Work Text:
Waylon settled into the dark living room easily, getting out his laptop and checking the local news sites. Of course, after the files and videos went public a few years earlier, they were everywhere. Waylon was impressed how quickly the authorities took action, plus protecting him and Miles from Murkoff in the process. With the lost sanity and fingers, they were set up with funds, interviews, therapy, and stay at home jobs so they could stay employed and healthy.
Both Waylon and Miles still stayed wary, though, of the Murkoff company.
In the beginning, their lives were in shambles, Miles had his poorly bandaged fingers and cracking willpower, while Waylon could barely hold together that he sent this man into such a mess. Waylon was scared for his marriage, knowing they would probably get a divorce after the files went out and Lisa knew Waylon was a bit more than the loving and quiet man she married. Waylon felt bad for her, but he felt worse for Miles.
After a few weeks, the authorities found them in a motel barely surviving on takeout pizza and cigarettes. They immediately brought them to the highest security hospital with the best workers to get them all the medication and healing they needed. And by God, they needed it. The weeks in between the escape from Mount Massive and their visit to the hospital were filled with nightmares, tears, and frantic kisses.
After those weeks, though, the kisses stopped.
Waylon still loved Miles to the core of his being and Miles still loved Waylon, but they didn’t know how to show it. Even after Waylon and Lisa’s divorce, they were distant. There would always longing glances, though. There were always the hugs that lasted a little too long, or periods of time where they would hold hands or share beds because of the fear that was still ingrained in them both. They still cared. They still loved.
As Waylon started to work on some coding for a website he was making (‘something with frills. it’s for a bakery’. Wow. So specific.), he heard rain start to fall gently onto the roof of their apartment, making Waylon tired as he tried his best to feign sleep for a bit longer.
All of a sudden, he heard a noise come from Miles’ room. It was no big deal usually, because usually he was either jacking off or laughing at some video he was playing on his phone. But this noise was different, somehow. It was… Something Waylon couldn’t really put his finger on.
A few moments passed, the rain coming down harder now. the noise came back again, this time sparking Waylon’s memory. Fear. It was fear.
Waylon stood up as fast as possible, nearly sprinting to Miles room, not wanting him to endure the hell he was already going through. As he entered Miles’ room, he heard something he didn’t expect, his name.
“Waylon!” Miles exclaimed, tears falling down his face. “Waylon! No, no no, this can’t be happening…” Miles gets more garbled after this, still crying.
Waylon moves awkwardly toward the edge of Miles’ bed, the sheets tangled and Miles’ hair messy and face sweaty. Waylon’s heart hurts. Miles continues.
“Way, Way, Way, wake up Waylon! C’mon baby, wake up!” Miles voice was thick from crying. Unknowingly, Waylon started to silently cry as he watched the younger man. Miles kept going.
“Waylon…” Miles voice was calmer now, but still terrified. “Waylon, I love you. I love you and you’ll never know. I love you, Waylon. I love you so so so fucking much, and now you’re gone.”
Waylon leaned over to wake Miles up, having had enough of this torment, but the next sentence made him stop cold.
“Now you’re dead because of me, Waylon.” Another sob. “God, I wish you were here. I love you, more than Lisa ever could.” At this, Miles’ words became scrambled, tears still falling. Waylon breaks out of his trance and rolls Miles over, waking him up gently. Miles eyes pop open, his arms latching around Waylon. He sobs openly now, kissing the side of his face and neck, blubbering words Waylon couldn’t understand at first. Then he realized, he was saying ‘You’re alive’. Waylon then held him as tightly as he could, wishing this moment could go on forever.
After a little bit of calming down, Waylon explained what he heard to give Miles some time to prepare himself.
“So I uh, heard something in here so I came in to wake you up, but I stopped when I heard my name.” Miles was watching him closely, cheeks and eyes red. “All I heard was you crying, oh God, Miles, I never want to hear that sound again, and you kept repeating ‘Waylon! No, no, no! Waylon, I love you, I love you!’ and ‘Way, Way, wake up! Please!’.” Waylon started to cry, remembering the emotion in Miles’ voice. Waylon looked into Miles’ eyes, trying to tell him non-verbally how much he cared for him. Waylon continued. “Then you said… You said my death was your fault. I woke you up after that because I never want you to think those things ever again, Miles.” Waylon takes a deep breath. “I love you, Miles. I always have and I always will. No matter how fucked up things get.”
Miles starts to get teary eyed at this, and quickly leans forward to press his mouth to Waylon’s. He would never tell Waylon the whole story of what happened in his nightmare, but maybe that was for the better. He didn’t want Waylon to experience the pain he felt, killing the most loved person in his life uncontrollably with help from the Walrider. Miles felt disgusting harboring it inside of him, but if Waylon loved him, maybe he could heal. Maybe one day he could banish the Walrider from him.
As the storm raged outside, Waylon brought Miles to the couch and decided to watch kids movies until they fell asleep together, instead of alone in their silent and haunting beds, separated by a thin wall.
Miles didn’t know why it took this long to truly become vulnerable to this man, but it was worth it. Even his loss of fingers was worth it in the end, getting to out an evil company that was bent on the inhumane, meeting Waylon, getting financial support for the rest of his life, and finally getting his grip on his own life.
In all truth, Miles would die for Waylon, no matter how fucked up he got him. And Miles knew Waylon would do the exact same for him.