, or who was going to be there. He couldn’t care less. Not when Mike was right there, in front of him.
Until he wasn’t.
Mike’s chair scraped against the hardwood floors as he stood up.
“I should probably go,” he said, loud enough for Carlton to finally turn around and acknowledge him.
“Oh, hey-”
“Good catching up, Will,” Mike said, barely trying to sound convincing. “Have fun at your… party.”
And then he was gone. He turned around without a second look, and walked straight to the door. Will stood motionlessly as he watched him walk out. Then he let himself fall back into his chair, slumping down.
Carlton took Mike’s seat without a second to spare, and Will would’ve said something about it if Carlton hadn’t started talking about the party again. Will just tuned it out. He didn’t care. He could say whatever he wanted to; Will was not going to that party.
It was so hot in Record Will almost regretted bringing a winter jacket, even if it was December.
He didn’t know what he was doing.
He didn’t know why he went to the party. He did know, though, that going was a bad idea. Partly because he didn’t want to go, and partly because he did.
He was tired, and pissed off, and he knew better than to mix that with alcohol, but he was too exhausted to care. Maybe he just needed a distraction. Something to remind him of what his life was like without Mike here. Of how good it could be.
Carlton didn’t blink an eye at anything he said or did. He was content enough that Will had tagged along, though Will doubted it would’ve been different for him if he hadn’t. The second they got to the bar, he was gone, off to meet some friend Will knew about but didn’t know well enough to talk to. So he made his way to the bar, praying whatever they were willing to serve him was good enough to get rid of the sinking feeling in his stomach.
At eighteen, not every place in the city took a leap of faith to serve him. He had a fake ID, but he couldn’t get himself to use it much, and he mostly tried to lift off Carlton sweet talking any bartender. But he didn’t want to wait for him to do his multiple rounds this time.
Luckily the place was packed, sweaty and gross, violating multiple health codes while none of the workers seemed to care. Busy enough for the bartender not to bother much with Will’s baby face. Two minutes later he was resting against the side of the bar, scanning the floor as he sipped his vodka soda too fast.
A part of him still felt bad. He still felt guilty about something he’d done wrong, even if he knew there was nothing. Nothing, except for ignoring Mike’s calls and letters. Nothing except for lying to him for the past few years, pretending the flip of his stomach wasn’t real each time Mike got close to him. But Mike didn’t know that, so he had no real reason to be upset with him, and Will had no real reason to feel guilty. Mike was most likely on his way to the airport now, regretting the money and time he’d spend on the whole endeavor. If Will had to guess, he’d say he probably wouldn’t hear from him till summer, when the party would inevitably have to meet up all again, and they couldn’t run from it anymore.
Which was perfectly fine, because Will needed to move on. He had a new life here, in New York, away from Hawkins and all of its mess.
He looked between the faces on the floor. He recognized some; friends of friends, or people he’d seen before in university buildings. Carlton was nowhere to be seen, but that didn’t surprise him much. It was always like that, anyway. Will was fun when it was just him, but clearly he couldn’t compete with a whole room full of new, exciting strangers.
He took another sip of his drink. Too strong and too bitter, but whatever. It did the job.
He wasn’t far from the door, but far enough to have to squint slightly to see who walked in each time it opened.
He didn’t have to for him though.
Will always recognized him, the second he got anywhere. His hair, the way he stood, the way he moved and shifted his eyes. Will was so attuned to it all, it felt as if a magnet pulled him to look his way the second Mike stepped through the door.
His eyes found him at the bar immediately, and Will suddenly felt so small, standing by himself sipping his sad excuse for a drink. What a life you have here, Will, sure.
He finished his entire drink in one gulp before Mike even made his way over to him.
Will had nothing to say to him, and he knew better than to trust himself to look at him, so he kept his eyes fixated on the floor, letting his eyes float over strangers’ faces.
Mike’s voice sounded next to him faintly. “Two vodka sodas, please.”
Will wondered if his hair looked dumb, styled the way it was. He didn’t know if Mike had ever seen it like that. He probably hadn’t, since he’d never been somewhere like this with Mike. He felt foolish, and stupid, and fourteen again.
Mike handed him his drink, and Will would’ve been a better person and ignored it if he wasn’t so broke and desperate to get some type of buzz to forget the situation he was in. He took it from Mike’s hand without looking, his fingers grazing Mike’s as he did. Kick a man while he’s down, don’t you?
He let the alcohol burn in his throat, gulping it down as if it was water. Mike seemed to have the same idea. He opened his mouth, and Will swore he could hear his own heartbeat over the loud bass of the song playing.
But Mike never spoke, and Will’s spiralling was cut off by a slight tap on his shoulder. He turned around, trying his best to ignore that he hoped it wasn’t Carlton.
It wasn’t. It was some girl he knew from one of his classes. Enough to know her face, but not enough to remember her name. She greeted him loudly, and hugged him as if they were friends. Will smiled back enough for her to make some conversation about something that Will didn’t care much for, but anything was better than turning to his left. So he let her ask questions about their course, and their lecture last week, and some friend of his she knew apparently. He nodded along, enough to keep her talking as he kept drinking.
He tried his best to not care about the boy next to him. He turned more towards the girl, as if he was trying to shield himself away from Mike.
She was talking about a restaurant now. Something about how Will should go there with Carlton. Will barely knew this girl’s name, and somehow she knew who he was dating. Maybe she knew Carlton? Will didn’t remember. Especially not when an arm stretched out in front of him, holding a fresh drink. Will’s neck snapped around, but Mike wasn’t even looking at him; just holding a new vodka soda. He was turned slightly away from him, having some conversation with a girl Will didn’t recognize.
Will took the drink, then turned back to the girl.
He lost track of how many drinks he had.
He knew it was more than he should’ve had, because the music became muffled in his ears, and he felt unsteady leaning against the bar. He knew Mike was too, because the more he drank the less restraint he had, and the more he felt him by his side.
The girl was still talking, and Will had no clue what about. He nodded, still, and laughed when she did, and that seemed to fool her enough. Which was really all he needed; some distraction to keep him from turning around to Mike. Mike’s arm brushed his once, accidentally. Or maybe not accidentally. Will couldn’t tell. He kept his eyes focussed on the girl, sipping his drink.
Until she saw someone else she knew better, and was pulled away. She promised something about some class they were apparently both taking as she made her way into the crowd, and then Will was left bare.
Mike was still talking to the girl from before. Will didn’t turn around to see, but he could hear their voices clearly now that he was silent and alone. He took another sip.
He didn’t know when he finished his drink, but when he did he knew he needed a new one. He turned around, slamming the cup on the bar with too much force.
“Vodka soda,” he said. He was slurring his words, he noticed, and apparently whoever was behind the bar did too. He narrowed his eyes, trying to gauge how far gone Will was. Will didn't care much. Cut him off, throw him out of the place. It was all a shitshow anyway.
“Please?” He mumbled when the bartender didn’t move.
He felt someone shift behind him then, standing way too close.
“He’s good.”
Mike’s voice was close behind his ear. Will turned around, glaring up at him. The girl he’d been talking to was gone. He wondered who she was. If Mike liked her. If that was his type. But he wasn’t going to ask, because he didn’t care.
“He’s good,” Mike repeated, making eye contact with the bartender. He held up two fingers. “Two more.”
Will rolled his eyes, because he didn’t need Mike to do that, but whatever. It seemed to work, and the bartender just leaned back, deciding it wasn’t worth the hassle as he reached for the vodka. Mike’s hand found its way to the bar, leaning flat against it, hovering over Will.
“Your boyfriend here?” Mike asked, his eyes still on the bar.
Will shrugged. “Somewhere.”
“Sounds like a loving relationship.”
“Shut up.”
Mike grinned, as if he was proud of whatever he was saying. His body felt hot over Will. Or maybe that was just the bar. There were more than twice the people that were here when Will had come in, and the middle of the place was packed with people dancing and sweating. Will felt the heat rise to his chest, all the way up to his cheeks.
“So are you done?”
Will raised his brows. “With?”
Mike’s eyes fell down to him then, as he handed him another drink. Will felt his spine straighten up, felt the way his legs became unsteady under him. Fucking great.
“Ignoring me,” Mike said promptly.
“I’m not,” Will replied. “You were talking to that girl-”
“I didn’t fly to New York to talk to some girl.”
Mike was drunk. Will registered it somewhere in the back of his mind, vaguely. He hadn’t seen Mike drunk often, so he didn’t notice at first, because his hands were steady, and his eyes were focussed. But his face was flushed, and he was talking slightly too fast, and his hair was sticking to his forehead in a way that made Will force himself to look away, back at his drink.
“I don’t know why you flew here in the first place,” he mumbled into the glass.
“To talk to you,” Mike replied almost instantly. He frowned slightly, and his voice was so gentle Will almost felt bad. Almost.
“About how you hate my boyfriend and you’re mad I haven’t had time to call you?”
“About how you’ve been ignoring me,” Mike corrected. “And your boyfriend does suck…”
“Which you had to tell me at three in the-”
Mike rolled his eyes. “Can you get over that?” He groaned. He ran his palm across his face, as his other hand leaned further against the bar. Will hadn’t realized how close he’d gotten. Not till Mike’s arm was pressed against Will’s shoulder, and there was barely an inch of space between their chests. Will kept his eyes down. He couldn’t even bring his drink to his lips without bumping it against Mike’s chest.
“Whatever,” Mike mumbled then, moving slightly backwards. “You’re impossible.”
Will gasped. “I’m impossible?” He asked, a hollow laugh escaping his throat. “Mike, do you see yourself?”
Mike gestured vaguely between them. “I’m trying to… fix-”
“You ambushed me in my dorm, now you’re what… getting me drunk at a bar? What the fuck, Mike. What the fuck.”
“I’m trying to fix things!” Mike spit out. “You’re the one who doesn’t want to talk and keeps lying-”
“I am not lying.”
Mike’s jaw tightened. “You haven’t been busy Will, cut the crap.”
Will pressed his lips together, staring up at the other boy.
“And you don’t like him, either,” Mike continued, waving towards the floor behind them. “Or you would’ve told me about it.”
“That’s not true,” Will said, but even he could hear how pathetic the lie sounded in his throat.
Mike didn’t acknowledge it, just kept talking. “And you don’t have to drink this, if you don't want to,” he said, taking Will’s drink from his hands, immediately taking a sip.
“Fine,” Will said sharply.
“And,” He continued as he took another sip. “I didn’t ambush you. I showed up to a friend’s dorm room, it’s not my fault you got weird about that.”
“You can’t do that, Mike,” Will said without thinking about it. He leaned back further against the bar, trying to put more space between them. He tried to raise his elbow, to lean it against the counter, but it was drenched in beer and other spilled drinks, and as he leaned back his elbow slipped away. He fell back, losing his balance.
Before he knew what happened, Mike reached out. His empty hand found Will’s waist easily, steadying him without moving from his spot. Will froze.
Mike raised his brows slightly. He waited till Will moved, or blinked, or showed any sign of life, then gently asked: “Are you okay?”
Will narrowed his eyes and looked away. “I’m fine,” he bit.
Mike didn’t take his hand off his waist. Instead, he tightened his grip as his eyes grew more focussed. Will opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn’t. Not when Mike’s thumb pressed into his waist. “I don’t want to argue,” Mike said then, his voice quiet.
“You started it,” Will mumbled.
He should move away from Mike’s hand. His boyfriend was here, somewhere. Probably somewhere in the back, or outside, or in the bathroom. He probably had forgotten Will was even here by now. But that didn’t matter, because he was still here, and he was still his boyfriend, and Will really shouldn’t lean further into Mike’s touch. But he was drunk, and pissed off, and it was so easy and natural.
“Okay,” Mike nodded. “Then I’m ending it. Is that allowed?”
Will shrugged, because God knows he wouldn’t be able to speak properly now anyway.
In the worst turn of events, every single vodka soda he had drunk hit him all at the same time, and he felt as the world around him started to turn and blur. His limbs felt heavy, and out of his control, and he could barely feel the bar counter poking his back anymore. Everything was fading, slightly.
But not Mike’s hand.
Will had to leave, he decided then. Whatever was happening was not supposed to, especially not when he was drunk. He would be better off in bed, alone, sleeping his desires away. He closed his eyes, trying to ground himself.
When he opened them again, Mike’s face was right next to him. Will almost moved back from surprise, but Mike was still holding his waist in place.
“Do you want to leave?” He said lowly, so close to his ear Will could feel his breath.
Will frowned. He moved his head back a bit so he could look at him. “Leave where?” He said. He meant to sound confident, and unbothered, and incredibly sober, but it came out in a half-whisper instead.
“Your dorm,” Mike replied easily.
“Don’t you have a hotel?” Will asked, annoyed. “Or a flight to catch?”
“I had a hotel last night,” Mike said. “And it sucked. And it was too expensive for what I got. And… I was hoping you would’ve forgiven me by this time.”
“Guess you didn’t hope hard enough,” Will said, crossing his arms. And because he was insane and stupid and fucked up, Mike smiled at that. Properly smiled, broadly and proudly, as if Will wasn’t trying to kick him out and back to an overpriced, shitty hotel.
“Please?” Mike said then, so slowly Will thought his knees would give out.
Will was wasted, and irritated, and also just a man, and Mike looked like that, so he said the only words he knew he could.
“I need a cigarette.”
He pushed himself away from Mike’s hand, practically falling forward when he brushed past him. He didn’t look back as he made his way to the door. He might’ve been drunk, but he was still fast, and somewhat steady, and definitely driven enough. People bumped into him, shoulders he had to push away with too much force, and if he couldn’t he simply pressed himself between them till he made it through, but it didn’t matter. He just had to get out.
The air was so cold he shut his eyes the second he stepped outside. His shirt was too thin for this, but he didn’t care enough to turn back and find his jacket inside. He crossed his arms, pressed his lips together and walked further. There was a small alley next to the bar, but everyone went there to smoke, so Will took the next one. It was smaller, and barely lit, but it was empty, and that was really all he cared for.
He rested his back against the cold brick of the alley, taking a pack of cigarettes out of his jean pocket. There was only one left, of course, but Will was grateful enough that there was something. He sighed deeply. He closed the pack, shoving it back in his pocket and fishing out a lighter as he did. He cupped his hand around the end of the cigarette, trying to steady his hands as he lit it. When he finally did, he leaned back. He took a long drag, closing his eyes for a few seconds. Something in his chest was spinning. He took another drag, hoping it’d go away, but it didn’t seem to work.
“I didn’t know you smoked.”
Will didn’t reply. He looked down at his shoes as he blew out, and then he looked up. Mike was leaning against the brick wall opposite of him. He hadn’t heard him follow him out, but he wasn’t surprised he did. This was Mike, after all. He looked relaxed, tilting his head back as he watched Will relight his cigarette. Will tried his best to look at anything but him.
He took another drag, then blew the smoke straight towards Mike, because he was still pissed at him, and he should know that.
Mike grinned.
“I get it,” Mike said then. “You’re mad.”
“I am,” Will glared. “And yet you’re still pissing me off.”
Mike raised his shoulders. “Well…” he said slowly. He took a few steps forward. Enough for his height to be an advantage. He looked down at Will. “You're already mad at me, so I might as well say what I want.”
The alley was still cold, but Will could feel the heat radiating off of Mike’s body now. Close enough that it should probably cause some concern.
He lifted the cigarette back to his mouth, but before he could do anything else, Mike’s hands reached up. He kept his eyes on Will’s as his fingers grazed Will’s, stopping them in motion. He took the cigarette from him and pulled it away slightly. Will wanted to protest it, but he couldn’t. All he could do was watch as Mike brought the cigarette down to his own lips, taking a drag slowly.
Will was going to die.
He pressed his back further into the brick as Mike turned around and exhaled, blowing the smoke somewhere behind him. He should’ve looked away. He should’ ve rolled his eyes, or said something rude, and walked away back to the bar like a normal person. Instead, he stood motionlessly as Mike turned his head back to Will. He held out his hand, raising it up till he reached Will’s lips. He brushed Will’s jaw slightly as he stepped closer. He held the cigarette in front of his lips and raised his brows, with a smirk on his face, as if it was some kind of dare. As if Will wasn’t losing his mind. And because Will was insane, he leaned in slightly, and wrapped his lips around the cigarette, inhaling slowly. He kept his eyes straight on the other boy. Mike’s grin just grew. Will blew all the smoke in his face until he couldn’t see it anymore.
“Good job,” Mike whispered, his voice so low Will barely caught it.
Will lifted his hand back up to take the cigarette from him, but Mike threw it onto the pavement before he could. Then he stepped closer.
Will turned to look at the ground. He scoffed. “That wasn’t-”
Mike launched forward.
All of his words died in his throat as Mike clashed his lips against his. It was so fast, and hasty, and Will barely had time to figure out what was happening before Mike pushed him further against the wall. His brain was twenty steps behind, but he leaned in without thinking. But before he could respond properly, Mike pushed himself back. Slightly backed away from the other boy, he tilted his head back to look at him. His eyes were wide and questioning, and he opened his mouth like he was going to say something. But Will decided that there was no part of him that wanted to hear anything Mike had to say right now. He could use his mouth for better things.
Before he could speak, Will curled his hands in the collar of his jacket and pulled him back in. Mike froze, just for a second. Then he kissed him back. Hard. His hand slid behind Will’s neck and he pulled him further into him. Nothing about it was light or gentle. Mike kissed him as if he was running out of time. As if someone was pulling him away. He leaned in further, kissing him deeper as his hand travelled down his back. There was no space between them, and Will could barely move, yet Mike still pulled him his way. As if he could get any closer. As if he wasn’t already too close.
Mike tasted like vodka, and cigarettes, and Will would usually hate that, but he didn’t care at all. Because this was Mike. Mike’s hands around his waist, Mike’s lips against his, Mike’s breath. Mike’s tongue over his bottom lip. Will’s hands moved carelessly and found their way to his hair. He was already doing everything he shouldn’t anyway, so he wrapped his fingers around his curls, pulling slightly. Mike groaned into the kiss, mouth opening under Will’s. His fingers slipped under Will’s shirt, and Will shuddered.
He knew, somewhere deep, deep inside, that this was not at all what he was supposed to do tonight. He came here to forget about Mike. He was supposed to have a nice night out with his boyfriend, and not give a single second to the idiotic boy who was currently letting his nails drag over Will’s back.
But then Mike ran his tongue across Will’s lips again, and against all of his better judgment, Will parted his lips. Mike’s tongue followed immediately. Will just melted into it.
Their teeth clashed together, but neither of them seemed to care and Mike just pushed himself further into Will, as if that was even possible. Carefully, so slow Will almost didn’t realize it at first, Mike moved his knee forward. Slight enough so it was just perched up against Will’s legs. He didn’t press further, but he didn’t have to; Will instantly moved his feet to the side, till his legs opened.
Mike slid his knee between Will’s legs so fast Will almost lost his balance. He tilted faintly, then pressed harder. Will’s hands flexed together like a reflex, pulling on Mike’s hair. A strangled sound escaped from the back of his throat. Mike didn’t move away. Didn’t stop kissing him. Just slowly pressed his knee further, till he felt Will tense up more.
“Mike-” Will said quietly.
Mike shook his head slightly, his lips still parted beneath Will’s, as he pulled his knee back. Will’s hands fell down to Mike’s shoulder. Before he could move further, Mike went back in, pressing it into the fabric of Will’s jeans. Hard. Will tried to say something, but no words came out of his throat. He could feel Mike smile into the kiss, and a frustrated sound escaped his lips. Mike’s knee pulled back at that.
“Sssh,” Mike whispered, his breath warm in Will’s mouth. Will tried to wrap his hands around Mike’s shoulder. He tried to steady himself the best he could. He breathed in, deep, but he couldn’t even breathe out before Mike kissed him again.
Mike moved his knee back again, even harder this time, and Will pressed his eyes shut.
He couldn’t do anything against it. He let his hands fall around Mike’s neck, parting his lips before Mike could even ask. Mike’s hands had slumped down, too, low below Will’s waist. His fingers dipped into Will’s jeans as they travelled further, finding the hem of his boxers.
Will was actually going to die here.
“So…” Mike muttered breathlessly between kisses. “Can I- Can I sleep at yours tonight?”
Will had to take a second to process what he said.
Then, when he finally did, he pushed him away so hard Mike stumbled backwards on the pavement.
“…What?”
Mike stared at him wide-eyed. His chest was heaving, and his hair was a mess, and his lips were swollen, and Will didn’t even remember doing all of that.
Mike blinked. “Uh- Can I… sleep in your-”
Will shook his head, pressing his eyes closed. “What the fuck, Mike,” he said loudly.
“No- No, wait,” Mike said hastily. He took a step forward, his hands reaching out. Will slapped them away.
He stepped back, till his back grazed the wall again. “That’s what’s important to you right now? If you can sleep in my fucking dorm? Really, Mike?”
Mike ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. “No, that’s not what I-” he let out a deep breath. “Well, I need to sleep somewhere, and I just thought-”
“You can sleep in a hotel,” Will bit.
“Will, I-”
“You can sleep in a fucking hotel and you can get the earliest flight out of here,” Will decided. “And I’m going home to my dorm. Alone.”
“Really?” Mike tilted his head. He took a step forward. “Not with your loving boyfriend?”
“Fuck you,” Will pushed him back, then turned around and walked away. He could hear the footsteps behind him, but he tried to ignore them. He didn’t want to talk to him. He didn’t want to see him, or even think about him right now.
He didn’t turn right, back to the bar. Instead, he turned left, crossed his arms, and picked up the pace. The absolute last person he wanted to see right now was Carlton, and he did want to go home. He needed to go home, actually. Lock his doors and hide under the covers until he could forget everything that had just happened.
“You’re going to freeze.”
“It’s none of your business.”
“Did you not bring a jacket?”
“I did,” Will scoffed. “It’s just- It’s inside.”
Mike walked faster than Will. He always had, so he was caught up and next to him in a few seconds. Will kept looking ahead of him. He didn’t want to deal with this. Not right now.
He saw Mike move from the corner of his eye, but he didn’t turn around. Not until he felt a warm fabric fall over his shoulders.
He froze in his steps, looking down at his shoulders, then up at Mike.
Then he pulled the jacket off and threw it against the other boy. “I don’t want your fucking jacket.”
“What the-” Mike said, bending down to pick it up. “Okay, sorry, Jesus. Don’t take it then. Fuck, I’m trying to be nice here, Will.”
“Oh,” Will laughed. “Now you’re trying to be nice?”
“What? No, I’ve been nice the entire-”
“You haven’t been nice to me since the second you knocked on my door at three in the-”
Mike tilted his head back. “Oh my god!” He exclaimed. “Seriously? Again?”
“Yes, again,” Will gritted his teeth. “Because you-“ He paused. “Actually,” he decided. “No. I’m not explaining it again.”
And fuck it, because he was freezing. It was the middle of winter in New York and he was wearing short sleeves. Besides, Mike owed him. He reached forward, his hands curling around Mike’s jacket, and pulled it from him. Then he put his arms through the sleeves.
“I thought you didn’t want it,” Mike said flatly.
“I do now,” Will replied, glaring up. He turned to his right and pointed. “Subway’s there. You can take one to the nearest hotel.”
Mike didn’t protest. He just stood there and watched as Will buttoned up his jacket, burying his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Okay,” he said.
The wind blew slightly, blowing Mike’s bangs into his eyes. He didn’t seem bothered; he stayed still, looking down at Will. Will could feel his heart beat out of his chest.
“Come pick this up tomorrow,” he mumbled then, the words slipping out before he could stop them. He looked up from where his hands were fumbling with the buttons. Mike’s eyes widened, only a bit. He didn’t say anything. His brows shot up, slightly, furrowed in the middle, and his lips curled into a grin.
“Okay,” he said after a second.
Will rolled his eyes. His brain was a mess, and his stomach was worse, and he had to get this to stop. He had to go home and sleep. But Mike was right here and he-
Will turned around and pointed towards the subway. “Now.”
Mike nodded quickly, muttering some “yeahs” as he held up his hands. Then he smiled. So wide, and earnestly, and he moved forward so fast Will couldn't move away, even if he wanted to. He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, still smiling. Will blinked up at him. And for a second, it was just that; Mike’s face next to his, his lips curled into a smile, his hair messy and tangled up.
Then he turned around and ran across the street, trying to wave as he moved out of the way for a cab.
Will simply stood there. He watched as the other boy ran down, into the subway. Until he completely disappeared.
He let his head tip back. He looked up at the sky and closed his eyes for a second. He took a deep breath in as the wind around him picked up, and then he sighed loudly.
He had to break up with his boyfriend. Preferably by tomorrow.