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Mike muffles a noise into his hand as he is jerked forward. He closes his eyes tight as tears roll down his face, making his eyelashes stick together and his cheeks wet. He grunts into his hand again as the belt lands on his upper thigh, his dad counting as each strike lands. “Ten.” Ted’s monotone voice states. Mike accidentally bites his tongue when strike eleven lands and yelps, the noise being clear despite his hand. Ted pauses and sighs, clearly annoyed. “Stop being a girl about this. It is your fault you are even in this position in the first place. Take your punishment like a man.” Ted hits the space where ass meets thigh, hard, and Mike lets out a sob, his entire body shaking. “Quit your crying.” Mike does his best to silence his cries but it becomes increasingly harder with each strike.
Finally, Ted makes it to twenty and Mike slides off his knee and pulls his clothes back on, not meeting his fathers cold stare. “Don’t you dare put any ice on that. Now get out of my sight.” Mike is quick to leave the house, his lower half stinging with every movement. He walks slowly, his ass and thighs burning by the time he gets to the Harrington house. Mike’s dad has been giving out more punishments ever since Karen divorced him and Nancy moved out for college. Mike can’t blame them for wanting to get away but he secretly wishes they took him with them. Mike knows Ted is sad that his wife and daughters left but he doesn’t fucking need to take it out on Mike. Mike is sad too, asshole.
He doesn’t bother knocking on the front door, knowing the party is always welcome (and that the majority practically live there). He walks in and goes straight to the freezer, pulling out the large ice pack then wrapping it in a towel. He climbs up the stairs, his face screwing up in pain with each step, and walks to the room he and Will dubbed as theirs. He closes and locks the door behind him, ignoring the no locking doors rule, and sits at the desk, the ice pack freezing on his burning lower half. He rests his head against the desk after delicately moving some of Will’s drawings out of the way. He would never forgive himself if he accidentally ruined one. He lets himself get as comfortable as he can then slowly falls asleep, hoping the pain will be gone when he wakes, but knowing it won't.
Mike startles awake when the door handle jiggles then a knock comes at the door, “Mike?” Will’s voice filters in, obviously confused, “Steve doesn’t like it when we lock doors, you know that-” Mike tilts his head to look at the door, not wanting to move but knowing he should. “Mike?” Will knocks on the door again, “Heeellooo?”
Mike moves back to his original position and closes his eyes. He feels guilt settle in his gut as he tries to force himself back to sleep. God, he is the worst, not even letting Will into his own room. “Mike?” Will asks for the third time. “Mike, open the door-” The knocking gets louder and more frantic as Will starts to panic. Mike feels tears bubble up behind his eyes and digs his fingers into his arm. Jesus, just get up and let him in you lazy- “Mike!” Will yells suddenly, startling Mike slightly. “Answer me please! Are you okay?! Let me in!” Mike slowly sits up, his entire body feeling like lead. He listens to Will desperately beg him to answer as he gets up and crosses the room, his head feeling like a heavy fog is keeping him from thinking anything.
He unlocks and opens the door, finally letting Will in, and Will scans him over, alarmed. “Are you okay? What took you so long? Why did you lock the door? Are you okay?” Mike shrugs a little in response, knowing his voice won't work no matter how hard he wants it too. Will steps into the room and looks around, “Were you sleeping?” He notices the ice pack on the chair and goes quiet. “Oh.” He mumbles, and Mike isn’t sure if he even knows he said it out loud.
Mike climbs into the bed and turns his back to Will, hoping he will just not say anything and leave him alone. Please, just leave, please? He hugs himself under the blankets and listens as Will hesitantly joins him. Mike closes his eyes tight, no. Please just go away. Go away. Will gently places his hand on Mike’s arm and leaves it there, not making any move to get closer or pull it away. Mike feels the bubble behind his eyes pop and the floodgates open.
Thick, heavy, tears fall from his eyes and his entire body shakes with the force of them. Will moves closer and helps Mike roll over so he can hide his face in Will’s chest. He holds Mike to him protectively and Mike silently hopes he never lets go. That he doesn’t leave him too. He slowly realizes that when Will finally finds out how shitty of a person Mike is and leaves, it is going to hurt so fucking bad. So, for now, Mike clings to him and forces himself to memorize how it feels to be held. So that when Will inevitably leaves Mike will at least have that to get him through the night.