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While at a stop, Mike and Jonathan are out of the van and talking about random stuff. Will stares at Mike hopelessly, waiting for something. Nothing really; but something.
Will is sitting while Argyle at the back of the van, doors open to the vast desert. Argyle looks at Will.
“You look stressed dude.” Argyle nods.
”What?” Will looks up and feels his cheeks heat up a tad. Shit.
“I said, you look stressed…” He pauses, swallowing. “…dude.”
“Oh- no. It’s nothing.”
“Nothing?” Argyle chuckles, his eyes red and swollen. He is definitely high currently. “So the guy with the fake shirt is nothing?” He shakes his head.
Will looks away, embarrassed.
“Duuude, wanna hear something?” Argyle leans towards Will, prompting something.
“Hm?” Will turns.
“Gay is okay!” Argyle whispers, laughing manically at his own saying.
Will can’t help but shake his head and look away again, lightly cracking a smile.
“You know, dude, I have the perfect thing to take the stress away.” He sniffs, wiping his nose with the back of his hand.
“Really?” Will tilts his head.
“Mhm. It’s called…” He digs in his pocket for two sticks of weed. “Purple Palm Tree Delight.”
“Purple Palm… what?”
“Purple Palm Tree Delight! It makes all your stress float away like a little plane in the sky, or like the seeds of a dandelion.” Argyle widens his red eyes and nods.
“Mmm…” Will thinks, nodding slowly.
“So, my friend, you want to taste the light?” Argyle leans closer, twirling the stick in front of his face.
Will kicks dirt with his feet, pondering. He looks back up and nods, grabbing the stick. Argyle lights it, Will smokes it, coughing. Argyle laughs, patting him a bit too hard on the back.
“Now now, my dude, you’ll get used to it.” Argyle nods.
Will nods, taking another drag and slightly choking, but he manages to blow it out.
Will didn’t care anymore! He just wanted to feel better. And who gives a shit, because Mike definitely doesn’t.
-
Will and Mike sit in the back of the van, now driving again. Mike bounces his leg awkwardly as Will stares out the window, leaning weirdly against the seat.
Mike glances at Will, then at his hands, then back at Will. God, he’s hopeless.
Will licks his lips and chuckles for a second. “Is that a… ah… a tumblefeed? A tumblefeed… heh…”
“W-what?” Jonathan asks. “What are you talking about?”
“Yeah… what are you talking about..?” Mike furrows his brow, focusing on Will. Will turns and smiles at Mike. Mike notices that his eyes are puffy and red.
“A tumblefeed… fumbleweed? S-Sumbleteed..?” Will smacks his lips and thinks.
“Holy shit. Will? Will why are your eyes so… red..?” Mike grabs Will by the cheeks and looks at his eyes.
“God dammit, Argyle!” Jonathan pulls the van over quickly, jerking Argyle awake. “Huh?”
Jonathan unbuckles and heads to the back of the van, pulling open Will’s eyelids; Will responding with “Ow.”
“What the fuck happened to him?” Mike demands.
“Argyle gave him weed.” Jonathan states, handing Will a bottle of water. “Drink it now.”
“Okay, dad! Actually never mind, dad wasn’t nice.” Will laughs manically as he attempts to drink but he fails miserably, somewhat spilling on himself.
Jonathan tenses at the mention of their father.
“Is he going to be okay?” Mike is clenching Will’s shoulder, helping him drink the water.
“No clue. He should be, but it’s hard to tell. He’ll probably just sleep for a while.” Jonathan nods. “Make sure he finishes that damn water.”
“Got it.” Mike nods quickly, breathing heavily.
Will finishes off the water, wiping his mouth and zoning out for a moment. Jonathan and Argyle are now outside arguing loudly.
“Why did you take the weed..?” Mike asks quietly, not sure if Will could even hear it over the screams.
“Hm?” Will squints, turning dramatically towards him.
“Why did you take the weed?” Mike says it louder this time, more confident—if that was the right word.
“What weed?” Will laughs before sitting up a bit more. “I lied.” He nods, not laughing or smiling not.
“What?” Mike says, puzzled.
“About El and the… draw-paint-art-ing.” Will swallows.
“I don’t… understand.” Mike mumbles.
“Of course you don’t! I had to… to lie about the draw-art-paint-er-ing cause you love… love El.”
”Why would you… what..?”
“You love heerr!” Will complains loudly.
“What did you lie about, Will?” Mike grabs Will’s hand, and Will looks into Mike’s eyes.
“El didn’t ask… me.”
Mike knows immediately what he means.
-
Jonathan and Argyle are done arguing now, and Argyle is back to sleeping. Jonathan sits driving, tense. Will is sleeping too; but his head is in Mike’s lap and he has trapped Mike’s arm around his body. Mike isn’t complaining, he may or may not dream of this, but with Will confessing about the painting while high, then sleeping on his lap? WITH HIS BROTHER IN THE CAR? (mind you they are also searching for his step-sister). Mike may have dreamed of this, but certainly not this exact event. Because if he had, he’d have been high himself…
- (time skip to the end of season four, outside in the hallway of the hospital) -
Mike and Will sit in flimsy chairs in the hallway, murmur and silent chatter coming from inside Max’s hospital room as doctors flow in and out, same with Max’s mom and step-dad. Lucas has been in there the entire time, same with Erica and Dustin. Mike has been thinking about what Will had confessed while he was high. Why would he have to lie about the painting? Why did he feel the need to do that? Honestly it would’ve had more value to him if he knew from the start it was from Will.
“Will?” Mike mumbled.
“Hm?” Will turned to him, staring at his lips for a moment before looking into his eyes. Mike felt his cheeks heat.
“I-I… Uh. Do you remember anything from when you were high?”
“I…” Will thought for a moment, squinting. “I just remember chugging water and waking up at around midnight with a massive headache. Maybe a few sentences about the painting from El. Which she asked me… to make.” Will nodded.
“Will.” Mike grabbed Will’s hand and look at him seriously. Will’s cheeks turned pink. “I know the painting isn’t from El. Why would you feel the need to… lie to me? Are you hiding something? I-I’m not trying to force it out of you or anything—that’s not what I mean—I just want to say that you can… talk to me.” Mike swallowed and nodded. “You told me… you lied, when you were high.”
Will teared up, wiping at his eyes wildly. “I don’t know what you’re saying.”
“Will…” Mike muttered, gripping his hand more. “I… It would’ve have more value to me if you told me. Truly.”
“You’re just saying that.”
“No. I’m saying it truthfully. Me and El, we,” Mike pauses, finding the right words. “it’s not the same as it is with you.” Mike licks his lips, glancing at Will’s for a millisecond before glancing at his eyes once more.
“I’m sorry…” Will shook his head.
“Don’t say you’re sorry, you have nothing to be sorry for.” Mike hugged Will, and Will hugged back tightly. Mike looked around before quickly releasing him and pecking him on the mouth. Will chuckled, sniffling as they held hands and shared secret glances.
“I guess you’re glad Argyle gave me that weed after all, huh?” Will teased.
“If i’m being honest, yes.” Mike grinned.
Will laughed as they sat there in the crappy and cheap hospital chairs where they would remember it as their first semi-kiss spot.