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Johnathan would like to say he does a good job at keeping his house clean, but the pile-up of cardboard boxes and soda cans on every single table said otherwise.
However, Will didn’t seem bothered with it (and even if he was, the sweet boy wouldn’t say anything about it) so it was less embarrassing than if he brought anyone else down here. Will’s constant presence does help motivate him to begin the arduous task of picking up the trash on nights when the other boy goes home.
The basement was lit up with the flickering light of the TV as a film played on screen. The two of them were huddled up together on Johnathan’s ratty couch under various layers of blankets. It was Johnathan’s turn to pick the movie for the night, choosing a sci-fi horror film.
He knew Will was never fond of the genre, but he found it fun to watch the younger boy get freaked out over body horror. He also knew that nine times out of ten Will would put up with whatever he played just to spend time with him.
…
Johnathan doesn’t have to pay much attention to the movie as he’s seen it many times over.
The main character starts to exhibit traits of an insect which are … honestly pretty mild, in his opinion.
As the movie continued to play he felt Will tense up beside him.
“He finally came to the conclusion that they were definitely not human. Not human, Seth. In fact, very likely insect hairs.”
Will turned to face Johnathan and shoved at his shoulder which separated them from each other slightly. “I can’t believe I let you pick tonight’s movie.”
Johnathan couldn’t help but chuckle at Will’s reaction. “ The Fly is a great movie. You just don’t appreciate true art.”
“It’s not true art, it’s gross!” Will said defensively, scooting back over to Johnathan’s side.
“And you love gross.” He teased.
“Johnathan, you are not gross,” Will responded, offended on his behalf at the implication.
“That’s not what you said last week when I stuck my hand into the lake,” Johnathan recounted.
“The act of putting your hand in there was gross. Super mega gross! The water was green. GREEN, man!”
“Well, I had to! I dropped my keys!” After a brief pause a devious look flashed across Johnathan’s face as he raised the hand he used to grab said keys, slowly moving it toward Will’s face.
Will swatted his hand away immediately, “Oh, don’t even try it! I think that is enough scary movies for tonight.”
“We didn’t even get to the best part yet, don’t you want to see him turn into a bug?”
“No. I don’t. I really don’t.” Will wrestled himself out of the blankets and picked himself off of the couch, accompanied by the loud squeak of faux leather.
“Comeee onnn…..” Johnathan whined as he watched Will make his way over to the VCR to pop the tape out of the machine.
“No more creepy movies where people turn into aliens. We can find something else to do.” Will haphazardly threw the tape back into a large box on the floor next to the TV that housed most of Johnathan’s collection.
“Oh yeah? Like what?” Johnathan fell over sideways on the couch, taking up the space Will had once occupied as he disappeared from view.
The basement light turned on suddenly, causing Johnathan to raise a hand to cover his eyes. “ Please . My precious retinas.”
“You’ll survive, you big baby.” Will returned to view as he went around the room, taking inventory of what Johnathan had lying around. He picked up a few decks of playing cards, holding them up for the other boy to see. “Cards?”
“I don’t have the brain power for poker right now.” Johnathan groaned, pushing himself further into the cushions. He let his eyes slip closed for a moment as the lateness of the night bore heavy down on him.
Will returned the cards to their original spot and took his time as he walked back over to the couch at a leisurely pace. Once he reached his destination he slowly lowered himself onto his knees in front of Johnathan and gently lifted his chin with his left hand to make Johnathan look at him.
"Hey," said the brunette in a soft tone.
“Hi,” came the ravenette’s response as he blearily blinked at the other.
“You are so cute when you’re tired, you know that?” Will’s hand remained in its place, rubbing his thumb along the other’s jawline which was rewarded with a contented sigh.
“So I’m cute all the time?” Johnathan pressed his face further against Will’s hand, a pleased grin spreading across his face.
“ Mhm . Always.” Will’s right hand came up and slid underneath John’s back as his left fell back downward, much to the other boy’s dismay. A gentle tug upward was all the encouragement Johnathan needed to sit back up. Will rose to his feet as well, now standing above him. “You want water from upstairs?”
“No.” Johnathan reached upwards towards Will with a seemingly annoyed grumble, making a grabbing motion with his hands. A gesture that John often makes when beckoning Will to come closer, so he does.
“Okay.” Will situates himself back onto the couch next to Johnathan with a soft exhale. He turned his head to study John’s features now that there was enough light to look at him properly. He looked strange without his bridge piercing, having taken it out for a round of cleansing. He’s typically never seen without it, John revering it as a huge achievement because “usually, it rejects or doesn’t heal at all.” However, Will didn’t know anything when it came to piercings, so he couldn’t make a judgment call on whether or not it was as difficult as he made it out to seem. John has always been the dramatic type. Though, it certainly is cool.
Johnathan was looking at him as well, but not with the same loving, careful gaze that Will was meeting his eyes with. No, Johnathan looked like he was constipated if anything. A crease formed between his eyebrows as he stared back at Will as if he were contemplating something.
As Will was about to comment on how disturbed Johnathan appeared, he suddenly felt two hands hooking underneath the small of his back on both sides. They pulled him much closer to Johnathan, invading his personal space. Will assumed Johnathan would stop when he felt their thighs press together, but the older boy continued to pull. He took one hand off of his back and grabbed at Will's leg, lifting. Johnathan then pulled Will onto his lap. Will went along with the sudden motion without much of a fuss, now face-to-face with Johnathan whose expression eased.
Will once again opened his mouth to try and express something, but Johnathan leaned forward, pressing his face into the crook of his neck, keeping his hands wrapped against Will’s back.
…
The two of them had been dating for two weeks at this point, but tension still hung in the air whenever either one of them felt like making a romantic gesture. Their relationship was a fragile thing, neither one of them wanting to move too fast in fear of making the other back away.
Usually, they were content with simply being physically close to one another with the occasional intertwining of hands and a quick press of the lips though it was blatantly obvious most times that they both craved something more than that.
Jonathan wasn't sure what made him do it. Maybe it was the feeling of safety that came with their Saturday movie night ritual, or perhaps the sleep deprivation was finally taking its toll. Either way, he found the courage to leap forward into something he had been wanting for a while.
Will’s words died on his tongue as he fully leaned into Johnathan’s embrace. He trailed his hands gently up John’s spine, finding purchase in the frazzled mess that was his hair. A satisfied hum thrummed throughout his chest as he sunk his weight into his boyfriend. Boyfriend. God, what a reality he was living in.
Johnathan also seemed to be enjoying the attention, starting to rub circles into the younger’s back soothingly.
“I love you.”
The phrase slipped itself out between Johnathan’s lips, almost absentmindedly, muffled against Will’s neck.
“So much.”
Will practically melted.
He let out an embarrassing squeak as he rushed to mimic Johnathan’s decision to shove his face into the junction between his neck and his shoulder.
They’ve said it to each other countless times ever since that fateful day that Will poured his heart out to Johnathan but he still found himself flushed and reeling at the knowledge of John’s reciprocated feelings.
Johnathan, on the other hand, was completely lax underneath him as he continued to rub into Will’s back.
Will shuddered in a breath as he pushed his face further into Johnathan, embarrassed.
“You’re cute. All the time, actually.” Johnathan continued, mumbling into Will’s skin.
Will burned with so much emotion.
Johnathan’s touch.
His hands radiated warmth through the fabric of his shirt.
It felt like love.
It felt like home.
One that he never wanted to leave.
He felt the tears in his eyes that he didn’t know had manifested and threatened to spill as his grip on Johnathan’s hair became tighter, nails lightly scraping against the back of his neck.
Johnathan’s hands stilled at the gesture contemplatively before wrapping around Will, squeezing him to his chest tightly. He felt a puff of air against his neck as Johnathan let out a breath Will didn’t notice that the other was holding. Now that they were practically welded together, Will could feel it now. The wild thrum of Johnathan’s heartbeat against his body, his breathing shallow. Something wet brushed against his skin. Tears. Will’s reaction to his words seemingly wakes Johnathan back up, causing that state of relaxation to develop into something more intense, matching Will’s feelings as he fully realizes what’s going on.
Feeling Johnathan’s tears against his neck turned on Will’s waterworks as well and the two of them practically sobbed into each other's shoulders. Johnathan started babbling underneath him incoherently, Will only catching a few of the things that spewed out of his mouth uncontrollably, “Love you, need you, stay with me, never leave.” If Will could control the flow of the universe, he’d have it so that he’d never have to leave Johnathan’s side ever again.
“Love you too,” Will managed to respond between gasps of air, “I’m right here. I'll always be here.”
Will’s words seemed to ease Johnathan’s frantic stammering, taking a moment to breathe before speaking again. “I love you,” he repeated once again, “god, Will. I do.”
“I know you do,” Will said softly, calming down himself. He found the willpower to slowly peel his face away from Johnathan’s shoulder to which John emitted a whine of discontent. Will found himself chuckling at the noise, pulling back far enough to gaze into Johnathan’s eyes which were still wet with tears. John looked back at him with such sincerity, such love, that if Will wasn’t careful he’d start bawling again.
“Are you good?” He found himself asking as Johnathan started to try and force the rest of the tears out of his eyes.
“Mm. Yeah. Jus’ so in love with you is all.”
“You are such a sap.” Will raised a hand to Johnathan’s face once again, brushing the tears off of his face as his lips tug into a smile.
And for once, Johnathan can’t bring himself to argue with that. Instead, he pulls Will’s hand away and smoothly pulls him in for a kiss by the nape of his neck. Will reciprocates immediately, feeling the subtle scruff of a little bit of stubble that Johnathan missed during his last shave scratch against his chin. It was slow, sweet, and everything that Will could ever want in life.
Johnathan was the first to pull away, lifting his head to rest his chin on top of Will’s, “Love you.”
“Yeah, yeah, you got your point across,” Will giggled, relishing in the warmth of Johnathan’s body against his.
“Hm? I don’t think so,” Johnathan snorted, taking his chin off of Will’s head and raising his hands to grab at both sides of his head as he began to peck at Will’s forehead incessantly.
“Enough, enough!” Will shouted as he playfully started to try and struggle out of the other’s grasp.
Johnathan finally relents after a good two minutes, pulling Will back in for another long hug. “You really are something, you know that?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Will asked as he rested his head against Johnathan’s chest.
“You’re so you, you know?”
Will snickered, “No, I don’t think I do.”
“So sweet, so caring, so creative, so adorable, so good to me ,” He listed off, bringing a hand up to idly run through Will’s hair.
“Well thank you, good sir. I think you’re pretty you yourself.”
“I guess so.”
Will felt him exhale deeply beneath him, returning to his previous relaxed state.
“Probably should have left the light off then, ‘cause now one of us has to get up to shut it off.” Johnathan continued to absentmindedly run his fingers through the soft threads of Will’s hair, practically petting him.
“Nooooo…..” Will complained, pushing his weight down onto Johnathan again. “You play a rogue in our campaign, why don’t you put that precision to use and throw something at the switch?”
Johnathan sighed, picking up the TV remote. Will had to sit up to give him room to move. He dramatically squinted one eye as he twisted his torso to face the entrance to the basement, where the light switch was. He raised it in his hand and prepared for a throw, but before launching it, he looks back at Will for a second, declaring “If I break my remote I’m making you buy me a new one.”
“Deal.” Will said simply as he watched in anticipation.
Johnathan reeled his hand backwards and launched the remote across the room, hitting the switch dead on which causes the entire area to go completely black as the remote falls to the ground with a loud bang.
The two of them burst out laughing at the realization they just completely put themselves in the dark since the TV had long since shut off.
“How the hell are we gonna get out of here man?” Will teased, falling back onto Johnathan’s chest as they assumed their previous position.
“I don’t know, I guess we’re just gonna stay down here forever.” Johnathan reached a hand down and had to feel out where Will’s head was, pulling him up for another kiss that totally misses the mark. It ended up as more of a headbutt as Johnathan’s forehead makes contact first before his lips do. It was incredibly amusing, resulting in another round of laughter from the both of them.
Eventually, they both settle down into a comfortable silence as they remained intertwined on the couch. Will feel Johnathan’s breathing even out, a tell tale sign that the older was slowly falling asleep in the dark. Will smiled to himself, allowing all of the stress in his body go as he snuggles further into the boy beneath him.
“Goodnight.”