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“Will! Holy shit!”
Mike ran up to Will as he stood up, still breathing heavily from exerting himself at the MAC-Z.
“You- holy- Will-” Mike stuttered.
He grabbed Will by the shoulders, wearing an expression of total awe. Will’s cheeks flushed at the contact. “Mike?”
“Will, you just-” Mike was also breathing heavily, and apparently having trouble forming full thoughts. He shook his head in disbelief, grinning. “That was amazing.”
Will swallowed thickly, shock setting in. “Did I… did I actually do that?”
Joyce jogged up behind Mike. “Will! Are you okay?”
Mike let go of Will’s shoulders as he turned to face his mother. “Yeah, mom, I think I’m alright,” he breathed out, relief flooding him as she embraced him.
“Um, I hate to break up the reunion, but I think we should probably get out of here,” Mike interrupted. “They’re gonna send in backup soon, I’m sure.”
Will nodded at Mike, pulling away from Joyce.
“But the kids -” Joyce started to say, only for Mike to cut in again.
“We’ll get them back,” Mike said resolutely, a determined look on his face.
Joyce and Will looked at each other, communicating with their eyes - he’s right. We’ll get them back.
And with that, they rushed to the barracks bathroom, taking the tunnel back to WSQK.
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Later that night, nearly everyone had gone their separate ways to get some sleep. Robin, Joyce, Will and Mike hung back at the station in the radio booth discussing the events of the night.
Mike sat next to Will, gushing about how awesome and cool he was the entire conversation. Will couldn’t help the radiating blush and glowing smile that appeared on his face at Mike’s praise.
He’d never heard Mike talk about El’s powers like this. Not really.
Eventually the conversation had split off into two. Robin and Joyce were planning, and Mike was still freaking out about Will, though he was being a bit quieter about it now.
“Hey,” Mike suddenly said, lowering his voice even further and leaning towards Will a bit. “Can… can we go somewhere else? I need to talk to you about something.”
Will’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Uh, yeah,” he answered. “Basement?”
Mike nodded and they stood to leave.
“Where are you two going?” Robin asked, looking suspiciously between them, her gaze lingering on Will.
“Private conversation,” Mike replied stiffly, grabbing Will by the wrist and dragging him out of the booth.
Robin and Joyce shot each other a knowing look behind their backs.
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“So, uh,” Mike tried to start as Will shut the door behind them. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
“Okay, so tell me,” Will said with a shrug, walking over to the couch and sitting down.
“It’s just…” Mike looked away briefly in thought. “I don’t know if you’re going to like it.”
“Why not?” Will raised a brow in confusion. “Is something wrong? Come sit down.”
Mike seemed nervous as he approached and sat down. If he didn’t know better, Will would have thought Mike was blushing.
“No, nothing’s… wrong,” Mike said. “It’s…”
He groaned, frustrated with himself.
“Mike, what? Just spit it out already, geez,” Will said, rolling his eyes.
Mike chuckled nervously, running a hand through his hair. “Right, of course. Sorry, I just… I don’t know how to say this.”
Will softened, his expression turning to concern. “Hey, it’s okay,” he said encouragingly, resting a hand on Mike’s shoulder. “You can tell me anything, you know that. We’re best friends. That isn’t going to change.”
Mike nodded, taking a deep breath. “Right,” he agreed. “Friends. But what if… what if I… wanted more than that?”
Will’s heart skipped a beat. He was suddenly very aware of their proximity on the couch and heat flooded his cheeks. “What… do you mean, exactly?” he asked carefully.
Mike bit his lip, clearly struggling to find the right words. “I mean… I mean that I have feelings for you. R-romantic feelings.”
Will’s jaw dropped and he removed his hand from Mike’s shoulder. “Mike… don’t… don’t say that. You don’t mean it.”
Mike’s face fell. “What?” he asked quietly. “Will, I- of course I mean it. Why would I say it if I didn’t?”
“You’re… you’re confused,” Will insisted, looking down at his lap sadly. “You just think it’s cool I have powers.”
The look on Mike’s face that formed in response to this statement could best be compared to a kicked puppy dog. He shook his head and sat up straight, moving closer.
“Will, no. No. I know what I’m saying and I mean it. I’ve… felt this way for a really long time, Will.”
Will finally looked at Mike again, taking in his wide, sad eyes, furrowed brow and downturned lip. He was genuinely upset.
“I love you.”
It slipped out of Mike’s mouth so easily, so casually, that Will knew it must be true.
Will’s jaw dropped again. “I- you-”
Mike smiled sadly and looked away. “It’s okay if you don’t feel the same. I understand.”
Tears began to form in Will’s eyes. “Mike, no, it’s- I- oh my god,” he stuttered, teariness starting to come through in his voice as well. He smiled at Mike through the tears. “You have no idea-”
Before he could finish that thought, his body took over; he felt as if he were pulled in Mike’s direction by gravity or magnets. He reached up a hand to cradle Mike’s face gently, and Mike leaned into the touch instinctively. If Will had thought Mike might have blushing before, well, he certainly was blushing now. Their faces were so close that their breaths mingled.
Will’s gaze wandered down to Mike’s lips. “Mike, I- can we-”
Mike reached up a hand of his own, cradling Will’s jaw in order to pull him in.
The kiss was imperfect at first, clumsy; that is, until Mike tilted his head a bit and their lips slotted together perfectly. He began to gently move against Will’s mouth, and Will felt like he might faint but returned Mike’s movements in kind. After a long moment of this, Mike pulled away before things could get more intense, and Will nearly whimpered at the loss of contact.
“God, that was…” Mike breathed out, awestruck.
“...better than I ever imagined,” Will finished shyly.
Mike’s eyebrows shot up. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Will said and looked Mike in the eye. “I love you too, Mike,” he said, stroking Mike’s cheek softly with his thumb.
Mike exhaled heavily, apparently relieved. “Good,” he said. “Does that mean I can kiss you more?”
Will’s cheeks increased in redness, but he smiled. “God, yes, please do.”
That was all the encouragement Mike needed.