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Will loves dogs.
He used to have a dog, when he was little, his name was Chester. Chester was a very good dog, he seemed to protect Will whenever things got bad. Will remembered when he first got Chester too. He was walking with Joyce and Jonathan one day, and they found Chester in a box that said, “Free Puppies”. Will and Jonathan begged Joyce if they could take him home, and, thankfully, she said yes.
Will’s dad– Lonnie– wasn’t too fond of him though, and Chester didn’t like him either. Luckily, Lonnie wouldn’t hurt the dog. However, whenever he would yell at Will or Jonathan or even Joyce, Chester would always stand in front of them and bark at him, as if he were risking his life to protect them from danger. Lonnie deserved it.
Chester was a very good dog. He sadly passed away when Will was fifteen.
Now that he’s got his own apartment, Will decided to get a dog himself. He decided to go to a rescue. The fact that there are so many dogs without homes that go to rescues breaks Will’s heart. What’s even more upsetting is that most of the population of rescues are pit bulls. Will knows why that is, but he wishes that they weren’t known for such bad things. Maybe then there wouldn’t be so many in shelters.
That’s why he’s here, at an animal rescue with his sister, El. Will saw on the rescues website that they just had a pit bull rescue give birth to 5 puppies and they’re giving them up for adoption. Will saw this as a chance to adopt, and, of course, he took it.
“Hello and welcome, are you looking to adopt any animals today, sir?” Asked the receptionist.
“Hi, yes, we’re here for—”
Before Will could finish his sentence, El cuts in.
“Puppies! We’re here for puppies!” El interjected. She’s clapping her hands and basically bouncing, unable to contain her excitement.
Will chuckles sheepishly, “Yeah, we’re here for those pit bull puppies mentioned on your website.”
“Fantastic! They’re right this way,” the receptionist waved her hand, signaling for Will and El to follow her down the hall.
They followed the receptionist down a hall full of kennels. Some of the dogs barked when they passed by; some were loud, full barks, and others sounded tiny. Whether the barking was out of excitement or fear, Will didn’t know. Will felt a ping of guilt looking at the dogs. He wished he could adopt all of them, to make sure they didn’t live a life in a small, cold cage. But, unfortunately, he can’t afford having that many dogs in his apartment. As a college student, he’s basically broke.
The receptionist opened a door to a not so small room—a room with a round blue carpet and a window that almost took up the whole wall—where the pit bull and her puppies stayed. Will took in the sight of the puppies, all running around. Some were fighting or chewing on their chew toys, and quite a few were sleeping. Beside him, El was buzzing with excitement, letting out a sort of squeal.
“Oh my gosh! They’re all so cute!” El ran over to the litter and played with two of the puppies.
Will smiled and walked over, picking up one of the sleeping puppies, and he sat next to El. Surprisingly, the puppy didn’t wake up, it only stirred a little. Will held it so that the puppy’s head was supported on his shoulder. He felt the soft fur of the pup rub against his cheek, it felt as soft as silk.
“I think I might adopt one of these guys!” El giggled.
“You can, but you should run it by Max and Lucas first,” Will chuckled.
“Why should I? You haven’t talked to Mike about adopting a puppy,” El said, raising a brow.
“It was just a suggestion,” Will raised a hand in surrender, making sure the puppy he held was still well supported. “Besides, I only asked you to come along so you could help me pick out a puppy; your apartment doesn’t allow pit bulls,” Will stated.
“Hm,” El hummed, “I still have a point though. You didn’t run this by Mike and you two share the apartment.”
Will didn’t say anything. She was right after all; he didn’t bother to tell Mike about adopting a dog, he didn’t think he’d need to. It’s not like Mike would get mad, he’d just be surprised is all, right? Will gets away with a lot of things when it comes to Mike anyway.
The puppy Will is holding shifts its head into a more comfortable position, its head still laying on Will’s shoulder. Will looks down at the puppy, a soft smile growing on his face and a warmth blooming in his chest.
“I think that one likes you, Will,” El says, nodding her head toward the pup Will’s holding.
“I think so too,” Will’s smile grew bigger, and he lifted a hand to softly pet the puppy’s head.
The puppy is different from all the others. It’s smaller in size, probably the runt, and its coloring stood out amongst the others. It’s black with white on its paws and on the tip of its tail, with a white marking shaped like a heart on its chest. The puppy almost reminded Will of Mike.
After a couple minutes, a lady came up to Will and El and asked, “Hello, have you guys decided which puppy you’re gonna adopt?”
Will looked up at the lady and then back down at the puppy he’s holding. “Yeah, I think I might take this one home,” Will says, patting the pup’s head.
“Oh, what a good choice. He’s one of our calmer puppies, although he will get random bursts of energy,” the lady giggled. “Follow me and we can pick out his collar.”
“Oh, okay.” Will carefully stood up from where he was sitting with El in tow. “Wait, so there’s no, like, paperwork sort of thing that I have to do?” Will asked.
“Nope! You can just pick out the collar and his leash, and then you can take him home!” The lady replied. “We try not to make the adoption process too complicated, you know?”
“Ah, got it,” Will nodded his head in understanding.
The lady led them to a counter where there was a box of collars ranging from all sorts of colors. Some blue and purple, others red and pink. There was a different box beside it full of leashes to go with the collars. Will’s gotta admit, he’s never seen this many collars in his life, and he knows it’s going to be a little hard to choose a color.
“Hmm,” Will hummed, sorting through all of the collars to get a look at the colors. “Which color do you think I should go for, El?” He asked.
El was silent for a second, bringing her hand up to scratch her chin as if she was lost in thought. Then, she picked up a green collar and said, “this one! I think this color fits the little guy.” She nodded her head to the puppy.
“Yeah, that seems like a good color,” Will says and thinks, well that was easy . “I think you might need to put the collar on him though, I have my hands full,” he chuckled sheepishly, glancing down at the puppy he’s holding.
“Of course!” El stepped closer and carefully put the collar around the puppy’s neck, making sure she didn't wake him from his nap. “There we go, all done,” she said. El went back to the boxes and pulled out a blue leash with yellow stripes, “and this leash can go with his collar!”
Will laughed softly, “great choice El.”
After thanking the lady, Will and El made their way back to the car. Unfortunately, Will had to hand over the puppy to his sister so he’d be able to drive. He instantly missed the feeling of holding a puppy. Why are puppies so cute? Will thought.
After a beat he asked, “Do you think Mike will be mad once I show up with this puppy?” He fidgeted with the cloth on the steering wheel.
El giggled. “Have you met Mike? When it comes to you, he probably won’t be mad.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Oh c’mon Will, have you seen how he acts around you?”
Will thought about this for a second. He knows Mike is much..softer around him and much less bitchy than he is with their friend group— he’s mostly bitchy with Max specifically, but still— and Will knows he and Mike are close– Mike was the one to suggest moving in together, of course– but Will never thought anything more would happen. It’s not like Mike would get with him, right? Will blushed at the thought. He must admit, he’s been pinning over Mike for years now, Will’s obviously thought about dating him before. However, he always tried to stop himself from sticking to those thoughts, it’s not like it would actually happen… right?
Will glared at the street as his cheeks reddened. “I– whatever.”
El lets out a laugh, and Will feels like running himself over.
Will opened the door to his apartment and realized most of the lights were off. He kicked the door closed and shouted, “Mike? I’m back!”
There was no response.
Will breathed out a sigh of relief. He’s honestly glad Mike isn’t home yet. Will doesn’t know how Mike will react to the puppy. Will he be angry? Surprised? Irritated? Mad that Will didn’t let him know that he’s bringing home a dog? Will’s head raced, he needs to stop worrying. Mike’s talked about getting a dog before, it’ll probably go fine… right?
Will let out a big sigh as he made his way to the couch. He unwrapped the towels from the car that were surrounding the puppy and set him down on the floor. “Welcome to your new home, buddy,” Will says.
The puppy sniffed the floor a bit, wandering by the TV and attempting to sniff under the couch. It was a whole new world for the pup. The place was filled with new sights and smells, Will had to guess. From being in a shelter to a whole new apartment must have been an exciting, but also scary transition. Will watches in amusement as the pup makes his way back to the couch, attempting to jump on it.
Will bent down and picked him up, placing the puppy on the couch. The pup instantly walked over to Will, laying his head down on his lap, beginning round 2 of nap time. “You’re pretty sleepy, aren’t you?” Will laughed, scratching the pup’s head.
All of a sudden, the door bangs open, a voice going, “I’m home!!”
Will’s head shot up so fast, he might have given himself whiplash. His heart rate picked up, even after he knew who barged the door open.
“Jesus Christ Mike! You have to stop doing that!” Will chuckled warily. That boy’s lucky the puppy didn’t budge.
Mike giggled, “sorry.” They both know he wasn’t.
Mike made his way towards Will until stopping in his tracks. His eyes widened, Will couldn’t make out his expression.
“Who’s that, Will?” Mike pointed a finger at the puppy.
Here goes nothing , Will thought. “Um, don’t be mad, but I kinda, sorta, got a puppy.” Will winced, slowly bringing his shoulders up to his ears.
Mike was quiet for a moment, until, “Oh. My. GOD!” He let out a loud gasp, like the dramatic he is, and placed his hands over his mouth.
“Um—”
Mike ran over and carefully picked up the puppy. “Oh my god,” he repeated. “This puppy’s so cute!” Mike held the puppy close.
This isn’t going how Will expected it to be, he’s guessing that's a good thing. Whatever, at least Mike’s not mad.
“Does he have a name yet?” Mike asked.
Will brought up his hand as he recalled his and El’s conversation in the car. “Oh, well–”
“Eh, it doesn’t matter, we’ll figure it out later, isn’t that right buddy?” Mike interrupted, nuzzling his nose against the pup’s.
Will narrowed his eyes and slowly put his hand down. “Right..”
Mike let out another gasp. “I bet you haven’t seen the whole apartment yet bud!” And just like that, Mike set off to give the puppy a tour of the apartment, starting with the kitchen and then making his way to his room.
Will sat there, on the couch, for a second. The next thing he knows, he’s smiling big and wide, and he’s laughing. He’s so lucky to have a person like Mike, so goofy and sweet, it makes his heart overflow with affection.
Will got up and followed Mike, finding him laying on his back, lifting the puppy up above him. Will leaned against the doorframe to Mike’s room. Will heard Mike cooing at the puppy, smiling and all, the puppy’s tail was wagging too. Will felt all warm and fuzzy inside.
“I see you’ve made a new friend then?” Will smirked, his brow raised.
Mike turned his head to Will, his cheeks red. “Yeah,” he chuckled.
Will hummed and made his way towards Mike’s bed, settling right next to him. “You’re not planning on replacing me with that dog, are you?” Will teased.
Mike sat up and let out a gasp, bringing a hand to his chest, feigning offense. “How dare you! I could never!”
Will chuckled. “I would hope so.”
“You are irreplaceable, Will,” Mike smiled. Will couldn’t tell if he was being serious.
Will hummed. “Thanks, Mike.”
“So, this puppy really doesn’t have a name yet?” Mike asked.
“Well, I was going to tell you what I would’ve liked to name him, but you interrupted me.” Will tapped a finger to Mike’s nose.
“Oh, sorry about that,” Mike chuckled sheepishly. “So, what were you thinking of naming him?”
“Well, I was thinking about naming him, Bowie?” Will says.
“Oh! Like, after David Bowie?” Mike asked.
“Yes, exactly!”
Mike smiled, “that’s a pretty good name for this little guy.” Mike brought Bowie up to his face.
“Yeah, well, that’s why I thought about it,” Will giggled.
Mike set the puppy down in his lap and started playing with his paws. Will watched in amusement.
“Do you know what this makes us?” Mike asks, looking up at Will and breaking the silence.
Will raised a brow, “What?”
“Dog dads!” Mike grinned.
Will was silent for a beat, his cheeks flushed pink. “W-What?”
“Uh, dog dads? You know, cause we have a dog now?” Mike said, running a hand through his hair. He brought his hand down to pet the puppy again, slightly looking down. “Sorry, that’s kinda stupid.”
“No! No!” Will put his hand on Mike’s knee, rubbing circles on it reassuringly. “It’s not stupid at all. I actually like the idea of being dog dads,” Will smiled genuinely, his face feeling warmer by the second.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Mike smiled back and turned his attention back on the puppy. Will and Mike both fell into a comfortable silence, WIll’s hand still lingered on Mike’s knee. They’re sitting very close together, their shoulders pressed up against each other. Then, Mike brings his hand close to Will’s, and laces their pinkies together.
Will hates how much he likes it.
It’s now been a few days since Bowie was adopted, and his personality is truly starting to shine. He’s a little bundle of energy; he’ll randomly get a case of the zoomies and he’ll start parkouring off the couch, and, when he can jump them, the beds.
What’s strange though, Will thinks, is that whenever Bowie isn’t zooming around the apartment and parkouring off the furniture, he’s almost always sleeping. And that’s basically all the time, 24/7.
Will remembered this one afternoon where Bowie was in the middle of his zoomies and Mike made some sort of comment on it.
(Will was putting groceries away and Mike was sitting on the counter, watching him unload the last bag. Bowie had got excited when they came home and is now in the process of letting all that energy out.
“He’s like a furry tornado,” Mike chuckled, slightly swinging his legs that were dangling off the counter.
Will closed the door to the fridge and looked over at Bowie who was currently jumping on and off the couch.
“Yeah, seriously,” Will snorted. He looked over to Mike who was already looking at him.
“So, you just decided to give up helping me put away the groceries?” Will asked—taking this newfound confidence he didn’t know he had until right now—and he slotted himself between Mike’s legs, placing his hands on Mike’s knees, smirking.
Mike’s face blushed a bright pink. “You obviously didn’t need my help. Besides, I enjoyed just watching you.”
Will scoffed, he lifted his hands off of Mike’s knees and crossed his arms. “You’re an idiot, Wheeler.”
“Ah, you love me!” Mike grinned, leaning back and placing his hands on the counter.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night.” Will patted Mike’s knee and walked off towards the couch.)
Today though, Will had walked in on Mike sleeping on the couch, with Bowie all bundled up on top of him. At first, he just took pictures—how could he not? A moment like that needs to be captured— then he settled down at the counter, his sketchbook open, and his brain filled with a million different thoughts.
Will thought about that moment with Mike in his room. They were sitting so close , their pinkies intertwined with one another. It gives Will butterflies just thinking about it. He shook his head, snapping himself out of it.
Will slightly turned himself so he could get a view of the couch. Mike and Bowie were still asleep, and Will could definitely tell. Mike was snoring, breaking the silence of the apartment, and Bowie just quietly inhaled and exhaled through his nose, sometimes letting out a little whistle sound.
The apartment was dimly lit, the lights above the counter were the only lights that were on, flooding the kitchen in a warm, yellowish light. The TV was on too, but the screen saver was displayed, showing different pictures related to nature. If Will had to guess, Mike spent forever trying to pick something to watch, and instead, he chose to give up and nap with the dog.
Will felt himself smile at the sight. It was a very precious moment, Will thought. Now that he thinks about it; it was pretty stupid for him to think Mike would be angry with him for bringing home a puppy unexpectedly. Like, Mike even wanted a dog! Will remembers how, ever since they were younger and Mike came over to his house, Mike always told him that he would like a dog, but couldn’t get one because his parents refused.
Why would Mike get upset when his wish finally came true? Will doesn’t know, he was beating himself up over nothing. He’s just glad Mike wasn’t upset in the end.
Will looked over to the clock over the stove which read: 5:30 PM. He decided that they should get food soon.
Will got up from his seat at the counter and made his way over to the couch. He kneeled down before the couch, right in front of Mike. Will hesitated. Mike looked so peaceful asleep. Usually, his brow is furrowed, as if he’s disgusted by something in front of him. But right now? It wasn’t. Simple as that. Will thinks it has something to do with the puppy on top of him; this warms his heart.
“Mike?” Will poked at Mike’s shoulder softly.
Mike stirred a little, absent mindedly swatting at Will’s hand.
“Miiike?” Will drawled.
“Mmmm, what?” Mike sniffed, opening one eye.
Will chuckled, “what do you want to get for food? It’s nearing six o’clock.”
Mike opened his other eye and glared at Will as if to communicate, did you seriously wake me up to ask me that? And Will lifted a brow as if to say, are you gonna answer me or what?
Mike blinked slowly and lifted his arms up in a stretch, tearing his gaze away from Will. “I’m good with Chinese,” he yawned.
Will patted Mike’s shoulder and gave him a slight smile, “That wasn’t so hard now was it?”
“It was very hard, actually.” Mike grumbled, his voice husky with sleep.
“Uh huh, right.” Will nodded his head slowly as he stood up and made his way toward the counter to grab his phone. “Whatever you say Mike.”
During this, Bowie had woken up and he made his way over to Will, letting out little yips, begging for attention.
“Oh, hi buddy,” Will said. He bent down to pick up Bowie, holding him with one hand, while he had his phone in the other.
“What?! Bowieee!” Mike whined. He sat up and huffed, crossing his arms, and pouting.
Will rolls his eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, and walks over to Mike with the phone to his ear while he’s ordering their food, setting Bowie down on Mike’s lap. Mike instantly switches and is no longer grumpy; playing with Bowie’s paws, trying to make him look like he’s dancing.
Once Will confirms their order and everything, he sits next to Mike on the couch, pressing his shoulder against Mike’s.
Will smiled, looking over at Mike playing with Bowie. “You happy now?”
Mike looked back over at Will and returned the smile. “Yes, yes I am,” he said softly.
Will held Mike’s gaze a few moments more. He’s so close.
Okay, look, Will is a realistic person, alright? So these feelings for Mike—it’s not like he expects them to be reciprocated—although that would be great, actually—but no, no, no, no. Sure, he would consider himself a bit of a hopeless romantic, but it’s not like it would happen—him and Mike—much to Will’s dismay. Will has tried dating other guys before too, most of whom were really nice, but he would only go on one or two dates with them; he only tried dating other people to try and move on from Mike anyway (which, obviously, didn’t work very well).
Just, everything that Mike does is a reminder of why Will fell head over heels in love with him in the first place. Like, Mike is so gentle and caring, he’s loyal to his friends, he’s smart, he’s hella stubborn, and he just loves those he cares about with such a passion, and he makes sure to show it. And after seeing Mike with their new puppy, Will’s gotta admit, he just might’ve fell even harder.
Oh shit..
Will tore his gaze away from Mike, letting out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding, and he grabbed the remote, just to give himself something to do.
“Um, what should we watch Mike?” He asked, not turning around to make eye contact.
“Oh, uh..” Mike sounded as if he was snapping back to reality, his voice sounding a bit distant. “I’m not picky.”
Will shot a quick glance at him then looked back toward the TV. “Nature documentary, then?”
“Sure.” Mike said softly.
Will turned on the documentary and soon after, the food arrived.
There was sort of an awkward silence between Will and Mike. Will didn’t know what to do; there was obvious tension hanging in the air between them, though, none of them were brave enough to address it.
what?!
Will!! You could’ve told him!😭
El had texted a few minutes ago. Will had told El about his current situation with Mike, and the awkwardness they fell into the night before. She told Will that the moment he was staring at Mike— he was not staring by the way, just..looking—was the perfect moment to say something, the perfect time to tell him how you feel! Is what El had said.
Like it was that easy.
Ik ik, i just, dont know how to tell him
Like, what if he gets weirded out and, idk, gets all awkward around me??
Be serious Will
How many times do i have to say it? HAVE YOU SEEN HIM AROUND YOU????
…yes, i have
You obviously have not!
He likes you too! You are just oblivious to the fact that he does
Will stared at his screen for a second. Is El really telling the truth? Does Mike really feel the same way? Before he can ask, El texts him again.
Just tell him today.
You would be surprised Will
Even though she can’t hear him, Will sighs.
Fine
I’ll tell him
Yay! You got this!!👍
Will turns off his phone and puts it on his dresser. He rubs his face with his hands and lets out a big, exaggerated sigh. Will made his way to the living room where he saw Mike playing tug-of-war with Bowie, his toys spread out all across the floor.
Mike looked up from where he’s holding the chew toy in front of Bowie. “Hey Will!” Mike gave him a smile.
“Hi Mike,” Will smiled back, just a little, and he sat in front of Mike, behind Bowie.
Will’s smile faded, though, as he looked at Mike, trying to work up the courage to tell him what he’s been meaning to say. He opened his mouth to say something until Mike beat him to it.
“You doing okay, Will?” Mike asked, tilting his head to the side a little.
“I— yeah, yeah, I’m okay.” Will smiled again, although the smile was smaller.
“Hm,” Mike hummed. “If you say so.” Mike didn't look very convinced.
At the sound of Will’s voice, Bowie turned around and laid his head on Will’s lap. He whined as if he could sense what Will was going through. Mike takes this as a chance to scoot closer to Will, making sure he’s right in front of him. This made Bowie look at Will, then to Mike, and he got up and moved to his food bowl.
Will could’ve sworn he saw some sort of knowing look in that dog’s eyes.
Mike took Will’s hands in his and his face just mere inches away from Will’s.
Will looked up at Mike, a waver in his voice when he spoke, “Mike…”
“Are you sure you’re okay Will?” Mike’s brow furrowed. “D-Did I do something to upset you?”
“No! No, you didn’t do anything Mike,” Will squeezed his hands reassuringly.
“Then what’s going on Will? I know something’s wrong.”
Will remained silent for a second, refusing to look Mike in the eye. His eyes instead, were darting all around the room, taking in the environment. The afternoon sun bathed the living room in a warm lighting and Bowie stopped eating. Instead, he’s lying quietly beside his bowls, eyeing both Will and Mike who are both sitting on the floor.
Will looked back into Mike’s eyes; Mike watched him carefully. Will felt a heat rush to his cheeks.
“I—” Will took a deep breath in and out. “I–I’m in love with you, Mike.”
Mike’s eyes widened and his face flushed a bright red. “W-What? Really?” The side of his mouth twitched.
Will held Mike’s gaze for a second longer, then glanced down, his face felt like it was on fire. “Yes, yes really.”
“Will I…” Mike’s voice trailed off. He brought his hand up to cup Will’s cheek.
Will looked up at him. His breath hitched. “Mike.” His voice was just barely a whisper.
“Can…Can I kiss you?” Mike whispered, his lips just barely brushing Will’s as he spoke.
Will’s heart pounded in his chest, his mind filled with a whirlwind of emotions. “Yes,” Will responded, a hint of desperation creeping into his voice.
Mike closed the distance between them, kissing Will soft and slow. Will leaned into it, his hands coming up to Mike’s neck, and Mike’s hands drifting down to Will’s waist. Mike tasted so, so sweet, like everything good. But just as soon as it started, it ended. Mike pulled away, panting as if he had just raced a marathon, and he pressed his forehead against Will’s.
“Woah..” he breathed.
“Woah,” Will echoed.
“That was– you’re—Jesus,” Mike chuckled.
Will hummed. “I’m so in love with you, Mike”
Mike grinned, “I’m in love with you too, Will.”
And he dove right back in, catching Will’s lips in his. However, Mike was a little too eager, since he knocked Will backwards down onto the floor. Will let out a gasp as his back hit the floor, his lips parting from Mike’s. Mike took this as an opportunity to deepen the kiss, however, his fingers finding their way under Will’s shirt while Will’s hands found their way to Mike’s hair. Their chests pressed flush against each other.
This time, the kiss was filled with more desperation, more longing; it was sloppy and open-mouthed. Mike laughed softly against Will's mouth, and Will kissed Mike back with such skill he didn't even realize he had it. Mike let out a satisfied hum; Will relished the sound of it.
Mike pulled away for a second to catch his breath. “You're amazing, Will,” he said breathlessly.
Will chuckled. “ You're amazing, Mike.”
“Damn right, Byers.” Mike murmured as he bent down and peppered kisses along Will's jaw, his thumb rubbing comforting circles along Will's hip.
“You know, you're actually my first kiss, Mike.” Will says softly.
“Wow..really?” Mike spoke against Will's neck, almost sounding in awe.
“Yeah, really,” Will whispered, and Mike hummed in response, continuing to kiss Will's neck.
All of a sudden, Bowie barked, and both Will and Mike looked over. Bowie was smiling big and wide, his tail was wagging so hard that he basically wagged his entire body. Bowie made his way over to Mike and Will, taking the opportunity to lick Mike's face.
“Ah! Bowie!” Mike laughed, sitting up and wiping his cheek.
Will laughed along with him as he propped himself up on his elbows. Will realized how tangled up he and Mike were, seeing as how Mike is basically straddling him now; his knees beside Will's thighs.
“C'mere you!” Mike picked up Bowie, and placed him back on the floor, scratching his belly.
Will chuckled and smiled at the sight. He knew right then and there that adopting Bowie was one of the best decisions he’s ever made.
It's been two months since Bowie's been adopted, he's now nearing the size of a full grown pit bull. This makes Will a little sad, Bowie's growth rate being a reminder of how dogs live such short lives.
Will chooses to push that thought aside and instead, decides to enjoy the sunset. He’s sitting under a tree at the park, and Mike is playing catch with Bowie off to the side. Will was drawing in his sketchbook, but that lays forgotten beside him.
Will turned his attention over to Mike and Bowie. Mike is laughing and shouting “Go get it boy!” and “C’mere boy!” and Bowie is barking with joy, his tail all wag. Will smiled.
Then, Mike decided to take a break as he made his way over to Will with Bowie at the heel.
“Tired already?” Will teased.
Mike sat down next to Will, leaving space for Bowie to sit in the middle. “No, absolutely not.” Mike said breathlessly. “I just wanted to come over and sit next to you.”
Will chuckled as Mike placed a kiss on his cheek. “Yeah, sure Mike.”
“Enjoying the view?” Mike asked, looking at Will and then the sunset.
“Yeah,” Will sighed, gently resting his head on Mike’s shoulder.
The sky was painted in hues of red and orange, and, when looking farther up, it seemed as if those hues faded into shades of dark blues and purples. Will felt the urge to paint it, but he enjoyed just watching right here with Mike.
“It’s so beautiful, isn’t it?” Will asked.
“Yeah, but not as beautiful as you.” Mike looked down at Will and smiled.
Will felt a wave of heat flush over his cheeks. “Oh my god, you’re so cheesy.” He chuckled, hiding his face in Mike’s shoulder.
Mike just laughed in response. Will couldn’t help but feel a surge of affection, his heart swelled at the sound of Mike’s laughter.
Will took Mike’s hand in his. “I love you, Mike,” he said softly.
Mike laid his head on top of Will’s. “I love you too, Will.”
The sun finally disappeared under the horizon and Will knew that, with Mike and Bowie with him, life was going to be just fine.