Work Text:
The first thing Will felt was the unseeing stare of Mike’s ghostly white eyes, unblinking and rolled back into his skull.
Will’s brain sent the signals for him to move, to get to Mike, but all he could do was writhe on the spot. He looked down at himself. His arms and legs were spread, leaving him in a starfish-like position. Slithering tendrils had wrapped themselves around his limbs, holding him tight, pinning him to the wall. They were all over him, snaking underneath his shirt and wrapping across his bare abdomen, covering his skin with their vile, sticky substance.
It was then that Will became aware of his mouth. It was forced open, and there was something intruding deep into his throat. Part of Henry’s hive mind, a creature that had burrowed deep into Will’s body, becoming a part of him. He felt it all the way down his neck, past his chest, coiling into a knot in his belly. He couldn’t scream, or shout for Mike. When he tried, the only noise that came from him was a pathetic gasping sound. He felt the thing pulsating angrily, pumping out Will’s soul, draining him.
Mike was still sitting there. He looked as if he was beginning to tremble, as though energy was building up inside of him. All Will could do was watch. He felt tears spilling from his manic eyes as Mike’s unconscious body started to float upwards, his limbs dangling limply like a ragdoll. Will forced sounds of protest from his throat, but they were muffled and in vain.
Mike floated higher still, his body charged with an unknown force. His arms, which were previously slack and lifeless, were now rigid, no longer hanging at his sides but instead lifting slightly with whatever force possessed them.
Will could do nothing but watch. He couldn’t even look away. He couldn’t move at all, and it felt as though he were completely paralysed from head to toe, his body suddenly containing no energy at all. All he could do was watch the person he loved the most in the world be annihilated.
A sickening crunch came from Mike’s floating figure. One of his arms had been snapped at the forearm, mangled and broken. The other followed suit.
Will wished he were dead.
Two more horrible sounds echoed from Mike as his legs were mauled and bent in all the wrong ways. Vomit threatened to rise up Will’s throat, but was blocked by the piece of the hive mind inside him.
Each of Mike’s hands was turned into pulpy messes as his fingers were folded backwards. His head was then thrown back, his jaw snapping, leaving his mouth agape in a silent, agonised scream. Blood was streaming from Mike’s whitened eyes.
And then his eyes were pushed back into his skull, leaving two bleeding, gory eye sockets. Will stared into the empty gaps in Mike’s face for a second, his own face contorted with terror, before Mike’s disfigured body fell to the ground with a thump, landing in a crumpled heap.
There was silence, except for the echoing of the crunching sound Mike’s bones made, bouncing around in Will’s mind over and over. Just as Will felt himself grow dizzy, he heard his name, whispered hoarsely from the deformed corpse that was supposed to be his boyfriend.
“Will.”
”Will!”
Will’s eyes snapped open. He was suddenly all too aware of himself gasping for air, thrashing around in the dark, ragged sobs coming from his mouth. He was drenched in sweat, his shirt sticking to his back. Tears were streaming down his cheeks, and he had no idea where he was.
“Will, Will, I’m here, please- please baby, I’m here.” A voice, laced with concern and fear. Mike’s voice. There was a clicking sound, and then a light flickered on. It was a bedside lamp. Will was in bed, and he wasn’t alone. Beside him was Mike’s face. His sweet, worried face, so perfect, no blood, no disfigurement. Will couldn’t help the heaving sob that escaped him, racking his body, his eyes filling with recognition and relief and love and everything all at once, before he collapsed forward. He felt Mike’s arms around him, careful and cautious, not wanting to scare him. Will pressed his face into the crook of Mike’s neck, gasping for breath, breathing in the scent of his skin.
“Baby… I’m here… you’re safe, so safe, I promise,” Mike murmured into Will’s hair, his voice so gentle. Will could breathe properly now, and his gasps were replaced with sobs that shook his entire body, making him feel weak and shaky. His fingers clung to Mike’s shirt similarly to how a small child clings to a comfort blanket. “Just a nightmare. You’re safe. It’s all over, I’m here, we’re safe together and there’s nothing that can hurt us. I promise.” It was the same thing Mike told Will every time he had a nightmare, generic comforting lines that could fit anything, so Mike could use them before Will had explained what the nightmare was.
He had been having more nightmares than usual recently. It was early November. In a few days, it would have been seven years since it all began, since Will went missing. The nightmares were always worse around this time of year. With the recurring events on November 6th, Will was always paranoid something else would happen, but nothing ever did. Will pulled back from Mike slightly, feeling a little embarrassed now that he was able to think a little more clearly. He mumbled quietly “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-“
He was cut off promptly by a sound of protest from Mike, who responded with “No, Will. No apologising for nightmares. I don’t care that you woke me up, I don’t care if we stay awake after this, I don’t care about any of it. All I care about is you.”
Will couldn’t cope with his sweetness. He felt himself tearing up even more, and a quiet, suppressed sob escaped his mouth. He struggled to formulate words, his brain overwhelmed and still a little clouded with fear, but managed to mumble “I just feel so- so bad that you have to…”
He was met with a gentle shushing sound. It wasn’t dismissive by any means, just soothing. “I want you to tell me what you need, okay?” Mike smiled softly, his eyes full of concern and care and everything that Will could ever wish for.
Will found words coming from his mouth before he could even process them. “Water, please.” Mike honoured his request, and stood up slowly so as not to startle the other.
“Okay, I’m gonna go get you some. I’ll try to be quick, I promise I won’t go far,” he reassured, tiptoeing to the bathroom to use the tap. Will took the time to readjust a little, his eyes focused in the dimly lit college dorm that they shared. Feeling a little more grounded, he was suddenly hyper-aware of how sweaty he was. He tugged his shirt off, throwing it onto the floor to be dealt with later. When Mike came back with a glass, he smiled dumbly at the sight of Will. They’d seen each other shirtless hundreds of times before, but Mike turned into a dorky sap for Will each and every time. He didn’t say anything about it though, not wanting to risk upsetting Will in his fragile state. Will took a few small sips, letting the cool liquid coat his mouth and throat.
Will knew that Mike wanted to know what he dreamt about, he was just too tactful to ask. But Will wanted him to know. He needed to get it off his chest, at least partially, so he blurted out “He got you.” His voice was a little shaky, and he hated how pathetic he sounded.
Understanding in an instant, Mike responded softly, not taking his eyes off of Will. “No, he didn’t. I’m here. I’m okay. You’re okay, too. We’re both okay.” To this, Will nodded slowly, teary-eyed and sniffling.
Mike was always careful not to upset Will further after a nightmare. When they had first gotten a dorm with each other, they pushed the two twin beds in the room together to make a double. Once, when Will had had a particularly bad nightmare and couldn’t vocalise what he needed, Mike offered to separate the beds and sleep away from Will, just so he could have some space. But right now, Will just wanted to be held. He wanted to feel Mike’s arms around him, loving and strong and alive, he needed to feel something that wasn’t cold and damp and soulless.
Timidly, he whispered into the space between them, “Mike,” and reached his hand out, touching his shaking fingertips to his boyfriend’s calm ones, “can you hold me?”
“Oh, baby, of course I can,” Mike murmured breathily in response, immediately taking Will into his arms. He made sure not to hold him too tight, or to restrain him in any way. He knew exactly what type of contact made Will recoil, and what type made him melt. Keeping his touch light, he trailed his fingers up Will’s side, tracing little patterns and dotting sweet messages in Morse code onto his skin.
”Safe. Together.”
Will weakly moved his arm just enough to tap back onto Mike ”I love you.”
“I love you too. So much. I love you and I’ll never let anything bad happen to you again.” Mike murmured, his voice so tender it made Will want to cry. Mike’s face was covered with sleepiness, adoration, awe, everything so present on his features in the dim lighting. He spoke again, his voice a little deeper and more solemn this time. “Tell me what you want, sweet boy. I’ll give you anything. Sleep or stay awake?”
Will took a breath, mulling over the ideas in his head. He was so, so exhausted. “I want to sleep, but I- I don’t know if I can”
“That’s okay… I can try to put you to sleep if you want?” Mike murmured.
“Hmm?” Will hummed, a little unsure about what this entailed.
Mike mumbled in response, his eyes moving away. “I could just… keep holding you, and keep talking. I could kiss you, if you wanted. Just… just make you feel relaxed, and safe. Keep you warm and… and calm.” His face looked so earnest and sincere.
Will nodded fervently. That’s what he needed. He needed to sleep, and he needed his Mike.
“Okay… just close your eyes, I’ll take care of you baby.” Mike whispered quietly, and Will obeyed. “Just tell me if anything feels bad, and I’ll stop. Okay?” Will nodded feebly in response. He felt Mike’s slender fingers trailing ever so softly up his side, making his skin tingle under his touch. He shivered softly, feeling cold now without his shirt, which Mike noticed, moving close enough for Will to nuzzle into him if he chose to. “Are you cold, sweet boy? I’m gonna warm you up, you’re gonna feel so good, I promise.” The pet name made Will’s mind feel sugary, and a smile must’ve crept its way onto his face, because Mike said softly “You are my sweet boy. You’re all I need.”
Will could feel himself getting more and more relaxed. Subconsciously, he pressed himself closer, tucking his head down under Mike’s chin, his breath warm against Mike’s chest.
“So calm, see? So safe. Only me and you here, you’re mine and I’m yours.” Mike’s own voice was getting a little sleepier, no longer laced with the worry and concern it held earlier. His hand moved to Will’s back, ever so gently tracing up his spine. Mike added, albeit shyly, “Can I kiss you baby?”
”Please” Will murmured in response, his voice coming out much more desperate and breathy than he had anticipated. He was beginning to feel himself drifting off, feeling a sense of detachment from his body. That didn’t stop him from relishing the gentle kisses Mike placed on the top of his head, little dots of love in Will’s hair. Between kisses, Mike mumbled sweet nothings, like “Go to sleep, it’s all okay now”.
Will fell asleep eventually, wrapped in his lover’s arms, safe. A soft smile sat on his face, his cheeks a little flushed, while Mike fell asleep shortly thereafter, his chin rested upon the top of Will’s head, his arms around him and their legs tangled together under the covers.
There would be more nightmares in the future. It was inevitable, for now. It wasn’t something either of them could control. They coped in different ways. Will was paranoid, struck by panic attacks that left him on the floor unable to breathe. His memories were loud, bursting out uncontrollably. Mike’s fear was the quiet type. He couldn’t talk about his feelings to anyone except Will, which he found extremely difficult. Sometimes, Will would mention a particular memory from those terrifying years that was plaguing him, and it would be something that Mike had completely forgotten about, his mind having shoved it down and forced itself to forget. But in time, they would grow too big for the fear enveloping them. They would make it out, after all. Until then, they would stay like this, crazy together.