Chapter Text
The pizza van was uncomfortable enough going to school in, which meant that this road trip across half the country at times was a literal hell. During the days they sweated and panted, as the merciless sun turned the van into an oven. They would desperately clutch their chilled drinks with car windows wide open, cursing whoever had decided that air conditioning wasn’t a necessity. The nights weren’t much better, as they instead of heat brought a cold that made Will shudder deeply. All the while, insistent cicadas and hungry racoons battled for who be the most annoying when trying to sleep. Will wasn’t ready to crown a victor yet, though the cicadas had really stepped up their game recently.
To top it off the pizza van really wasn’t made for living in it. This meant that most days they had to choose between hard car floor or the lumpy car seats. The car seats were to prefer, mysterious stains included, but Jonathan and Argyle had already claimed them for the night. Wills limbs were still aching from the previous night, and he was sure that he would develop back problems in his early twenties because of this trip.
This less than desirable sleeping arrangement had the effect that all of them were being cozier with each other than ever. Will could wake up sleeping on Jonathan’s shoulder to see Mike lying slumped on a snoring Argyle. The absurdity of their situation almost made Will laugh. After days of sleeping on the car floor, anything even remotely resembling a pillow wasn’t turned down by anyone. This was why Will was currently sitting in the back of the van, Mike’s dark head in resting in his lap as he watched the last sun rays trickle through the dirty windows.
Everything was basked in a warm glow, the suns last blow before it left them to bother someone else. Jonathan and Argyle had left for their customary evening walk, which Will knew meant them getting high in some ditch. Mike on the other hand seemed to be fast asleep, his face turned from Will, eyes peacefully closed. The sun made Mike’s hair, which normally was an almost blue black, turn a reddish color. The loose strands glowed in the sun, and he thought it made Mike look like some fallen angel. Will had always loved Mike’s hair. He had let it grow out more since he had last him, and now the curls fell down his neck in smooth waves. Will sometimes (in his head) compared it to black crushed velvet, soft and shining but still curling wildly in parts.
Some strands had fallen into Mike’s face, and almost without thinking Will leaned forward to brush them away. He secured them behind Mike’s ear and tried not to marvel at how soft the strands felt against his raw fingers. He couldn’t resist the urge to brush his hand through the rest of Mike’s hair. The curls had some kinks in them from days on the road, but not as many as would’ve been expected. Will could see his hand shake slightly and suddenly he felt sick with himself.
You shouldn’t shiver from touching your friend’s hair. Was he somehow taking advantage of Mike while he was sleeping? The hair brushing was innocent enough, but Will felt like he somehow soiled it with his thoughts. He himself was very much aware about how he felt for his friend, but what would Mike do if he knew what he thought? Will quickly drew his hand away and heard Mike sigh softly.
“Don’t stop.”
Will felt very much like he had been caught red-handed and froze. When he didn’t respond in any way, Mike rolled over so that they were face to face. Mike had always been beautiful to Will, but now the sight of him made Will physically ache. His heart felt like it would burst with love.
Over the last year Mike’s features had become sharper, more pronounced. The freckles which had always spattered his skin had become more prominent under the California sun and now covered his entire face, continuing down his neck. But he was still the same Mike Will knew, and his eyes were the same luxurious dark, cacao brown. In the dim light of the wan however, his eyes looked almost impossibly dark. In Will’s mind they were black holes, already having consumed entire galaxies and now dragging Will inside.
Gingerly Will brushed the front bangs from Mike’s forehead. Mike’s eyes fluttered shut and Will tried to ignore his own erratic heartbeat as he carefully stroked Mike’s hair, brushing trough the tangles he found. He felt like a greedy child, drinking up Mike’s features when no one was there to berate him.
As he once again pushed some strands behind the ear his fingertips brushed against it, tracing the delicately rounded helix. As his fingers came to rest against Mike’s cheek, he wished he could map out all the patterns and constellations his freckles made, to forever preserve picture of him in the pale moonlight. Instead, his fingers followed the sensitive curve of Mike’s eyebrows, trying to smooth out the worries he had all too often seen etched there. Mike made a noise in the back of his throat and Will startled slightly.
“Its fine, continue.”
Will felt heady, his head spinning as he continued softly tracing Mike’s features. From the lashes resting heavily against his cheeks to his fluttering eyelids and the slope of his nose. Mike’s lips were chapped, but still pink and hopelessly alluring to Will. He marveled at his own courage as he gently traced the cupid’s bow. As in a trance he watched he watched Mike part his lips slightly, wetting them quickly with his tongue. Will stopped his motions as Mike suddenly opened his eyes. The eye contact was scorching, and Will could feel the treacherous blood pooling to his cheeks.
His finger still rested against Mike’s bottom lip as Mike opened his mouth more and carefully bit into Will’s fingertip. Will bit into his own lip nervously. It was completely silent but the song of a distant cicada, and Will was convinced that Mike had to hear the thrumming of his lovesick heart. Mike’s mouth felt unbearably hot against Will’s finger pad as he slowly pressed his tongue against it. The arousal suddenly pooling in his stomach made even more heat rise to Will’s face. Without breathing Will dared to push his finger deeper in, marveling at the feeling. The press of Mike’s tongue continued, and Will’s breath hitched as Mike slowly, and without breaking eye contact, began sucking lightly on his finger. The entire situation was almost too much for Will, whose other hand had come to tightly clutch the car seat behind him.
It was obscene, the way Mike’s wet lips curled around his finger, and Will had to fight the filthy images that suddenly threatened to flood his mind. All of a sudden, a car door opened, and Will startled violently. Mike sat up in one smooth motion and rolled away from Will. The lingering smell of pot mixed with dry desert air entered the van as Jonathan and Argyle clambered inside. They snickered and giggled to each other, and Will sighed inwardly as he looked down into his hands to see them still shaking slightly.
One of his fingers were still slick with Mike´s saliva and he ignored the stupid urge to lick it off. He looked over at Mike to see that he had curled up against the wall, back against Will. Something bitter crawled up Will’s throat as he looked down into his hands again, and then out into the calm desert night. The moon was continuing its graceful ascension across the night sky, but Will thought it looked desperately lonely.