Chapter Text
Mike walks barefoot over the warm grass, shielding his eyes from the sun that’s reflected off the lake. He sees the boys from a distance, comic books lying in their laps that they seem to have abandoned for their conversation. When Dustin sees him, he raises his hand in a wave. Mike barely has time to sit down before the question comes.
“Where’s Will?” Lucas asks, frowning.
Mike is a terrible liar, always has been, which is why this is entirely out of his comfort zone. It was hard enough to tell his mom Will wasn’t feeling well and wouldn’t join them for breakfast. While he stuttered excuses in the kitchen, Will was in the basement calling his own mom to tell her he’s not coming home today. This was probably the moment they realized how badly they’d messed up.
Just like this morning, Mike is trying his best to keep a straight face. He busies himself with pulling a soda can from his backpack, trying to look casual. “Not sure.” He shrugs, hoping it looks natural. “But he should be here in a few minutes, I think.”
“He didn’t sleep over?” Dustin seems genuinely confused. “Oh god, please don’t tell me you had a fight.”
Lucas groans, as if just the idea gives him a headache. “Oh no,” he says. “You guys are so fucking annoying when you fight. Please, tell me–“
“No.” Mike interrupts him, laughing. He pulls his shirt off and lies down, using his backpack as a pillow. “We didn’t fight.”
Lucas wordlessly passes him the sunscreen, and Mike takes it and pops the lid. Lucas scans his face and Mike can feel his mouth burn under his gaze. While Will’s neck looked like he’d been in an accident this morning, Mike’s mouth wasn’t too bad, his lips only slightly swollen, a little red around the edges, but it could probably be passed off as a sunburn or dry lips. Despite Lucas’ intense stare, he doesn’t seem to notice. “Is Will still mad because of what we said yesterday?”
“Nope, but, uh…” Mike carelessly applies sunscreen on his arms and chest. “Um, he was busy last night.”
It’s not a lie. Will was busy last night. Busy letting Mike suck seven huge hickeys into his neck, that left them speechless this morning, staring at their reflection in the bathroom mirror, eyes wide in shock. What seemed like a fun idea last night, might not have been the smartest thing they’ve ever done.
Mike didn’t realize just how bad it would look. He just wanted to make Will feel good, encouraged by the way he squirmed beneath him, by his whimpers and his fingers buried in his hair. He wasn’t really thinking about the consequences, maybe he wasn’t thinking at all, and Will wasn’t either, because he was tilting his head back and pressing Mike’s face close, telling him to keep going.
“I thought you went home together,” Dustin says, frowning.
“Yeah, but, uh…” Mike clears his throat. He drops the sunscreen and puts his sunglasses on, immediately feeling safer now that his friends can’t see his eyes. “He had something to do later. You’ll see.”
Lucas rolls his eyes. “What do you mean you’ll see? Are you trying to piss me off?”
“Maybe I am.” Mike smiles, crossing his legs. He feels like his voice sounds a bit unnatural when he lies, and he hopes Will comes soon to release him. “Sorry, I promised not to tell you guys.”
“Oh my god.” Dustin glares at Mike. “I hate when you’re like this.”
“Yeah.” Lucas scoffs. “How do you manage to be annoying about Will when he’s not even here?”
Mike pulls a book from his backpack. “Just be patient. That’s all I can say.”
They don’t look satisfied with the answer, but they stop pressuring him. For the next few minutes, Mike pretends to read, but his palms are sweaty against the book. It feels weird to be lying to his friends. It was one thing to hide the whispering, but now they’re just straight up making up a story.
Maybe they could just tell them about the game. Or, well… maybe not every detail of it. Mike isn’t sure when this whole thing became something so secretive, because when it started, it was just a joke, and now it’s grown into something they don’t have the words to explain, so they have to spin lies to hide it. Mike doesn’t like it.
But he has nobody to blame except for himself, because he was the one who wanted to put his mouth on Will’s neck.
He can’t concentrate on the words on the page, and when he hears Will’s footsteps on the grass a few minutes later, slowly approaching them, he feels his heartbeat pick up. He barely looks up from his book because he knows he wouldn’t be able to keep a straight face if their eyes met.
“Hi Will, there you are.”
“Hey guys.”
“Sorry again about yesterday.”
“Oh, that’s okay.”
“Mike said you were busy last night and he made it sound like it’s a secret.”
“I didn’t say that,” Mike says from behind his book.
“You implied it,” Lucas says. “So what is it? Did something happen? Is your mom finally moving towns? Did you get accepted to the best art program in the world?”
“I wish.” Mike can hear Will sit down beside him, not close enough to touch but close enough to feel the warmth radiating from Will’s leg. Mike wants to scoot closer and brush his knee against his skin, but he probably shouldn’t. He risks a glance, his face hidden behind the book.
Will looks just like Mike left him thirty minutes ago at his house, but still, Mike needs a moment to take him in. He’s wearing one of Mike’s white shirts, one that’s so plain it could belong to anyone, and his skin looks tan in contrast to it. From where he’s lying, Mike has a good view of the hickeys, clearly visible on his neck. It’s a miracle the others haven’t seen them yet, because the bruises are already beginning to change color, the redness bleeding into blue and purple around the edges. Will’s throat is covered in it, and Mike can still taste his skin on his tongue. He wasn’t able to tear his gaze from him all morning, realizing he did this, he marked Will with his mouth, and now Will is out here in the sun, looking like a mess, for everyone to see.
Will is obviously trying not to look at him, keeping his eyes trained on their friends. “Um, no, it’s…”
Before he can go on, Lucas makes a noise like a quick, sharp intake of breath. “Wait.”
“What?” Dustin asks.
“Oh my god.”
Mike tries to keep a straight face, holding onto his book, but he can’t help but grin. He bites his lip, hard, as he peeks past the page to watch Lucas crawl over the grass, his eyes wide, mouth open. He shifts closer to Will, leaning forward. “What the fuck, Will?”
His tone makes Dustin curious, and he peeks over Lucas’ shoulder. Then his face falls. “What? Wait. What?”
Will sits cross-legged on his towel, his face flushed, but he avoids their eyes, as he throws his shirt on the ground to use it as a pillow. He lies down on the towel, putting his sunglasses on. Then, in the most nonchalant way he can muster, he says: “Don’t make a big deal out of it, okay?”
Mike thinks it’s probably the coolest Will’s ever been, and he makes a mental note to tell him when they’re home, how good he did, and later, when they’re whispering, he’s going to tell him how pretty he looks with his skin covered in bruises the size of Mike’s mouth.
Dustin and Lucas don’t seem to think Will is cool or pretty. Instead, they’re furious.
“What the fuck, Will?”
“You can’t just show up like this and expect us to be normal about it!”
“What is wrong with you?”
“This is seriously messed up.”
“Where were you last night?”
As the boys yell over the grass, making other people turn their heads, Will tries to keep a straight face. But Mike knows he doesn’t just hate this. Because this morning, when they were debating what to do, whether they should skip the lake or not, Will was the one who suggested to go anyway. Despite everything, he was still pissed at Dustin and Lucas, he did want to see their reactions, and he did want to prove he’s not that innocent.
Will starts casually applying sunscreen to his legs and arms. “I wasn’t going to tell you about him,” he says, sighing as if this conversation is nothing but an inconvenience to him. “But you were pissing me off yesterday, so I thought I’d just – get it over with.”
“What do you mean him?” Lucas’ eyes keep moving from Will’s face to his neck and back. “Who are you talking about?”
“You don’t know him, so it doesn’t matter.”
“Wait.” Dustin pinches the bridge of his nose. “I don’t understand. You’re hooking up with someone?”
Will rolls his eyes. “No, I gave myself those hickeys just to piss you off,” he says sarcastically.
Mike is both impressed and a bit shocked over how good Will is at this. He’s lying like it’s easy, and Mike knows he could never lie like that. Despite the redness on his cheeks, Will is mostly composed, keeping a straight face. It’s almost a bit scary, because it makes Mike wonder if Will has ever lied to him like that. Well, he did hide his sexuality from them for years. He probably had to tell a few lies back then.
“Wait.” Lucas slowly looks from Will to Mike, and Mike feels his body tense. “Did you know about this?”
Mike quickly looks back into his book and hopes he looks unbothered. “Maybe.”
“How long has this been going on?” The question is directed at Will again.
“Um, about two months.”
“Two months.” Lucas sits up straighter. “Wait. Wait. This doesn’t make any sense, can we start from the beginning?” He stares at Will. “You’re saying that all this time when we thought you were staying at Mike’s…” He looks at Mike, then back at Will. “You were hooking up with some hot guy?”
“Oh my god,” Dustin says. His eyes are wide like something clicked inside his head. “This is why you were always whispering.”
Mike stares at the page, unblinking. This is almost too easy. Earlier, when they talked about how this conversation would go, they thought they’d have to be more convincing, but it’s like their friends are spinning their cover story themselves. Like there’s no chance in the universe that Mike is the one who did this to Will.
“Um, yeah, pretty much. Sorry.” Will gives them a sheepish smile. “I needed someone to cover for me, so I… told Mike about it.”
“Why?” Lucas looks like he’s about to combust and for a second Mike thinks he’s actually mad. “Why didn’t you tell us? You’ve been hiding this for two months?”
Will looks at him, and for the first time since he’s arrived, he seems a bit uneasy. He hates when people are mad at him, and his voice softens now. He bites his lip. “I wanted to tell you,” he says. He clears his throat and looks at the lake. “But, um… the guy, he’s not... I mean, we’re keeping it a secret. I can’t tell you about him, because he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s... messing around with a guy.”
His voice is sincere, and Mike thinks he would probably believe him, if he didn’t know the truth.
“So you were serious yesterday?” Dustin stares like he still can’t believe it. “When we asked if you’ve got something to share, you actually… you did have something to share.”
“I told you.” Will shrugs. “I’m not as innocent as you think. I was mad yesterday, so he offered to…” He makes a vague gesture towards his neck. “To do… this.” He blushes now and Mike can’t believe how good he is at this. “It was childish and stupid, and we weren’t really thinking it through. Usually we’re… um, more careful with that stuff, but I kinda wanted to see your shocked faces, and he got a little carried away. Sorry you had to find out like this.”
“A little carried away,” Lucas echoes, reaching out to tilt Will’s head back, examining Mike’s work. “This guy devoured you. Is he like – insane?”
“A little bit,” Will says and there’s a small smile on his face that makes Mike’s heart clench.
Dustin and Lucas are silent for a few seconds, like they’re processing what they’ve just heard. Mike isn’t sure if they’re buying the story. Lucas’ eyes move from Will to Mike and back. He looks comical, with the way his eyes keep widening and narrowing. After a minute, he takes a deep breath. “Mike,” he says slowly and Mike’s heart skips a beat.
“Yes?”
“You knew about this.”
“Yeah,” Mike confirms. He feels the strong urge to talk, to ramble, to overexplain, but he knows he’s just going to ruin this, so he shuts his mouth.
“And we’re sure that…” Lucas narrows his eyes, looking at Will and then back at Mike. “We’re sure that you didn’t do this?”
Mike’s body goes hot. “What?” he asks and he hates how his voice cracks.
Lucas leans back on his hands. He lets his eyes slowly move from one boy to the other. “Will was pissed at us last night – which is understandable, of course – so he came home with you, and you gave him a bunch of hickeys to make us believe he’s hooking up with someone. Is that what’s going on right now?”
Before Mike can reply, Dustin interrupts.
“I thought so, too, but look.” He leans forward, and they all follow his gaze to Will’s stomach. There, on the left side of his belly button, is another hickey, and Mike feels hot at the sight of it. He remembers the way Will’s hips jerked under his hands, the way Mike had his mouth there, sucking on the soft skin while Will crumbled beneath him.
Dustin and Lucas stare at it, like the hickey is something out of this world, something that shouldn’t exist. Like it’s hard to wrap their heads around the fact that innocent Will Byers had another man’s mouth there.
Dustin slowly shakes his head. “You guys are crazy, but not crazy enough to do this just to piss us off.”
Lucas stares at the hickey. Slowly, he reaches out to move his finger over the bruise and somehow it feels like he’s touching something that belongs to Mike, because he did this, he made this, it’s his bruise. Will swats his hand away. “Don’t touch it, it’s sensitive.”
Lucas and Dustin lean back, staring at Will, and Mike can see it in their eyes now, that they believe him.
For a whole minute, it’s quiet. Lucas and Dustin have to digest the news, and Will is still avoiding Mike’s eyes. Mike doesn’t know why, but part of him is almost disappointed because of how easy this was. Sure, they suspected him for a minute, but just as a joke. Like there’s no chance in the world Mike would do this for any other reason than to piss them off. But then again – wasn’t it just that? Didn’t Mike literally offer to suck hickeys into Will’s neck to pay them back? Then why is Mike offended now, that they don’t think he’s capable of something like this? That they think he wouldn’t press his mouth to Will’s stomach until his skin is red and raw? Because Mike did, and he’s proud of it, and he would do it again, no matter the consequences.
“I can’t believe this.” Lucas finds his voice again. He blinks. “I think I need at least three business days to comprehend this.”
The shock in Dustin’s face has been replaced with something like excitement. He grins, and it eases the tension between them. “So this guy had his mouth down there, huh?” He gives Will a crazy look, eyes glistening. “How far did you guys go?”
“I’m not answering that.”
“Oh, so you are a prude after all.”
Will glares at Dustin, who grins daringly. “Spill it, Byers. Say the words you’re apparently so comfortable saying.”
Will sighs. He seems to feel safer now, so he throws a look at Mike. Mike gives him a small nod and a smile, his face still shielded from the others by his book.
“Um, it was just… handjobs, blowjobs. Some… uh, grinding,” he says, and even though he obviously tries to be casual, Mike can tell he’s shy about it. “That’s it.”
It sounds so simple when he says it, like those things they did together were just plain, sexual acts, and Mike almost wants to say something, but he doesn’t know what.
“Dude.” Lucas shakes his head, like he can’t believe it, his eyes wide as he stares at Will. It’s like he’s trying to connect the words to the person sitting in front of him. “Do you need condoms? I think I have some here in my –“
“Oh my god, no.” Will groans, turning red.
“You’ll be careful though, right?” Dustin stares at Will like he’s seeing him for the first time in his life.
Will raises his brows. “Scared I’ll get pregnant?”
“No, but… if he’s had sex with other people… you know, it’s dangerous.”
Mike can feel how badly Will wants to look at him. “He didn’t have sex with other people.”
“Wow,” Lucas says, suddenly grinning too. “So you’re being each other’s first. That’s cute.”
Will blushes and Mike feels his own face go hot. “We’re not even gonna do… that.” Will pulls on the grass. “We’re just messing around.”
“Right.” Lucas grins. He doesn’t look mad at all anymore. “You say that now. But you know, Max and I, we wanted to wait, too, but then –“
“Oh my god,” Dustin interrupts him. “Don’t change the topic, this is way too interesting.”
“Oh, so you wanna hear about Will’s sex life but not mine?”
“As a matter of fact, yes, I do!” Dustin ignores Lucas, leaning back forward to stare at Will like he has a million more questions. “There’s something I don’t understand.”
Will looks at him. “Shoot.”
“You literally admitted yesterday that you'd never kissed anyone,” Dustin says, scanning Will’s face. “So, what, a day later you suddenly have a boyfriend?”
“Right.” Lucas narrows his eyes. “What’s that about? Were you lying about not having your first kiss, too?”
“Uh, no.” The confidence in Will’s features vanishes. “He’s not my boyfriend. We just... as I said, we just mess around.”
“Will Byers, you do casual hookups?” Dustin runs a hand over his face. “Who are you?”
“But you haven’t kissed him?” Lucas’ frown deepens. “How does that even work?”
Will hesitates and flicks Lucas’ hand away, who has started touching the bruises again. “I don’t know,” he says. “It’s just… physical, I guess.”
Mike wouldn’t call what they have just physical. For thirteen years, it was anything but physical. It feels a bit weird to hear Will talk about this non-existent guy that’s somehow Mike, and somehow isn’t.
“Wait.” Dustin gives Will a knowing look, narrowing his eyes. “I get it now. He’s one of those – straight guys, who think kissing is gay, but sex isn’t.”
Will opens his mouth but then stops. “Um.” He hesitates.
Mike stares at him. He wants to intervene. He wants to say No, that’s not true. He wants to say I literally offered to kiss him. His body aches from the need to sit up and set this straight. He’d kiss Will without hesitating, he’d do it right here if he’d let him. He’s not one of those assholes.
But he can’t say anything, so he swallows it down, watching them quietly.
“Um, it’s more complicated than that,” Will says slowly. “He’s… it’s not… romantic like that, I guess.”
“But you were upset about this just yesterday.” Dustin frowns. “You wanna have your first kiss, right?”
Mike stares at Will, who’s still avoiding his eyes and each second it’s getting harder to sit still. Mike can feel his heart hammering in his chest, and he doesn’t know why he’s so anxious all of a sudden.
“Um.” Will clears his throat. “Yeah, but I don’t need to have my first kiss with him,” he says slowly and it’s so frustrating, because he looks upset, like he’s been wronged, but Mike literally offered. Will is choosing not to kiss him, and now he’s sitting here, making a sad face, like it wasn’t his choice at all.
“But do you like this guy?”
Dustin’s words hang in the air. Mike stares at Will, and maybe he’s wrong, but it looks like Will is making an effort not to look at him. He stares at Dustin, his fingers playing with the waistband of his swimming trunks. “Um,” he says. “Yeah, he’s… he’s cool.”
Dustin rolls his eyes. “No, I mean, do you like like him?”
“Uh.” Will shrugs. “No, it’s not like that.”
Lucas narrows his eyes. “You don’t sound convincing.”
“No, I mean it.” This time, Will says it confidently. “I don’t like him like that.”
“Not even a little bit?”
“Nope.” Will shakes his head, like he means it. Mike stares at him. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, of course, Will doesn’t like him like that, they’re friends. But he used to like him, and then something must have happened that made him stop. Or maybe nothing happened, it’s just that time changes how you feel about a person, and now Will doesn’t want to kiss him anymore, and that’s fine. But Mike can’t help but wonder if there was something he could’ve done so that Will would still like him today. Which is a stupid and selfish thought, Mike’s silly desire to be wanted, to be needed. He doesn’t know anyone who likes him like that. He doesn’t know anyone who wants to kiss him.
“But he’s good to you, right?” Lucas frowns. “He’s treating you well?”
“Yes.” At this Will sounds convincing. “He is.” He stares at them, seemingly uncomfortable. “Can we talk about something else now?”
“Absolutely not,” Dustin protests. “I couldn’t think of anything more interesting than this. Can you give us any details about him?”
“No.” Will groans. “I’m not exposing him.”
Mike listens, his gaze stuck on Will’s face, as the others keep talking. He knows he’s being quiet. It’s like he’s not part of the conversation at all – which should be a good sign, because they’re not suspecting him. This is going way better than they’d hoped for.
But Mike kind of wishes Will would look at him, because right now he feels a million miles away, talking about some random guy and avoiding his eyes. And Mike can’t wait to be alone with him, so that this whole thing can be theirs again, so that he can be the guy Will is talking about.
The sun sets behind the trees as they get on their bikes. The boys tease Will about his new boyfriend all the way home, but as soon as they turn the corner and it’s just Will and Mike, silence spreads between them. They ride quietly and are even quieter in the hallway, as they step inside the house.
Mike isn’t sure if the silence comes from exhaustion, or if there’s something else. They wash the lake off their bodies and change into fresh clothes, before settling on the couch in the basement. Mike wants to scoot closer, because he’s been craving it all day, but now he’s not sure he can.
Will lies back on the couch, putting his head against the armrest. He nudges Mike’s thigh with his toe and when Mike lifts his hands to make room for him, Will puts his feet on Mike’s lap.
“I never want to answer a single question ever again,” he murmurs, closing his eyes.
Mike looks at him. Maybe he really is just tired. Maybe nothing’s wrong. Will’s cheeks and nose are red, like he’s been in the sun for too long. Mike moves his hand over Will’s calf, absentmindedly brushing his skin. “You did really good, though,” he says. “You’re very good at this.”
Will doesn’t open his eyes. “At lying?”
“Yeah.” Mike lets his eyes trail over Will’s features. “I could never lie like that.”
Now Will does open his eyes. He gives Mike a look that’s a bit more serious, even though he’s smiling. “I’m not proud of it,” he says quietly. “But I have some practice… you know.”
“I know.” Mike nods, understanding immediately. He can’t even imagine what it’s like to have to hide his identity for so many years. Sure, he had to lie about some big things before, like when he hid El in his basement, or when he couldn’t tell anyone where she was – but even then, he at least had his friends who knew the truth. Will had no one.
Mike gently brushes his fingertips over Will’s ankle. “But um… are you okay? I mean, with how the conversation went?”
Will tilts his head back against the armrest, letting out a deep, exhausted sigh. “I guess. Yesterday all I wanted was for them to take me seriously, but now it’s like – if I have to answer another question about my sex life I’m going to explode.”
Mike laughs. “They’re kinda intense.”
Will smiles at him. “They are.” He pauses for a few seconds. “But it’s fun, too. You know, to be able to share stuff like that with them. I’ve never done that before. I mean, even if it’s not real.”
“It is kinda real, right?”
Mike doesn’t realize he’s said something weird, so when Will doesn’t reply and his gaze moves over Mike’s face, a small frown between his brows, he blinks, confused.
“Uh, I mean. Because you’re not making shit up. What you told them about – the stuff we did. That’s true. We did that.”
“Right.” Will nods slowly. “We did that.”
They sit in silence for a few seconds.
Then Will asks: “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
“You’ve been quiet.”
“I just… didn’t want to say something wrong, you know.” Mike gives him a sheepish smile. “I suck at lying.”
Will grins. “You do.”
“Besides, they weren’t asking me any questions.” He clears his throat. “I mean, it was a bit weird. Hearing them talk about me, without knowing it’s me.”
“Yeah?” Will asks, soft like he’s encouraging Mike to elaborate. Mike isn’t sure if he can. He’s been feeling strangely anxious, but he’s not sure why. There were just so many half-truths, so many things that sounded wrong to him, put out of context in a way that makes his heart clench.
“Um, Will?”
“Yeah?”
“You know,” he starts, looking at Will’s legs. Will’s knees are always a bit more tan than the rest, and Mike brushes his hand over them. “Um, you know I’m not one of those guys, right?”
“What?” Will blinks.
“Like the ones Dustin was talking about.” Mike looks up, gaze flickering over Will’s face and he hopes Will can see that he means it. “Um, I kinda hated that – what he said. Because I’m not one of those guys who would… let you suck them off and then act like kissing is too much, you know?”
The frown between Will’s brows is still there, but it’s softer, and Mike wants to run his thumb over it. He looks over Will’s face and then lets his gaze linger on his lips for a second. “I know that, Mike,” Will says quietly.
“Good. I just.” Mike looks up and huffs, a little frustrated. “I wanted to say it. Just so I’ve said it. Just… so you know.”
Will nods slowly. “Okay.”
There’s a silence, and Mike realizes this doesn’t change anything. Whatever reasons Will has for not wanting to kiss him, it’s not that. But it’s not like he needs a reason – he just doesn’t want to kiss him and that should be fine.
Mike blinks, feeling awkward, and now he’s not sure why he’s even brought it up. “Um, Dustin made it sound like I was using you, or something,” he says. “And that’s not what this is, right?”
Now Will gives him a smile. He leans his head back against the armrest and slowly shakes his head. “No,” he says. “That would be simple. This is way more complicated.”
Mike laughs at that. “Because we’re best friends,” he muses.
Will clears his throat. “Um yeah.” He smiles and pokes Mike’s stomach with his toe. “Don’t worry, Mike. We weren’t talking about you earlier. I mean, not really.”
Mike slowly nods. “Okay.”
They look at each other, sitting in silence. After a minute, Will presses his toes into Mike’s stomach again, harder this time.
“Ouch.”
“I’m starving,” Will says, running his hand over the bruises on his neck. “Can you steal food from the kitchen? I can’t believe I’m a prisoner in your basement.” He sighs dramatically.
Mike laughs, tugging Will’s legs off his lap to get up. “Don’t worry,” he says. “You may be a prisoner, but you’re getting the best service in town. Food, clothes, books... Anything you want, you can have.”
Will looks at him, his tired gaze moving over Mike’s face. He’s still smiling but there’s something else in his eyes. “Okay,” he says in a quiet voice. “For now, I want food.”
“And food you shall get.”
They eat cold leftovers from the fridge, watching a movie in the basement, and it feels easy, the way it always does with them. They make jokes and laugh all through the movie until they realize they didn’t pay attention and rewind. Except that they’re not listening this time either, and have to go back again.
At some point, Mike decides it’s not worth it, so he mutes the TV and starts making up his own dialogue for the characters, making sure to use different voices and accents. And it’s so easy to forget about everything else, when Will is laughing like that. When he’s holding his stomach over a joke Mike made, struggling to breathe. It’s almost like that night two months ago, when they were on the walkie pranking people, and Mike was trying his best to make Will giggle. That was right before they found the couple – right before everything changed.
Mike finds himself staring at Will now, watching him laugh until his eyes water. He feels dizzy at the sight of it.
Slowly, he pushes Will back against the couch and leans over him, watching the laugh turn into something softer. Will’s eyes follow him, as Mike squeezes into the small space between Will and the backrest, until their bodies are pressed flush. The couch is narrow and their faces only inches apart.
“What are you doing?” Will whispers, a small, confused smile on his face.
“Nothing,” Mike says, eyes moving over Will’s face. “Just wanted to be close.”
Will doesn’t protest, but he doesn’t say anything either. And it just gets more confusing every day, because Mike doesn’t understand where the lines are. Is it okay for him to just want to be close to Will? Should he have said something dirty first?
They’re quiet and Mike slowly runs his fingers over Will’s back, where his shirt rode up. His skin is warm and soft and it’s nice to be close like this, after he felt a little distant from him at the lake.
After a while, Will closes his eyes, and his breathing goes slower. He nuzzles closer, sighing, placing his face against Mike’s neck. Mike thinks he might whisper something, but instead Will just breathes, slow and heavy.
“Are you falling asleep?” Mike whispers.
“Maybe,” Will mumbles, his mouth slow.
Mike smiles and pulls Will closer, their bodies pressed flush from head to toe. Will doesn’t protest. After another minute, his breathing is steady against Mike’s neck, and Mike is pretty sure he’s fallen asleep.
It’s been a long day, and Will had to answer so many questions. Mike gently runs his hand over his back, Will’s hair tickling his face. His heart is beating against Will’s, and he’s not sure why he’s feeling so vulnerable today. Something about the conversation at the lake made him feel like he was losing control of something. But now, listening to Will’s breathing, he’s okay. He buries his face in Will’s hair, smelling his own shampoo on him.
They lie like that for what feels like half an hour. At some point, the movie stops and it’s silent. The couch is narrow, and after a while, Mike’s arm starts to hurt, where it’s squished between him and the couch. He brushes his knee against Will’s and slowly moves his mouth to his ear.
“Will,” he whispers, softly, trying not to startle him.
Will doesn’t reply.
“Will.”
“Mh.” A quiet sound of protest.
“We should go to bed,” Mike whispers.
“Why?” Will murmurs, voice tired and slow. “I’m comfortable.”
Mike chuckles. “I’m not. My arm hurts. Come on, you can sleep on the mattress.”
“I don’t wanna sleep.”
“You’re literally sleeping.”
“I’m not.”
Mike smiles into Will’s hair, running his hand further up into the warmth of his shirt. “Let’s go to bed.”
Will sighs, breath hot on Mike’s skin. “What are we going to do in bed?” he mumbles, voice thick and sleepy. “Are you trying to seduce me?”
Mike snorts and rolls his eyes even though Will can’t see it. “No, I’m trying to prevent back pain in the morning.”
“Mhh…” Will nuzzles a bit closer into Mike’s neck, and presses a light kiss there that makes Mike shudder. “That’s unfortunate.”
“What?” Mike asks.
“That you’re not trying to seduce me.”
Mike laughs, because not only is Will extremely tired, he also seems to be horny, and that’s a state Mike didn’t think he’d ever see him in. But his chest is full and he loves the way Will’s voice is all soft and sweet and irresistible. “I can seduce you,” he offers in a playful voice.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah… after we go to bed,” Mike says and Will lets out an annoyed groan.
Mike laughs and sits up, pulling on Will’s arm. Despite his protests, he lets himself be dragged on his feet. Mike keeps his hand around his waist, as they take the three steps to the mattress, and Will almost trips over his feet, making them giggle.
They collapse on the mattress. Will looks tired, half of his face pressed into the pillow, his eyes closed, and Mike isn’t sure what’s happening now. Are they sleeping, or…
But then Will grabs his wrist and pulls him in, and Mike moves close, until he feels the warmth of Will’s body against his again. Will drops his head on Mike’s shoulder, and Mike wraps both arms around him.
It’s quiet. Will’s breathing is slow and steady, hot against Mike’s neck. His hand is warm on Mike’s back, and Mike realizes this is more like a tight hug than anything else. His hands slide up under Will’s shirt, until his palm is pressed between his shoulder blades. Will takes a long, deep breath, like he’s breathing him in.
They don’t say anything. They don’t move. Mike is wide awake. He stares at the opposite wall, his mouth pressed to Will’s hair, tickling his skin. He can feel Will’s heartbeat against his own. Slowly, he lets his hands move over Will’s back, gentle fingers exploring warm skin. He pulls one hand out of Will’s shirt to put it against the back of his head, slowly brushing through his hair. Will sighs against him.
Maybe they should say something. Maybe they should sleep. Mike isn’t sure but whatever this is, it’s confusing and comforting all at once. After a while he thinks Will must have fallen asleep again, but then Will’s breathing changes. It’s just as heavy, but a little faster. And when he pushes closer, he slowly rolls his hips against Mike’s, and Mike can feel that he’s hard.
The feeling of Will’s bulge against him makes Mike realize he is hard too, and he doesn’t remember how that happened, because they didn’t even say anything. Was it something about… lying so close together?
Mike swallows. Slowly, he pushes his hips against Will, and Will lets out another breathy sigh. Their hips collide, and Mike can feel the outline of Will’s dick through the fabric of his boxers, rubbing against his own. They’re lazy at first, tired movements that slowly become faster. Mike’s hands grow restless, moving over Will’s skin, and he’s met with the same urge he felt yesterday. He wants to touch Will. His fingers dig slightly into Will’s waist, pulling on the skin and Will lets out a shaky gasp.
Their hips find a slow rhythm, and it’s too good to question it, too good to overthink the fact that they haven’t said a single word to each other. The room is quiet except for their heavy breathing, the sound of fabric, and the occasional quiet moan.
And Mike realizes he wants to say something. The words are heavy on his tongue, but he feels strangely vulnerable. So he moves his mouth down to Will’s ear, to the place where he can say anything, where words don’t need to make sense. “Will,” he whispers.
Will makes a breathy noise against his neck, pushing his fingers into the skin of Mike’s back. “Yeah?”
Mike brushes his lips over Will’s ear. “I wanted this,” he whispers, and it feels strange saying it, because of how true it is. “I waited all day.” He hesitates, his grip tight on Will’s waist. “To be close to you again.”
The moment the words are out, they feel wrong. They’re too sweet. They’re not dirty, not filthy, and Mike feels his body going hot in embarrassment. He can hear Will swallow, his breath catching, and Mike wants to take it back, but then Will’s words cut through the silence.
“Me too,” he whispers. He presses another kiss to Mike’s skin, and another. “Wanted to be alone with you.”
This doesn’t feel like their typical dirty talk. It’s too sweet and it makes Mike’s heart flutter. But they’re using a similar breathy voice, and it’s a bit confusing, like this is still part of their game, but another version of it. Sweet whispers that might as well mean nothing at all. Mike pushes his face into Will’s hair, encouraged by his words. “I wanted to tell you all day,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss on top of his head. He pushes his hand lower on Will’s back, pulling him close against his body. “Wanted to tell you how pretty you look,” he whispers. “With my marks all over your skin.”
Will lets out a quiet whimper, pressing his whole body against Mike’s, their legs intertwining, their hips moving in a steady rhythm, and the friction makes it hard to breathe. But Mike wants to say more.
“I wanted to tell them everything.” He moves his hand lower, pushing his fingertips past the waistband of Will’s boxers. He’s not pushing further, keeping them there, as he rolls his hips against Will. “I wanted to tell them that I did this. That there’s no other guy.”
With the way Will’s breath is so hot, so fast against Mike’s neck, he feels himself growing restless. Their breathing sounds more like panting now, filling the quiet room. Their bulges rub together, and when Mike feels Will’s dick twitch against him, he lets out a low moan. His fingertips push under his waistband, digging into Will’s skin, low enough on his back to feel the curve there, where the flesh is softer.
“Mike.” Will presses another kiss to his neck. His hips are moving messily now, and it’s getting a bit damp between their bulges, fabric wet with precum. “I wanna feel you,” he whispers. He pulls away just enough to slide his hand between their bodies, pressing over Mike’s chest. He lets his fingers trail down his stomach, and when Mike doesn’t protest, he places his palm directly on Mike’s bulge, groping him through his boxers.
Mike takes a quick breath. “Will.”
“Can I?” Will asks, and his voice is hoarse now, full of pleasure and desperation, it makes Mike’s whole body buzz. “Can I – pull it out?”
Mike swallows and nods, and Will impatiently pulls Mike’s boxers down his hips, his fingers eager and needy. Mike wants to touch Will, he wants it so badly, but somehow Will is always faster, always better at asking for what he wants, and as soon as he wraps his fingers around Mike’s dick, Mike can’t think anymore. He lets out a relieved sigh and feels himself twitch in Will’s hand.
Will jerks him slowly, breathing hotly into Mike’s neck, and Mike feels like his body is on fire. His own hands lie uselessly against Will’s back, fingertips pressing into his skin. I wanna touch you, too. The words should be so easy to say. Mike’s throat feels tight. Will’s warm fingers make it hard to concentrate.
Suddenly, Will lets go and pulls Mike closer, so Mike’s dick is pressed between their stomachs. Will pulls his own shirt up, so he can feel it on his bare skin and that alone – the fact that he wants that – makes Mike incredibly horny.
“Can you,” Will murmurs. “Um –”
He’s nervous, a bit awkward, and Mike realizes it’s not as easy as it looks for him to ask for things, but he does it anyways. He wants something and he asks. Simple as that. “Anything you want,” Mike whispers.
“Can you… rub it against me… um, like–”
Will wraps his hand around Mike’s dick and slowly starts rubbing the tip against the skin of his own stomach. Mike breathes heavily. He puts his head on Will’s shoulder, looking down between their bodies to watch his own precum leave a wet trail on Will’s skin. Mike’s mind goes blank.
“Let me,” he whispers, reaching down to grab his own dick. They both stare at it, as Mike slowly drags it over Will’s lower stomach. He leaves a trail of precum on the hickey there. Will is breathing quickly beneath him, his chest and stomach moving with each breath, his fingers gripping the bedsheets. Mike nudges the tip of his dick against Will’s belly button.
“Mike,” Will gasps, voice shaky and breathless.
“Yeah?” Mike pants, looking up at Will’s face, that’s closer than he thought. He stares at him, eyes wide, gaze dropping to his mouth again but he can’t help it. He watches Will’s lips move when he speaks.
“Can you…” And there he is again, nervous, hesitating, teeth tugging on his lower lip. But he’s asking, even if it’s scary. “Um, can you – come on my stomach?”
Mike’s gaze moves up to his eyes. They look at each other and the way Will is staring at him, nervous but so fucking aroused, sends a thrill through Mike’s body. “Yeah,” he says, breathily. “Yeah.”
He leans down, pressing a kiss to Will’s temple, and then pushes his face into his neck. As he jerks himself, fast and hard, he traces Will’s hickeys with his mouth, gentle, careful not to hurt the sensitive skin. He licks over one of the bruises and Will moans softly under him, his fingertips digging into Mike’s back.
When he’s close to coming, he pulls away to look at Will, but Will’s eyes are glued to his dick, and the pure pleasure in his gaze, the way his pupils are blown, the way his face is flushed, his lips parted, is what drives Mike over the edge.
He comes, quick and messy, steadying himself with his palm pressed into the bedsheets. Will pulls his own shirt up to his chest. Mike aims, and they both stare between their bodies as spurts of cum splash over Will’s stomach and chest. Mike moans, his mouth close to Will’s ear and Will isn’t even being touched, but he’s arching his back, whimpering just at the sight of it.
Mike makes sure to let every drop land on Will’s skin. When he’s done, he buries his face in Will’s shoulder, panting hard. Will seems to be glowing, vibrating beneath him, hot in pleasure, his hand tightly gripping Mike’s arm.
Mike swallows. “And now?” he gasps, out of breath.
Will is breathing heavily beneath him. “Um,” he croaks out. He doesn’t say anything else, just stares at the mess on his stomach, eyes wide, mouth open.
Mike collapses beside him, staying close. He looks down Will’s body. Will’s shirt is pushed up to his collarbone, and there are trails of Mike’s cum all over him, a thick pool forming at the center of his stomach, just above his belly button. Will takes a deep shaky breath. He looks at Mike just for a second, then back down. He slowly reaches out his hand, pressing his index finger into the white liquid. His hand is trembling a bit and even though Mike just came, his body is buzzing at the thought of Will being this turned on by his cum.
Will slowly dips a finger into his belly button, that’s filled with it. He moves his cum-covered finger over his chest, leaving a white trail. Mike stares, heart hammering, as Will touches his own nipple, leaving it wet and shiny with Mike’s cum. Will is painting his body with it, slowly, like he’s taking all the time in the world, and from the visible outline of his dick, Mike can see just how hard he is. Slowly, Will gathers more, dipping his whole palm in Mike’s cum and then he moves his fingers past his waistband, over his own dick.
Mike is completely transfixed, his eyes glued to the movement of Will’s hand. Will’s chest is heaving, and Mike wonders if he should do something, say something, but he almost feels like he would be interrupting. It’s like Will knows exactly what he wants to do.
He palms himself for a minute, breathing heavily, and Mike watches the movement of his hand through Will’s boxers. But then Will’s hand moves lower, his wrist disappearing under the waistband, then his forearm. Will spreads his legs, and Mike’s eyes widen, his breath stuck in his throat, as he realizes what Will is doing.
Immediately, Mike’s mouth goes dry. His fingers start itching at the sight of it. “Will,” he croaks out and finally Will turns his head to look at him, his eyes wide, pupils blown, lips parted in pleasure. “Are you–”
Will nods, swallowing. “Is that okay?” he asks.
“Yeah,” Mike whispers.
With the way Will spreads his legs, Mike can see the movement of his hand, right there between his ass cheeks and he wishes Will was naked, he wishes he could see his fingers, covered in Mike’s cum, slide inside of him. He wishes those were his fingers, pushing past the rim, into the heat of Will’s body. He wants to get between his legs and use his own cum as lube, and he wants to finger-fuck Will into the mattress until he’s trembling and gasping.
As he watches the movement of Will’s hand, Mike’s body is aching, and it’s burning, and he doesn’t think he’s ever felt so fucking desperate in his life, and so fucking helpless at the same time. Will looks confident, like he’s done this before, and there’s something so powerful about him, about the way he’s so unashamed, that makes Mike’s stomach twist into a thousand knots.
Will’s hand moves steadily, his breathing going faster. He arches his back, and when he moans, he says Mike’s name, and it makes Mike remember that despite not being the one to touch him, he’s somehow still a part of this.
Will looks at him, his eyes finding Mike’s, and Mike hopes he’s going to ask him for it, ask for his fingers, but instead he just stares at him wordlessly as he moves his fingers inside himself.
Mike stares back. He wants to do something for him, to make this better, so he does what feels safe. He talks. “Is it –” he croaks out, his voice thin. “Does it feel good?”
“Yeah,” Will whispers.
Mike swallows, his eyes moving over Will’s face. Will’s eyes are dark, and he looks so turned on, Mike wishes he was the one making him feel this way. “How many fingers can you fit?”
“Two,” Will murmurs. He’s sweating, his hair sticking to his forehead, and Mike is unable to look away. He leans closer, brushing his lips over Will’s cheekbone.
“Two?” he asks. And then, in a breathy whisper he adds: “My dick is bigger than two fingers, Will.”
When Will lets out a breathy moan, Mike doesn’t feel so useless anymore. “I know,” he gasps, like he’s turned on just from the thought of it. “But I wanna be tight for you. For when you fuck me.”
Mike swallows, hard. “I wanna fuck you,” he whispers, and he barely recognizes his own voice. He sounds desperate, like he means it. “But you need to add another finger for me first.”
Will keeps his eyes wide open, staring at Mike. A drop of sweat trails down his temple. He nods, and then pulls his hand out of his boxers. Mike watches, as Will gathers more of Mike’s cum from his stomach, making his fingertips wet and slippery. Then he reaches down again inside his boxers, furrowing his brows in concentration. Mike stares at his face and he thinks he can see it in his expression, the moment Will pushes his first finger inside himself, slick from Mike’s cum, and then another finger, and finally, another one. Will lets out a shaky moan, arching his back.
Mike thinks he might go crazy from the need to touch him. He buries his fingers into the bedsheets and tries to concentrate on what Will needs. “You’re doing so good,” he whispers, voice shaky, as he brushes his lips over Will’s cheekbone. “How does it feel?”
“It’s…” Will’s breath is faster now. “It’s good, but I – I wish it was your dick instead.”
Mike realizes his dick is still out. It would be so easy to roll on top of him now and make this real. And with the way Will is whimpering and squirming and pushing his own fingers inside himself, Mike can’t remember a single good reason why they shouldn’t do it.
“I wanna fuck you so bad,” he whispers, pushing his face into Will’s neck, and it’s a bit scary how much he means it. He can’t believe that his own cum is inside of Will right now. The thought makes him dizzy. “I wanna touch you,” he whispers, desperately moving his hand over Will’s neck. And then, when Will just moans, he says: “I wish those were my fingers inside you.”
Will’s breathing is heavy and loud in the room. His fingers keep pushing inside himself and he grinds his ass down against them. Then he reaches up with his other hand, to Mike’s fingers, where they’re lying on his neck, and for a second Mike thinks this is it. Will is going to guide his hand between his legs. But instead, Will starts slowly tracing Mike’s fingers. He brushes his fingertips over each knuckle, while keeping a steady rhythm, fingering himself with his other hand.
“They’re so long,” Will whispers, panting. “Your fingers.”
Mike swallows, hard. “You wanna feel them inside you?”
Will hums breathily. “They… would reach places mine never could.”
And Mike might just lose his mind, because now Will is talking about his fingers, but Mike still isn’t fingering him, and it’s driving him insane.
Suddenly, Will seems to hit a sensitive spot, because his eyes roll back and he lets out a whine. Mike intertwines their fingers and pulls them to his chest. He can just stare at him and watch as Will pushes himself over the edge. When he comes, his fingers tighten around Mike’s, and it’s like Mike can feel the intensity of his orgasm in his grip. He squeezes Will’s hand back. It’s all he can do.
After a few seconds, Will collapses into the pillow, panting hard. His legs fall open. He pulls his hand out of his boxers and Mike can see that he came on his own arm. The sight of Will’s cum makes his mouth go dry.
For a minute, Will just lies there, eyes closed, chest heaving. Mike is still holding his hand, his thumb drawing circles into Will’s skin.
Will looks satisfied, skin sweaty, his body slowly coming down from the high. But somehow, despite having had an orgasm earlier too, Mike feels the opposite. He’s still buzzing, still aching, still craving so much it hurts.
He watches as Will’s eyes blink open. He looks at him, his eyes clouded. Then his gaze drops. “Mike,” he says.
“Yeah?”
“You’re hard again.”
“Oh.” Mike looks down and realizes he’s still butt naked, his cock pressing stiffly against his own stomach. “Um, yeah. I don’t care.”
Will’s gaze moves over him, and then his mouth twists into a lazy grin. “Did watching me do that turn you on that much?”
It’s meant as a joke, but it leaves Mike feeling so hot it almost hurts. Because it’s painfully true. It’s so true, Mike can’t even bring himself to laugh. He clears his throat and manages a half-hearted shut up, averting his eyes.
Will slowly squeezes his hand, and that’s when Mike remembers their fingers are still intertwined against his chest.
“Mike,” Will says.
“Yeah?”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Was that weird, that I –”
“No.” Mike really needs to pull himself together, because he’s making things awkward for no reason at all, and now Will is feeling bad, and that’s the last thing he wants. He takes a deep breath and looks at Will. “It wasn’t weird,” he says. “You weren’t weird. Not at all.”
Will looks at him, a hint of confusion in his eyes. “Okay,” he murmurs.
Mike lets his gaze trail over Will’s stomach and chest, where his cum is slowly drying and the sight is so absurd, Mike allows himself to chuckle, releasing a bit of the tension. “You look crazy,” he points out.
“Yeah.” Will looks down at himself. “I don’t know what happened. Some guy came on me.”
Mike snorts and makes a grimace. “Ew, what?” he says, and his heart feels lighter. “You should probably clean that up.”
Will raises his brows, his eyes playful. “What, I can’t sleep with your cum on my body?” and it’s just so absurd, what they’ve done, and what they’re doing, that they burst into another fit of giggles.
“Well, you can,” Mike says, catching his breath. “But then you’ll have to stay on your mattress.”
“You’re literally on my mattress, Mike.”
“Shut up.”
It’s light, and easy, and Mike feels like he can breathe again. He inhales, long and deep, and then gently removes his fingers from Will’s. “Well,” he says, sitting up. “I promised you an endless supply of food and clothes while you’re stuck in my basement.”
“You did,” Will says.
“So I should get us some new underwear.”
“That would be nice.”
He gets up and puts on his pajama pants. They go about their nightly routine, cleaning up and changing their underwear.
Will turns the lights off and then settles down beside Mike, pulling the blanket over them. Their shoulders brush. Mike thinks he should make another joke, but he can’t think of anything.
It’s been a long, confusing day, and Mike still feels electrified, the need to touch Will never satisfied, still there, making his heart race and his hands tingle.
He lets out a shaky breath, stupidly nervous, because he wasn’t able to ask for what he wants all day, but he wants to try now, at least this once.
“Will?” he asks into the darkness.
“Yeah?” Will’s voice is quiet.
“Um.” Mike brushes his shoulder against him. “Is it okay if I come closer?” he asks. “I mean – while we sleep?”
Will is quiet and for a moment Mike thinks he’s going to say no. But then he feels Will’s fingers brush over his arm. They shift close, their bodies colliding. They giggle, when their knees bump. Mike presses his face to Will’s head, taking in his scent. His hands wrap around Will’s waist, and Will’s fingers rest on Mike’s back. And even though he still feels weird, he decides to let himself be comforted by the touch.
“Goodnight,” he whispers into the darkness.
“Night,” Will whispers back.