Archive of Our Own ^beta

It was January, one of the coldest months in Hawkins, Indiana. The cold stayed outside, kept out by closed doors and sealed windows, but that didn't stop the ache that settled in. 

Months prior, the world cracked, gates opened, and life had shifted in ways no one could undo. Mike tried to keep himself busy, tried to stop himself from worrying about the end of the world, and it wasn't too hard at first. 

The Byers had moved in, their house in Lenora left behind, their house in Hawkins sold. Mike spent most of his days with Will, rekindling their friendship, working through his own grievances, and learning how to survive together in the broken, rundown town that they called home. 

One day, he spent most of his time in his room, flipping through comic books, writing short stories, and doing whatever he could to keep busy. He hadn't seen much of Will, but that wasn't particularly unusual. Sometimes, Will spent his days in the basement, drawing, painting, enjoying the quiet reprieve from the bustling house. 

Evening was approaching when Mike heard a voice sound from the kitchen. 

"Dinner!" his mom shouted. Mike groaned to himself before discarding his comic on his nightstand, pulling himself up from his bed, and going downstairs. He heard footsteps, people gathering to get their food, and the quiet chatter rise before he walked into the dining room. 

He walked in to find everyone sliding into their seats, the table set with dishes filled with food, utensils, and plates already laid out. Mike walked to the table, sat in his usual spot, and began filling his plate as the food got passed around, but something was missing. 

Will. 

Mike's eyes scanned the room, thinking Will just hadn't sat down yet, but no, he hadn't even come up from the basement. Will did tend to linger downstairs, too lost in his craft, too focused to pull his attention away, but he always came for dinner. 

Mike couldn't stop himself from questioning, still not fond of the idea of Will not being in his usual spots, not sticking to his normal routine that Mike had grown to follow. Mike waited, picking up his fork and taking slow bites, eyes flickering to the basement door. 

Then he saw him. 

Will emerged from the stairs, moving quietly, slowly, as if he didn't want anyone to notice him. His head was turned down, face mostly hidden from Mike's eyes, but as soon as Will looked up, Mike froze. 

Will looked pale, a stark contrast from his usual natural tan, his eyes dark, almost empty, his hair messy and falling into his eyes like he didn't bother to fix it when he rolled out of bed. His eyes met Mike's for a brief moment before turning down, avoiding his gaze. 

Mike's eyes fell, trailing down his body, taking in his lean frame before realizing Will was wearing his clothes. Will wore a blue hoodie that draped over his torso, the article slightly too big, just like it was on Mike. He wore a pair of black sweatpants, pant legs scrunching at the ankles, where they would ride up on Mike's. 

He looked small, fragile. 

Mike watched him shuffle to the table, his feet barely coming off the floor before he took another step. Will slumped into his seat, elbows resting on the table like he needed something to hold him up, head falling into his hands. 

Mike's chest tightened, and suddenly he was somewhere else entirely. 

When the Byers had first moved in, they had almost nothing, abandoning their belongings alongside their home in California. The warmer months had passed without issue because the family gathered clothes from the community relief shelter and purchased any necessities. 

But then, the weather turned quickly, almost unexpectedly, surely expedited by the open gates that scattered the town. Will began wearing more flannels and jeans, layering clothes in an attempt to stave off the inevitable effects that the cold brought. 

Mike remembered noticing the way Will got quieter when the temperature dropped, how he wrapped his arms around himself even in the warmth of the house, how he curled up in blankets when he was on the couch. 

Mike knew Will would never ask for help, and he knew he would never accept an offer, so Mike didn't. He just gathered extra sweaters, hoodies, sweatpants, socks, anything he could think of, and took them to the basement. 

He remembered leaving them folded at the top of the stairs, a small piece of paper with a written note on top. 

I thought you might like these.

- Mike.

Suddenly, Will picked up his head, looking straight at Mike like he knew he was watching. Mike blinked slowly, getting pulled out of his thoughts to realize he was staring, before he quickly looked away. Mike grabbed the dish off the table, mostly just busying himself, and put some on Will's plate without saying anything. 

He could feel Will watching him, but he just kept his eyes down, filling Will's plate before setting the dish back down and looking around the table, feeling a bit caught. He saw Jonathan looking at him, giving him a questioning look. 

Mike ignored it, looking back to Will. Will wasn't looking at him anymore, but rather down at his plate. His expression was completely neutral, like he wasn't really seeing it, but looking through it. Mike began to grow concerned. 

Mike started eating his own food, tuning back into the dinner conversation, but keeping his focus turned to Will. He watched Will out of the corner of his eye, pushing around the food on his plate, only taking small bites every few minutes. 

"Boys, how is the basement at night? Is it warm enough?" Mrs. Wheeler asked, looking between Jonathan and Will. Will flinched, picked his head up, and looked at her, mouth staying shut, blinking slowly like he didn't understand. 

Jonathan glanced at Will, confusion taking over his expression. "Uh- Yeah, the basement is fine. It's not too cold," Jonathan answered, noticing that Will seemingly couldn't. Will nodded slowly, causing Mike to frown. 

The only time Will had ever acted like that was when he was younger, after his disappearance. He would go silent, struggle to get out of bed, and push any offer of food away at the first draft of cold air. Mike wondered if that was happening again. Maybe returning to Hawkins was finally becoming too much; maybe being in such proximity to Vecna, paired with the cold, was finally catching up to him. 

Mike decided to speak. "They can just stay in my room if it's a problem," Mike offered, looking to his mom, knowing it would only be Will who stayed with him. He heard Jonathan slip into Nancy's room every night after everyone went to bed. 

Mrs. Wheeler smiled. "That is very nice of you, Michael," she said, pointing her fork at Mike. Mike just gave her a tight-lipped smile before looking back to Will, finding him staring off into space. 

Nancy squinted at Will. "Hey, that hoodie looks familiar," Nancy stated, quirking her head to the side, most likely trying to figure out why. Will's eyes snapped to her, a panicked look flashing across his face. 

Mike intercepted the comment. "It's mine," Mike said quickly, trying to take the attention off Will, not wanting him to get overwhelmed by the attention. Nancy's eyes drifted to him, giving him a look, not suspicious, just curious. Mike just stared back, keeping his face neutral, hoping she would just drop it. 

She slowly nodded and looked at Jonathan. Mike followed her eyes, finding Jonathan eyeing Will, concern written all over his face. Mike knew that this wasn't just Will having a weird day, but rather him having an episode.

Mike moved slightly closer to Will, getting Jonathan's attention before giving him a stern look, silently telling him to stop staring. Jonathan gave a curt nod, message received, and looked down, away from Will. 

Mike turned back to Will, still pushing food around on his plate, still looking like he wasn't all there. Mike reached a hand out, careful not to actually touch him, grabbing the hood of the hoodie. Will didn't flinch or react, so Mike continued, pulling the hood up over his head. 

Mike wasn't sure why he did it; he just wanted to help in any way he could, offer even just the smallest amount of comfort. Will looked over to him, expression blank, eyes blinking slowly like he was trying to process. Mike just offered a small smile, retracting his hand and turning back to his own food. 

The rest of dinner went smoothly, people talking amongst themselves, utensils clinking against ceramic plates. No one directed their attention toward Will again, and Mike was grateful for that. He didn't know exactly what was going on with Will, but he was sure it wasn't good. 

When dinner ended, Mike watched as people stood from their seats, rinsed their plates off, and finished their conversations. Mike waited until most of them filtered out of the room before rinsing his own plate, looking back to find Will still sitting in his seat, completely unmoving. 

The moment Mike put his plate in the sink, Jonathan came up to him. 

"Hey, can I talk to you?" Jonathan asked, looking back at the table. Mike did the same, seeing that Will was beginning to stand, movements almost sluggish. Mike quickly nodded and followed him to the other end of the kitchen, just out of earshot of Will. 

He usually didn't talk to Jonathan. They often didn't get along, but since they lived together and had a common interest, they did talk occasionally. They mostly discussed Will, giving each other updates on how he was doing, but it rarely extended past that. This conversation wasn't all that different. 

"Have you talked to him today?" Jonathan asked, gesturing to Will, who was now approaching the sink. Mike didn't need Jonathan to explain who he was talking about. 

"No, he's been in the basement all day. I thought he was just painting or something," Mike replied, shaking his head before lowering his voice. "I think he's having an episode."

Jonathan nods. "I mean, maybe, but he hasn't had one in a long time," he said, voice growing softer. Mike knew Will hadn't had an episode in at least a year, but what he didn't know was why it was happening now. 

Mike knew Will was still recovering from everything, still adjusting to being back home. Everything that had happened in the past couple of years certainly hadn't been great, but Mike thought things were getting better, or at least easier. 

"I know," Mike whispered, looking back to Will, making sure he hadn't left the kitchen yet. Will was finishing up rinsing off his plate. Mike turned back to Jonathan. "What should we do?"

"I don't know. I mean, you were always the one that he wanted. You always knew how to talk to him and knew what he needed," Jonathan said, pausing before continuing. "Honestly, I think he would probably just want you."

Mike nodded, looking down at his feet. Mike knew that what Jonathan said was true, that he always understood Will, but it was just hard to believe that he could be the one that Will needed. He hadn't always been a great friend, hadn't always been there for Will, but he knew he had to be there now. 

"Okay, I'm gonna take him up to my room," Mike said with finality, deciding right then and there that he needed to help Will. Mike turned away, ready to be done with the conversation so he could talk to Will. 

"Wait," Jonathan said, reaching a hand out to stop Mike. Mike turned his head back, stopping in his tracks. "Just take care of him, okay?"

Mike nodded immediately. "I will," he said, earning a quick nod from Jonathan, who was still donning a look of concern. Mike quickly turned back away, walking toward the sink. Will was just standing there, staring out the window. 

Mike approached thoughtfully, careful not to startle him or get too close. He came up next to him, leaning against the counter, hoping to catch Will's attention, but he didn't even acknowledge Mike's presence. 

"Will," Mike spoke softly, lowering his voice. Will slowly turned his head, gaze flitting to Mike. Mike hesitated, suddenly feeling unsure of himself. "Um, do you wanna come up to my room with me?" 

Will just stared, expression neutral, eyes fixed on Mike. 

Mike continued. "We don't have to talk, we can just hang out," Mike offered, voice so gentle it was almost a whisper, trying to convince Will, not wanting him to be alone. "You can stay, if you want."

Will stared at him for a long moment, so long that Mike started to question if he had done something wrong, if Will just wanted to be alone, if Mike wasn't actually who he needed. But then, Will nodded his head, so small and slow that Mike almost missed it. 

Mike didn't allow himself to react. "Okay, do you wanna grab anything from the basement first?" he asked, hand coming up to gesture in that general direction. Will's eyes flickered toward the door, quickly flitting back to Mike. Mike waited, not rushing Will to answer, but he didn't; he just walked away. 

Mike paused for a moment before he followed, unsure if Will actually wanted him to. Will went straight for the basement door, twisting the knob and heading down the stairs. His movements were calculated, slow, and practiced, like if he weren't careful, something bad would happen. 

Mike followed him down the stairs, keeping distance between them, eyes tracking every step Will took. Will walked over to the small table, once filled with D&D books and figures, now filled with pencils, paints, and random sketches. 

Will picked up his sketchbook, a pencil carefully tucked between the binding and the cover. He turned back to Mike, pulling the book to his chest, not moving to walk back. Mike gave him a moment, unsure if he needed anything else, but he just stood there. 

"Is that all you need?" Mike questioned, watching as Will shrugged, eyes glancing around the room like he was double-checking. "Okay, well, if you need anything else, we can always come back down."

Mike watched as Will looked back at him, hands loosening on the sketchbook just enough for Mike to notice. Mike waited, letting Will process, letting Will decide what happened next. Will took one last look across the room before walking toward Mike, stopping a foot away. 

"Ready to go upstairs?" Mike asked, voice even more hushed now that Will was so close. Will nodded, seeming confident in his answer this time. Mike smiled and nodded back before slowly turning towards the stairs, taking one step at a time, making sure Will stayed close. 

Will followed, steps light, sketchbook still tucked into his chest like a shield. Mike kept glancing back as he continued up to the second floor, reaching his bedroom. He opened the door and walked in, hand still on the doorknob as he turned around to make sure Will came in. 

Will hesitated, looking to Mike for reassurance before stepping inside. Mike nodded for him to come in, watching him take a few tentative steps into the room. Mike closed the door behind him, careful not to let it hit the doorframe loudly. 

Mike moved to stand next to Will, giving him a moment to take in the space. Sure, he had been in Mike's room hundreds of times, but he looked around as if he had never seen any of it, like they didn't spend half their childhood inside those four walls. 

"Will," Mike whispered, ducking his head a bit to get on Will's level. "Do you wanna get in the bed?" 

Will's eyes drifted to him, widening slightly as the thought startled him, before glancing at the bed. Mike wasn't sure what in particular seemed to frighten Will, but he tried to reassure him anyway. 

"You don't have to. You could sit at the desk or on the floor," Mike began, watching closely to see if it eased Will's worry. It didn't, so he continued. "You can take it, or we could share, just like old times, you know?"

The latter statement seemed to relax Will, letting Mike know that he did want to get into bed, he just didn't want to overstep. Mike waited to see if Will would respond, give him some sort of signal, move toward the bed, anything, but he didn't; he just looked back at Mike. 

"Hey, it's okay. I really don't mind. I want you here," Mike whispered, ducking a bit more to see Will under his hood. Will's shoulders relaxed, and he nodded. "Do you wanna get in while I grab some stuff?"

Will didn't respond, just moved toward the bed. Mike walked over to his closet, trying his best not to watch Will, not to overwhelm him. Mike gathered whatever he could from his room with only one goal in mind: comfort. 

He grabbed a stack of blankets from the top shelf of his closet, pulled a hoodie and sweater off the hanger, picked out a few sweatpants, and pulled some warm socks from his drawers. He stacked everything on top of the dresser, creating a space for Will. 

When he was done, he turned to Will, finding him curled up, lying on his side, knees tucked to his chest, blankets pulled up to his chin. Mike felt something ache in his chest as he walked closer, stopping at the edge of the bed, not moving any further. 

"The pile is for you," Mike said quietly, pointing to his dresser. Will glanced over before looking back to Mike, nodding slowly. "You don't have to ask, you can just get whatever you need," Mike paused before adding, "I could always get it for you, too."

Will didn't move, didn't nod, didn't even blink. Mike could feel himself growing anxious, wanting to help, but not quite knowing how.

"Do you need anything right now?" Mike offered. Will shook his head. Mike offered an encouraging, but nervous smile and dropped to his knees beside the bed, not wanting to hover over Will. "Okay, do you wanna sleep? Or just lie here?" 

Will looked down at the bed, doing his best to shrug. Mike swallowed, looking around the room, hoping something would give him a clue as to how he could help. His eyes quickly locked back onto Will, remembering that he brought his sketchbook. 

"Do you wanna draw?" Mike asked, feeling hopeful. Will thought about it, looked down to where his sketchbook was still tucked tightly against his chest, nodding slowly. Mike smiled and nodded back, feeling like he was getting somewhere. 

"Okay, let's get you situated, then," Mike suggested, watching Will pull the blankets down, allowing the sketchbook to come into view. "Can I touch it?"

Mike pointed to the book, knowing how much Will tried to keep it to himself, hiding his drawings from others. Will let his arms fall away from his chest, one hand holding the sketchbook toward Mike. 

Mike carefully took the book and pulled the pencil out from the spine before looking back at Will. "Do you wanna sit up?" Mike asked, not yet opening the book. Will began to pull himself into a sitting position, the covers falling around his ankles, moving to sit with his back against the wall, knees pulled to his chest in a protective position. 

Mike didn't comment, just flipped through the back pages of Will's sketchbook, doing so to avoid the filled pages of Will's private sketches. When he flipped to the first page that already had markings, he quickly flipped back, landing on the first clean page. 

Mike brought the sketchbook up to rest on Will's knees, holding the edge of the book so his fingers didn't brush against him. He held out the pencil for Will, watching as he slipped his hands out of the hoodie sleeves, took the pencil, and began drawing. 

Mike stood from his knees, rubbing the ache before he spoke. "Can we sit together?" Mike asked, fully ready to accept a shake of the head. Will didn't look up to reply, just scooted a few inches over, silently allowing Mike room. 

Mike smiled, but didn't get too ahead of himself. "I won't touch you, I'll just stay on my side," Mike said quickly, gently climbing into the bed, settling cross-legged against the headboard, hands thrown in his lap. Mike let his head fall back against the wall, turning it to the side to look at Will. 

Will was giving him a look, eyes blinking slowly in confusion. Mike furrowed his brows. "I know you don't like being touched when you aren't feeling great," Mike explained, watching Will closely, trying to figure out what the look meant. 

When Will was younger, he would always flinch when people touched him during his episodes. He allowed Mike, his brother, and his mom to touch him, but it became apparent to Mike that it still bothered Will. 

Will shook his head, causing Mike's confusion to deepen until he felt fingers brush his arm over his sleeve. Mike looked down at the touch, not expecting it. Mike looked up to Will, feeling his fingers wrap around his bicep. 

"I can touch you?" Mike asked gently, still unsure if that was what Will was trying to convey. Will nodded quickly, his own brows furrowing slightly. Mike hesitated before continuing. "Can everyone touch you?"

Will instantly shook his head, his answer firm and prepared, grip tightening as if the thought scared him. Mike quickly nodded, reaching a hand up to rest over Will's, instantly reassuring him. 

"Okay, I understand. No one will touch you, okay?" Mike said firmly, ducking his head to make sure Will was listening. Will nodded slowly, hand loosening around Mike's arm slightly. Mike nodded back, encouraging Will that it was okay, that he wouldn't let anyone do anything that he wasn't comfortable with. 

Will's eyes lingered for a moment longer, and something like understanding crossed them before they returned to the sketchbook, pencil beginning to scratch against the page again. Mike didn't say anything more, just grabbed the discarded comic on his nightstand and began reading, returning his hand to cup Will's over his arm. 

They sat in silence, only the small touch connecting them, Mike occasionally glancing over to Will. After a while, Mike finished his comic, letting his hand fall, and throwing it back onto his nightstand before looking around his room. He looked through the window, seeing that the sky had turned orange and pink, the sun beginning to set. 

Mike looked to Will, seeing him absorbed in whatever he was drawing. Mike didn't catch sight of the page; he didn't even try. He watched Will for a moment longer, thinking about how he was feeling, what was going on inside his body to make him go quiet. 

Mike knew Will hadn't really eaten dinner, so maybe he hadn't eaten lunch either, maybe he just spent his day in the basement, alone, struggling in silence. Mike felt a stab of guilt, realizing he should've known sooner, should've checked on Will. 

"Hey," Mike began, attempting to get Will's attention, attempting to push away his own guilt. Will looked up at him, pencil halting. "Are you hungry?"

Will frowned a bit, shaking his head and looking back down to his sketchbook, signaling he didn't wanna talk about it further. Mike gave him a moment, knowing Will probably had no appetite, but also knowing he needed to eat. 

Mike got an idea. "Well, I'm hungry," Mike said, not exactly lying because he certainly could've gone for a snack. Will's eyes snapped back up, like that was what mattered, like his own needs didn't register in his brain. "Do you wanna come make food with me?" 

Will just stared for a moment, probably sensing a bit of dishonesty, but didn't say no. Mike watched Will close his sketchbook, slide the pencil back into the spine, and put it on the bed next to him, signaling he would go. 

Mike smiled. "Okay," he whispered, sliding off the bed and turning around, reaching his hands out to Will. "Come on."

Will looked at Mike's hands, hesitating before bringing his hands up, eyes looking to Mike. Mike nodded in encouragement, reaching a bit more to grab Will's hand, tugging gently. Will crawled out of bed with Mike's help, stopping to stand in front of him. 

Mike dropped his hands. "Ready?" he asked, seeing Will look to the door, almost nervously, before nodding. Mike nodded in response, slowly turning to walk toward the door, looking back to make sure Will was following. 

They got about halfway down the stairs when Mike felt Will grasp the back of his sweater. Mike instantly stopped, looking up to find Will leaning forward, feet still planted on the top landing. Mike assumed he had gotten too ahead of Will, too far away, so he waited for Will to take a couple of steps before continuing, slower this time. 

They got to the kitchen, finding it empty, much to Mike's quiet relief that they would still be alone. Mike skipped over the fridge, not wanting leftovers from dinner, going straight for the cupboards with the hope that he could find something easy to make that Will would like. 

He looked for a moment, eyes landing on a box of mac and cheese, something Will always made when he was younger, and his mom was working. He grabbed the box and quickly turned around, startling when he found Will right behind him, much closer than he anticipated. 

Will immediately took a step back, panic flashing across his face for a brief moment before Mike instinctively reached out, grabbing his wrist to stop him from moving farther away. 

"No, Will, it's okay," Mike said quickly, making sure his voice stayed soft. Will froze. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just didn't know you were there."

Will nodded quickly, almost apologetically, looking down at Mike's hand grasping his wrist. Mike took a deep breath and pulled Will over to the stove, positioning him next to it, close enough so he wasn't too far away, but out of the way so Mike could move around. 

"Stand here," Mike requested, his hand leaving Will's wrist when he agreed. Mike grabbed a pot and filled it with water, moving back to the stove to set it down and turn on the burner. Mike felt Will's eyes on him as they waited for the water to boil, watching everything he did. 

Mike looked at Will, eyes connecting. Will didn't look away, not seeming to be bothered by his own staring. Mike smiled, not minding his staring either. Will still had the hood pulled up around his face, head turned down a bit to look at Mike through his eyelashes, posture almost defensive. 

Mike felt his smile falter, realizing Will still looked scared, fragile, like a little kid getting scolded for doing something they weren't supposed to do. Mike felt all the questions he had since dinner rise in his throat. 

Mike hesitated before talking. "Can I ask you a question?" he asked simply, watching Will closely. Will looked at him warily, shrugging his shoulders, fidgeting with his sleeve, eyes glancing around the room, unsure. 

Mike nodded slowly. "Do you know what caused the episode today?" Mike whispered, speaking slowly in the hopes that Will didn't feel interrogated. Will froze, eyes locking onto Mike's, fingers halting in their movement. 

Mike kept his face neutral, not daring to look away from Will, pot momentarily forgotten. Mike saw Will look down, avoiding his eyes before shrugging, his shoulders barely lifting before dropping. 

"That's okay, Will," Mike whispered, ducking his head to catch Will's eyes. Will looked at him, brows furrowed slightly, lips turned down at the corners. "It's okay, you don't have to know. I just thought I should ask." 

Will nodded slowly, head lifting back up, allowing Mike to stop crouching. Mike continued to look at Will, seeing his pale face and dark circles framing his eyes. Will kept his eyes on Mike, eyes glancing around his face, probably confused as to why Mike was staring. 

Mike looked back at the pot, not wanting to make Will uncomfortable. If Mike was honest, he was still trying to discern how Will was feeling and how he could help. He didn't have much to go on, only the physical responses Will offered. 

So, Mike kept himself turned toward Will, eyes glancing over every so often. He watched Will sway on his feet, eyes trained on the water, hip leaning into the counter as if he needed it to hold him up. 

"Tired?" Mike asked carefully, pulling his eyes away from the pot that was beginning to simmer. Will's eyes flitted up to his, eyelids drooping slightly like they were too heavy. He gave a tiny nod, leaning farther into the counter. "Do you wanna sit?"

Mike tapped the counter. Will's eyes followed the movement before shaking his head. "Do you not wanna sit, or do you just not wanna move?" Mike asked gently. Will blinked at him slowly, eyes dropping back down to the counter, considering it. Mike waited for a moment before continuing. "I can help you."

Will looked up at him, eyes widening slightly. Mike paused, not rushing, not asking another question, just waiting. Will straightened out a bit, eyes falling to his own body, hesitating. Mike slowly brought his arms out, opening them, but not touching, letting Will know that he didn't mind. 

Will looked between himself, Mike's arms, and Mike's face before slowly lifting his arms in a silent invitation. Mike tried not to let his reaction show, but he felt his lips turn up at the corners anyway. 

"Can I pick you up?" Mike asked quietly, taking a step forward. Will nodded, looking down to the space between their bodies, watching Mike's movements. Mike brought his hands to Will's hips, turning him so his back was to the counter. 

Mike bent his knees, wrapped his arms around his hips, and gently lifted him off the ground. Will's hand fell to his shoulders, gripping tightly like he was scared Mike would drop him. Mike thought Will would be heavier, especially with Mike's lean frame, but it wasn't very difficult to lift him up. 

"It's okay. I've got you," Mike murmured, taking a step forward to set him on the edge of the counter. Will's fingers loosened on Mike's shoulders, but they didn't leave. Mike stood between his legs for a moment longer, hands moving to Will's hips, ensuring Will was far enough on the counter and that he was comfortable. 

Will retracted his hands slowly, nodding to let Mike know he was good. Mike nodded back, stepping away from Will, returning his attention to the now boiling water. Mike grabbed the box of the counter next to Will, opened it, took the cheese packet out, and poured the pasta into the water. 

Mike felt Will watching him, but he didn't look back. He didn't want Will to feel like it was a big deal, like he wasn't allowed to look, like he wasn't allowed to just be. Instead, Mike watched the food cook, watched the clock on the stove change, watched nothing at all. 

After a few minutes, Mike pulled a noodle out of the water with a spoon. He blew on it and held it out for Will, wanting him to see if it was done. Will looked at him, questioning his actions. Mike just waited, hand not pulling back, waiting to see if Will would try it. 

Will looked down at the pasta in front of him, tentatively bringing his head forward, opening his mouth. Mike smiled and gently pushed the spoon forward, passing the noodle for Will to eat. He watched Will chew slowly, looking back at him and nodding. 

Mike felt himself grin. "Yeah? It's done?" Mike asked, watching Will nod again, more confident this time. Mike nodded and took the pot off the burner, flipping the switch to turn the stove off. He moved quietly around the kitchen, draining the water, putting the cheese in, and pouring it into a bowl. 

He moved to the silverware drawer, pausing for a moment, considering grabbing two, but deciding against it. He hoped Will would want some, but he didn't want to pressure him, didn't wanna make him think he had to force himself to eat just because Mike wanted him to. 

He grabbed a fork before turning back to the counter, finding Will unmoved, eyes tracking him. Mike moved forward carefully, placing the fork in the bowl that he placed on the counter next to Will's hip before moving to stand between Will's legs. 

"Hey," Mike said simply, just wanting to get Will's attention. Will lifted a hand from his lap, offering a small wave. Mike looked down at the movement, swallowing down a smile before the fondness could show on his face, and looked back up to Will. 

Mike placed his hands on the edge of the counter, carefully caging Will in. "Do you wanna go back upstairs?" Mike whispered, looking up to Will. Will nodded instantly, like he didn't want to be in the kitchen for a moment longer. 

Mike held his hands out again, offering to help Will down from the counter. Will didn't hesitate this time, bringing his hands up instantly, allowing Mike to wrap his arms around his back. Mike pulled Will to his chest, feeling Will tuck his knee to his hips, arms wrapping around Mike's shoulders, chin resting on his shoulder. 

Mike pulled him off the counter, allowing Will's legs to fall and his feet to hit the floor. Mike kept his arms loosely around Will's waist, ensuring Will was steady. Will's arms loosened, and he pulled back slightly, just enough to look up to Mike. 

"Good?" Mike asked gently, chin tucked to his chest so he could see Will. Will nodded, pulling his chest away from Mike's, letting his arms drop to his sides. Mike patted him on his back. "Okay, let's go."

Mike pulled away, grabbed the bowl, and turned back toward the stairs, slowing his stride so Will could shuffle behind him. When they reached the door, Mike opened it and walked in, turning back to see Will moving a little quicker, heading straight for the bed. 

Mike was a little surprised, seeing Will move confidently, not timidly, but he didn't let it show. He watched Will slide back into the bed, settling into his earlier position with his back against the headboard. This time, though, he sat cross-legged, no longer curling into himself.

Something calmed in Mike's brain, noticing that Will wasn't afraid to take up space, to just exist. Mike didn't draw attention to it, just followed, sliding in next to Will, allowing his position to mirror Will's entirely, their knees pressing together. 

Will pulled his sketchbook back out, laying it out on his lap and flipping through the pages. Mike began eating slowly, taking small bites, pausing between them, hoping Will would show interest. He got quite a few bites in before Will looked up, then looked back down right after. 

Mike's hope dwindled slightly, but he just kept eating. He pulled a comic off his nightstand, propping it up on his leg, giving himself a reason to eat even slower. He watched Will in his peripheral vision, watched him draw, watched him glance over, and eventually, watched him begin to linger. 

Mike waited for a moment before looking up, eyes connecting with Will's immediately. Mike smiled, a small, unassuming smile, and held out a forkful, offering it to Will. Will's eyes flickered down to the fork, then back up to Mike, expression neutral. 

"I don't mind," Mike said simply, pushing the fork a bit closer to Will, encouraging him to take a bite. Will looked back down, slowly opening his mouth and leaning forward before snapping it shut and pulling away. 

Mike pulled back slightly, not wanting to force anything, but didn't fully retract his hand. Will looked up to him for reassurance, like making sure the food wasn't poisonous, causing Mike to nod and push the fork forward. 

Will leaned forward again, opening his mouth and taking the bite, chewing slowly, still looking unsure. Mike just pulled the fork back, taking a bite of his own and returning his eyes to his comic, deliberately acting casual. 

He began offering some to Will after every bite, making sure Will had already finished the last one, trying not to overwhelm him. Will returned to drawing in between bites, only looking up to allow Mike to slip the fork past his lips. 

They ate like that until there was only one bite left. Mike offered it to Will, and Will took it almost immediately. Mike looked away, hiding his smile from Will as he set the empty dish on his nightstand. 

When he turned back, he intentionally wiped the smile from his face. "Thank you for eating with me," he said quietly, looking down at his comic, not making it a big deal. He didn't even look to see if Will responded because he didn't need to; he just needed Will to know. 

A few moments later, there was a knock at the door, causing Will to flinch, nearly jumping out of his skin at the abrupt sound. Mike brought a hand out to Will's knee, looking up to find his eyes wide, lips parted slightly to allow for a heavy breath to leave them. 

"It's okay," Mike said, thumb brushing Will's knee. "I'll tell them to go away."

Will didn't nod, just stared. Mike slid off the bed, walked to the door, and cracked it open to find Jonathan. Mike let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, relieved to see it was someone Will might actually want to see. Mike turned back to Will, finding him still staring, frozen in his spot on the bed. 

"It's Jonathan. Do you wanna talk to him?" Mike asked gently, voice soft. Will's shoulders visibly relaxed, his eyes returned to their normal size, and he gave a small nod. Mike turned back, nodding to Jonathan to come in, and released the door, opting to go back to Will. 

Mike settled back onto the bed, knee brushing Will's as Jonathan took a few tentative steps forward, only making it a few feet into the room, keeping his distance. Mike looked to Will, watching his eyes drift away, toward his brother. 

"You doing okay, bud?" Jonathan asked, voice soft, talking to Will in a way that Mike often did. Will nodded instantly, confident in his answer as his eyes flickered to Mike. Mike looked at Jonathan, finding him donning a knowing smile as he looked at Mike. 

Mike gave him a confused look, eyes flitting back to Will, seeing him staring at him, head quirked to the side. Mike's confusion deepened, feeling heat creep up his cheeks under the attention. 

"What?" Mike asked incredulously, looking between them. Will just turned his eyes back to his sketchbook, the corners of his lips twitching as he began to draw. Mike looked back at Jonathan, finding him smiling, but not looking at him anymore. 

They both ignored the question. "Okay, well, I'll be in Nancy's room if you guys need anything," Jonathan said, looking pointedly at Mike. "Even if it's the middle of the night."

Mike nodded. "I'll come get you if he needs you," Mike responded, looking back to Will to find him drawing in his sketchbook, but Mike could tell he was listening, his hand moved slower than usual, his eyes less focused. 

Jonathan walked to the door, opened it, and made it halfway before turning back. "Thanks, Mike," Jonathan said, voice low, almost hesitant. Mike looked at him, eyebrows pulling together in question. Jonathan just nodded toward Will. 

Mike rolled his eyes when he realized. "Obviously," Mike responded, knowing he would never not help Will if he needed it. Jonathan huffed a laugh at Mike's retort, rolling his own eyes before looking at Will. 

"Goodnight, Will. I love you," Jonathan said before slipping out, closing the door behind him, not waiting for a response. Will's head snapped up, drawing Mike's attention back to him. Mike watched as Will's face fell, brows slightly furrowing as he stared at the closed door, like he was begging his brother to return. 

"He knows you love him, Will," Mike whispered, nudging Will with his elbow. Will's eyes slowly drifted to him, brows furrowing deeper, head tilting to the side in a silent question. Mike smiled. "I know you, and so does he. I know you wanna say it back, but you don't need to."

Will stared, eyebrows drawn together, eyes looking full of unsaid words that he couldn't get past his lips. Mike just smiled, trying to be reassuring, trying to help Will understand that he didn't need to feel guilty. 

After a long moment, Will nodded slowly, but his expression didn't shift. Mike reached out without thinking, hand falling on Will's thigh. Will didn't look up, just hesitantly leaned closer, silently seeking the comfort that Mike was offering. 

Mike didn't dare move, feeling Will curl into his side. Will picked up his sketchbook, closing it and throwing it on the bed before he unfolded his legs, opting to press them together, trapping Mike's hand between them. 

Will let his legs fall to the side, pressing into Mike's thigh as his head fell to Mike's shoulder, bringing his hands up to fold over his own chest. The position was like his original, protective position, knees tucked to his chest, but more unfurled, relaxed. 

Mike kept his hand there, feeling the warmth pour from Will, straight into his own body. Mike let his head lull to the side, cheek pressing into Will's hair. Mike stayed silent for a while, not wanting to disturb Will, but eventually, he felt Will press harder into him. 

"Still tired?" Mike asked, voice barely above a whisper as he picked up his head to look at Will. Will didn't move, just kept his eyes closed and nodded, almost sluggishly, like he was already falling asleep. "Wanna change your clothes?" 

Will picked his head up instantly, looking at Mike and shaking his head firmly. Mike's brows furrowed together in confusion, but he quickly nodded, letting Will know he wasn't going to make him. 

"Okay, that's okay," Mike began, eyes searching Will's like they might tell him how Will was feeling. Mike didn't understand why Will didn't want to change, but he wasn't about to dig. "I need to change, though." 

Will looked down at Mike's jeans before reluctantly peeling himself from his side, allowing Mike's hand to fall away, back into his own lap, giving him room to move, get up, leave the bed, and change his clothes. 

Mike didn't move yet. "Do you want me to change in here?" he asked, quickly adding, "Just so I don't have to leave you."

Will's brows furrowed lightly, eyes looking Mike up and down, hinting at something before he shrugged. Mike quirked his head to the side, not understanding at first, but then Will pointed to himself, raising his eyebrows in question. 

"I don't mind if you're here," Mike said, shrugging his shoulders. He really meant it; he wouldn't have offered to stay if he did. They had changed in front of each other when they were younger, at sleepovers, at after-school hangouts, so Mike didn't see why this would be a deal breaker, especially when Will needed him. 

Will still looked skeptical, causing Mike to begin to wonder if he was the one who was uncomfortable with it. Sure, their bodies had changed, they had changed, but Mike just wanted to help in any way he could. 

"I can just go to the bathroom," Mike offered, averting his eyes, slowly beginning to slide off the bed. Will's hand wrapped around his wrist, making Mike turn back to him, finding Will adamantly shaking his head. 

Mike nodded slowly, struggling to understand what Will was trying to convey. Mike decided to just pause, let Will think about the options, and give himself time to decipher the signals. Will's hand stayed wrapped around his wrist, so Mike was sure Will didn't want him to leave. 

Mike watched as Will opened his mouth, like he was going to speak. Mike internally panicked, knowing Will wasn't ready to speak, knowing that he was only doing it for Mike's sake. 

"No, Will," Mike said sternly, turning to face him. Will snapped his mouth shut, eyes widening slightly at Mike's tone. Mike softened his voice, scolding himself for speaking to Will in such a way. "You don't need to say anything, okay?"

Will nodded quickly, looking relieved, shoulders relaxing a bit. Mike nodded once before continuing. "Okay, are you unsure because you're uncomfortable with it?" Mike asked gently, taking a shot in the dark. Will shook his head, bringing his free hand up to poke Mike in the chest. 

Mike finally understood. "You're worried that I'm gonna be uncomfortable?" Mike asked gently. Will looked down and nodded slowly, face falling like he did something wrong. Mike leaned forward, ducking his head to get Will's attention. 

"Will, I'm the one who offered. I would rather have you see me naked than let you be alone, okay?" Mike whispered with all the conviction he could muster. Will looked up through his eyelashes, eyes connecting with Mike's. Mike offered a small smile, hoping Will would believe him. 

Will stared for a moment, blinking slowly, eyes gradually widening as he processed the words. Mike realized Will might think he was implying that he was actually going to get naked. 

"I won't be naked, Will. I'm just gonna take my jeans and sweater off," Mike clarified, smiling as Will's expression relaxed again. Will let out a heavy breath, like he was holding it, and Mike couldn't stop himself from laughing. 

Mike watched Will's eyes snap to him as the sound hit his ears, seeing his lips turn up at the corners, teeth still hidden behind his lips. Mike tried his best to hide his reaction, but he knew he failed. 

Will pulled his hand away from Mike's wrist and nodded, finally agreeing to let Mike change. Mike got up from the bed, walking to his closet. He felt Will's eyes tracking him as he pulled off his jeans and his sweater, throwing them both in his hamper. 

He was left in only his boxers, but he didn't feel exposed; he was comfortable, even knowing Will was watching him. He walked to his dresser, opening drawers and finding a pair of sweatpants. He tugged them onto his body before turning back to Will. 

"Do you care if I sleep without a shirt on?" Mike asked. Between the heat blasting, the thick quilt on his bed, and Will's body heat, he would surely be sweating in the morning. Will shrugged and nodded at the same time, showing indifference. 

Mike closed the dresser drawer and walked back to the bed, resting a knee on the bed to hold himself up as he leaned over to Will's side. Will looked up at Mike, looking slightly nervous as Mike loomed over him. 

"Hey, are you sure you don't wanna change? Or even just take something off?" Mike asked carefully, unsure how Will would react to the proposal. "It gets really warm up here. I don't want you to overheat."

Will broke eye contact, looking down at himself, eyes lingering on the hoodie that he wearing before returning to Mike. Mike felt himself becoming more aware of Will's attachment to the garment. Mike knew Will wore the hoodie occasionally for comfort, to keep the cold out, to reassure himself that it wasn't happening again, so he made sure to tread lightly. 

"What if we take the hoodie off and put it on your stack? You can put it back as soon as you wake up," Mike offered, pointing to the pile of clothes and blankets on the dresser. Will glanced over, looking to the dresser, then himself, then Mike. 

Mike watched as Will nodded slowly, agreeing to Mike's offer. Mike nodded back, straightening his back and holding his hands out, palms up in a silent invitation. Will hesitantly reached his hands up, letting his hands fall into Mike's. 

Mike gently tugged Will off the bed, giving him time to slide off and plant his feet on the ground. Mike dropped one of Will's hands, holding onto the other so he could pull him toward the dresser. Mike stopped in front of it, dropping Will's other hand and turning back. 

"Can you take it off for me? I'll fold it and put it right here," Mike said, resting his hand on the stack of clothes he put out for Will. Will nodded, fingers coming up to pull the sleeves down his arms. 

Mike watched Will pull the hoodie up, but his shirt rode up with it. Mike instinctively reached out, grasping onto the hem, tugging it back down to cover Will's stomach. Will didn't even flinch, just continued to pull the article over his head. 

When it was off, Mike pulled down his shirt, smoothing it back into place before gently taking the hoodie from Will's hand. Mike folded it before putting it in the exact spot he told Will he would. 

Mike turned back to Will. "Do you wanna swap the rest out for clean ones?" Mike asked, gesturing to Will's sweatpants that were technically Mike's, and his t-shirt that he was sure was Jonathan's. 

Will looked down at himself before nodding, shrugging his shoulders as if to say he didn't care. Mike nodded and opened his dresser drawer, searching for a pajama shirt for Will to wear. 

Mike paused for a moment. "Can you take them off, or do I need to turn around?" Mike asked, trying to be mindful of Will's privacy. Will shook his head, fingers moving to pull his t-shirt up. Mike smiled, returning to the task at hand. 

He found an old cotton band t-shirt before pulling a pair of sweatpants out for Will. He closed the drawer, eyes turning back to Will to see him slipping his sweatpants over his ankles. 

Mike held out both hands, one with the new outfit, one empty, waiting for Will to hand his dirty clothes over. They swapped items, Mike walking to the closet to throw them in the hamper, and Will slowly sliding the clothes onto his body. 

Mike walked back to Will, waiting patiently for him to dress himself, seeing that he was moving slowly, most likely getting tired of all the moving Mike made him do. When he was done, Mike brought a hand out to smooth down the hem of Will's new shirt, unbunching the fabric at his hips. 

He didn't even realize what he was doing until he was done. "Sorry," Mike whispered, retracting his hand, looking back up to Will. "Do you wanna brush your teeth before bed?"

Will nodded instantly, like that part of the routine was easy, like it was safe. Mike nodded back, reaching out to grab Will's hand, taking a couple of steps, tugging gently to encourage Will to follow. 

Will stepped forward, signaling Mike to continue toward the door before opening it and slipping out with Will in tow. They walked down the hall slowly, silence beginning to settle over them. Mike reached the bathroom door and pushed it open, flicking on the light before tugging Will inside. 

He closed the door behind Will, twisting the lock without thinking twice. Will's eyes tracked the movement, eyes flicking back up to Mike in question. Mike smiled sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders, unsure of his own actions. 

Mike moved to stand next to Will at the sink, reaching out to grab both of their toothbrushes from the holder, holding Will's out for him. Will took it, allowing Mike to turn on the faucet and grab the toothpaste. 

Mike ran his toothbrush under the water before grabbing Will's hand and guiding him to do the same. Feeling like he was on autopilot, he put toothpaste on both their toothbrushes before returning the toothpaste to its spot on the counter. 

When he looked back up to Will, he was receiving a confused look, but he swore he saw some amusement floating around in Will's irises. They began to brush their teeth in silence, looking at each other in the mirror, taking turns spitting into the sink. 

Neither made an effort to communicate in any way, just content to exist together, completing such a mundane task. Mike watched as Will's eyes fluttered shut while he brushed his teeth, letting his exhaustion show. 

Mike rushed to finish, wanting to get Will into bed as soon as possible, not knowing if Will had slept the night before. Mike spit into the sink and rinsed his toothbrush, setting it back in the holder before nudging Will with his elbow. Will's eyes fluttered open, darting over to Mike. 

"Done yet?" Mike asked quietly, watching as Will nodded, holding up a finger to Mike to tell him to wait. Mike watched as Will leaned over, repeating the same actions. Will turned back to Mike and nodded, signaling he was ready. 

Mike smiled and turned to the door, twisting the lock and opening it before turning around, grabbing the front of Will's shirt. Mike pulled Will forward, flicking the light switch before tugging Will down the hall. 

He brought Will back to his room, pulling him in the door and closing it behind them. Will didn't wait for direction; he just went to the bed, sliding under the covers. Mike waited by the door, turning the light off before walking to his nightstand and turning the lamp on. 

When the yellow light filled the room, Mike saw Will curled up on his side, knees tucked, quilt pulled up to his chin, a frightened look on his face. Mike immediately knew what he had done wrong. 

"I'm sorry. We can keep the lamp on," Mike whispered, voice small when he realized he plunged Will into darkness for a few seconds. Will didn't respond, just reached a hand out from under the blanket, holding it out to Mike. 

Mike walked to the edge of the bed. "What do you need?" Mike asked quietly, reaching out to grab Will's hand. Will shook his head and pulled Mike down, telling him to get into bed. "Okay, I'll get in with you. Give me one second."

Mike straightened back out and released Will's hand, grabbed the discarded sketchbook from the bed, and walked over to the dresser, not wanting it to get kicked around on the bed. He set it down before walking back to the bed, sliding under the covers next to Will.  

Mike lay on his side, facing Will, knees pressed to his, taking up a similar position. Mike watched Will's face relax as if his mere presence calmed him. Will scooted a little closer, curling his body forward, reaching out to grab Mike's hand, his head was only inches away. 

"Better?" Mike murmured, linking their fingers. Will nodded once, a slow, certain movement. Mike smiled, watching Will's eyes flutter shut, feeling his breath ghost over his face. "Okay, let's go to sleep, yeah?"

Will didn't respond, just shifted around, getting more comfortable. Mike stayed exactly where he was, holding Will's hand tight, watching Will resettle. There was a moment of silence, Will's eyes closed, posture relaxed, Mike's eyes on Will. 

"Goodnight, Will," Mike murmured, not expecting any sort of response until Will flexed his fingers, pressing them into Mike's hand. Mike smiled wider before continuing. "I'll be right here if you need anything."

Mike watched Will closely, seeing his lips twitch at the corners like he was going to smile, seeing his brows fully relax. Mike waited for Will's breathing to even out, for his hand to slacken, for his weight to sink farther into the mattress. 

Only then did Mike allow himself to drift off, knowing Will was safe and sound in his bed, sleeping next to him. He wasn't sure how Will would be the next day, but he knew he would be there to help. 

Mike woke when it was still dark outside, the house quiet, the room basked in the warm glow of the lamp. He was instantly aware that things had shifted; he was on his back, his hand was empty, and Will's warmth felt farther away than he remembered. 

A small, frightened noise hit his ears, one that was completely unexpected due to Will's previous silence. His head shot to the sound, honing in on Will, finding him on his back, shirt twisted around his body, brows furrowed even in sleep. 

Mike saw his chest move quickly, heavy breaths puffing through his nose, broken noises slipping past his lips. Mike realized he was having a nightmare, something Will never talked about, but Mike always knew about the next day. 

Mike shot into action, pulling himself up to sit cross-legged beside Will. He let his hands hover over Will, unsure if touching him would help or make things worse. He realized he had never witnessed someone having a nightmare, and he had no idea what he should do, but he needed to try anyway. 

Mike let his hands fall to Will, one on his chest, one on his shoulder. "Will, hey, wake up," Mike murmured, shaking gently, keeping his voice calm and quiet, not wanting to spook him awake. "It's me, Will, come on."

Will jerked awake with a gasp, eyes flying open and immediately locking onto Mike. His hands shot out, one grabbing Mike's forearm, the other falling to his own chest, curling into Mike's hand. 

"It's okay, Will. You're in my room. I'm right here," Mike soothed, holding onto Will just as tightly. Will instantly shot forward, back lifting off the mattress, head punching into Mike's chest, nearly making him fall backward. 

Mike pulled his hands away, opting to let them fall onto Will's back, beginning to rub soothing circles into his shirt, wrinkles smoothing under his palm. He felt Will pull his arms into himself, curling into Mike's chest harder. 

"Mike," Will whispered, voice barely audible and broken, the first word Mike heard him speak all day. Mike didn't let himself react, though he could feel his heart beating harder in his chest, feeling like it could crack his ribs. 

"You're safe, I promise," Mike whispered, steeling his voice to stop it from wavering, feeling Will's breath puffing against his bare chest. Mike began to ramble. "I've got you. I love you. It's okay, I'm right here." 

The words slipped out before he could even register them, before he could swallow them back down, only focused on getting Will to calm down. Will didn't react immediately, just breathed hard into Mike's chest, making Mike think he didn't even hear it. 

After a moment, Mike felt a wetness on his chest where Will's cheek pressed into it. He realized Will was crying, silent tears streaming down his face, shoulders shaking slightly. He instantly panicked, grabbing Will's face and pulling him back. 

Mike ducked his head to look at Will, seeing glassy eyes and red cheeks. "No, no, Will," Mike began, internally scolding himself, palms pressing into Will's jaw, tilting his head up. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry. Please don't be upset because of me."

Mike wiped Will's tears, thumbs swiping his cheeks, feeling the heat under them. Will shook his head quickly, squeezing his eyes shut and pulling Mike's hands away by the wrists. Mike didn't get time to react before Will was leaning back into his chest, hands releasing his wrists, arms wrapping around his torso. 

Mike kept his arms up, scared to do anything else, to make it worse. Will kept shaking his head, trying to tell Mike something. Mike felt his chest crack open, feeling like he caused this, like he failed. 

He let his hands fall to Will, not able to stop himself from hugging him back. "What is it? Why are you shaking your head?" Mike whispered, bringing a hand to push Will's hair out of his face. Will tightens his grip, holding Mike tighter, like he was afraid he would disappear. 

"Can you look at me?" Mike asked gently, needing to see Will, needing to apologize. Will reluctantly pulled back, arms loosening, head tilting up, but eyes staying closed. "Open your eyes, please."

Will peeled his eyes open, looking up at Mike. His eyes were glossy and filled with unshed tears, his cheeks were red, and he looked overwhelmed. Mike felt guilt rise in his chest, knowing this was his fault, knowing his stupid rambling habit made everything worse. 

Mike kept brushing Will's hair back. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I didn't mean to make you more upset," Mike said, fingers brushing against Will's scalp. Will instantly shook his head, face screwing up, looking like the statement pained him, like Mike wasn't understanding. 

Mike paused, realizing maybe Will wasn't upset at his words, maybe he really was just overwhelmed, scared even. "Do you… not want me to apologize?" Mike whispered slowly, hands resuming their movements on Will's back. Will nodded fervently and let his head fall back to Mike's chest. 

Mike allowed it, feeling his unease ebb, breathing out a silent sigh of relief. He felt Will's arms tighten around him again, not in the way they had before, but more like a firm hug. Mike brought his hands to Will's arms, pulling him up farther so he could return it properly. 

Will's head moved to Mike's collarbone, arms sliding up his back, never loosening. Mike let his chin hook over Will's shoulder, his own arms returning to Will's back, hugging him to his chest. Mike held on tight, wanting Will to feel safe, comforted. 

They stayed like that as Will's breathing slowed and his tears dried. Mike didn't say anything, just let the moment stretch, let Will calm down, only hearing the occasional sniffle in the silence. Mike moved his chin back, pressing his lips to Will's exposed shoulder, hoping to ease the tension there. 

He felt Will relax into him, grip faltering, a heavy sigh falling from his lips. Mike leaned back slightly, bringing Will with him so Will didn't have to hold his weight up. Will settled farther into his chest, forehead moving to Mike's neck, his arms pulling back to curl into his own chest. 

"Do you wanna lie back down?" Mike asked quietly, feeling Will instantly nod, but not pull back. Mike waited another moment, making sure Will wasn't going to pull away, before he leaned back. 

He gently lowered them both to the bed, shifting his weight until he felt himself hit the mattress. Will shifted to the side, resting most of his weight on the bed, one of his hands coming up to pull Mike's arm under his head. 

Mike felt Will press his cheek into his bicep before bringing an arm up to throw it over Mike's torso. Mike watched him shift around briefly, beginning to pull one of his legs up before freezing, eyes opening, realizing what he was doing, before looking at Mike for permission. 

"It's alright. Do whatever you need to," Mike said, hooking a hand behind Will's knee, encouraging him to continue pulling it up. "Just get comfy. I don't mind."

Will relaxed back into the bed, letting Mike pull his leg up, resting it over his pelvis. Mike pressed his hand against Will's back, pulling Will flush to his body, keeping his other on his knee, rubbing it with his thumb. 

"Do you think you can go back to sleep?" Mike whispered, turning his head to the side to see Will's face, finding him already looking back. Will nodded, cheek smushing against Mike's arm. Mike smiled. "Okay, I'll be here when you wake up."

Will's lips turned up at the corners, a small hum vibrating in his throat as he closed his eyes and tucked his chin. Will moved himself closer, leg draping more fully over Mike, head moving to Mike's chest. 

They lay in silence, the covers nearly kicked off, only coming up to their hips. Mike stared at the ceiling for a long moment, listening to Will's breathing deepen and slow. Mike felt it when Will finally let go, the tension easing from his body, his weight settling fully, limbs going slack as sleep claimed him.

Mike stayed awake long after his body begged him not to, watching the numbers on the clock change, focusing on Will's body against his own, and eventually, watching the world brighten outside his window. 

As the sun began to rise, Mike felt his blinks grow longer, feeling his body giving in, feeling his head lull to the side, resting against Will's hair. He tightened his grip, trying to keep his eyes open, but it was no use.

With the hours spent awake, the feeling of Will's weight and warmth against him, and the knowledge that Will was safe in his arms, Mike finally let himself rest. 

Mike woke again to his stomach growling, a firm protest to the sleep he so desperately needed after the night prior. He felt a weight pushing him into the mattress, only making him want to sleep longer. 

Mike picked his head, blinking slowly to focus his eyes, squinting to keep the sunlight out. He found Will in the same position they had fallen asleep in, if not closer. Will's body was completely slack against his own. 

Will had his ankle hooked into Mike's hip, his arms wrapped around him, making it almost impossible for Mike to move, though he wasn't sure he wanted to. His arm was still trapped under Will's head, long since fallen asleep. Mike shifted slightly, trying to get blood to flow back into it without needing to move Will. 

Will instantly stirred, fingers pressing into Mike's ribs, eyes fluttering open as he picked up his head, like the small shift alone roused him from sleep, and by the looks of it, maybe it did. Mike froze as Will's eyes locked onto him, seeming half asleep, but very much aware of Mike. 

Mike smiled sheepishly. "Hey, my arm is just numb. I didn't mean to wake you," Mike murmured, watching Will trail his eyes down, looking nervous. "I'm not leaving if that's what you're worried about."

Will let his eyes drift back up, nodding slowly like he didn't really believe it. Mike realized then that maybe Will's behavior wasn't in fear of danger, but rather abandonment, of Mike leaving. As soon as the thought flitted through his brain, he reached up and dragged Will right back down. 

"I'm not going anywhere, Will," Mike said firmly, wrapping his arms around Will and locking his fingers together, trapping Will against his chest. Will settled back down, body relaxing slightly at Mike's words. 

They both lay awake a little longer, not communicating in any way, just resting. A while later, Mike's stomach growled again, but he ignored it, wanting to wait until Will was ready to get up. Will shifted, pulling back and sliding off Mike completely, letting Mike's hands fall. 

Mike furrowed his brows. "Why'd you move?" Mike asked quickly, thinking something was wrong. Will looked down at Mike's stomach, at the door, then back at Mike. Mike knew Will must have heard his stomach growling. 

Mike sighed, not wanting to leave Will. "Do you wanna come with me?" Mike asked, sitting up and looking down at Will. Will hesitantly shook his head, looking to the door like it frightened him. "Okay… Would you be okay while I'm gone?"

Will kept his eyes on the door, shrugging his shoulders weakly in response. Mike frowned a bit, not liking how sad Will seemed at the idea of being alone. Mike thought for a second, glancing around the room, eyes landing on the hoodie on his dresser. 

He turned back to Will. "What if we put my hoodie on you before I go?" Mike suggested, bringing a hand up to point toward his dresser. Will's eyes snapped to him before he nodded slowly. 

Mike quickly got up from the bed, swiping the hoodie off his dresser and turning back, walking to Will's side of the bed. Will began pulling himself up to sit, holding his hands out for Mike to hand him the article. 

Mike ignored Will's upturned palms, unfolding the hoodie and bunching it in his hands before bringing it to Will's head. Will instantly dropped his hands as Mike slid it over his head. When Will reemerged, he donned a look of exasperation, but Mike could only focus on the way Will's hair fell into his eyes as he looked up through his eyelashes. 

"I know you're trying to look serious, but I don't think it's working," Mike said softly, smiling to himself as Will brought his hands up to push through the sleeves. Will rolled his eyes. "Nope, definitely not working."

Will huffed, watching Mike as he readjusted the hoodie, pulling it down to Will's hips, pulling the hood up over his head. Mike just smiled sweetly, hoping to cheer Will up, to distract him from the fact that Mike was about to leave the room. 

Mike walked to the other side of the bed, motioning for Will to scoot closer. Will listened, looking wary as he pulled himself over to Mike's side of the bed. Mike nodded in approval, leaning down and pushing at Will's shoulders, telling him to lie back down. 

Mike got Will to lie on his back before pulling the covers up over him, tucking them around his shoulders, doing anything to make him more comfortable. Mike turned toward the alarm clock on his nightstand, tilting it so Will could see. 

Mike turned back to find Will looking at him, confusion written all over his face. "I'll be gone for ten minutes or less. I have my watch, I'll make sure I'm back on time," Mike explained, pointing to the clock as he spoke. "You can watch the time."

Will nodded, like it made all the sense in the world, turning to his side to stare at the clock. Mike smiled down at the sight before all but running out of the room. He swung the door open, making sure to slow for a moment to close it quietly before picking up speed and running down the hall. 

As he stomped down the stairs, he heard voices in the kitchen, making him slow down so he didn't cause any alarm. He walked into the kitchen, immediately realizing he was still shirtless, but it was too late to go back. 

He saw almost everyone scattered around the kitchen, talking over coffee and breakfast, leaning against counters, and sitting at the table. He had originally hoped to slip past everybody, get food for both of them, and slip out, but the moment he walked in, he knew that idea was out the window. 

His mom greeted him almost instantly. "Good morning, Michael!" his mom said, voice too cheery for this hour of the day. He smiled and waved, standing awkwardly in the doorway. "Wait, where is Will? Didn't he spend the night in your room?"

Mike nodded, thinking of what to say. "Uh, yeah. He isn't feeling great, so he's still in bed," Mike replied casually, shrugging his shoulders and looking around to see everyone looking at him. "I just came to get food for us."

His mom smiled. "I made breakfast. You can bring him up some after you're done," she offered, already grabbing a plate and scooping scrambled eggs onto it. Mike internally panicked, knowing he had to get back soon. 

"Um, actually, can I just go eat with him?" Mike asked, feeling his cheeks heat up under everyone's stares, glancing around to meet Jonathan's curious gaze. Mike quickly looked back at his mom, seeing her smile widen almost knowingly. 

"Of course, honey. Don't forget to bring down the dishes later, okay?" she said sternly, causing Mike to nod instantly so he could leave. She nodded and turned back to set down the plate, grabbing another one and filling it with food. 

Mike waited rather impatiently, keeping his eyes on anything except their siblings, who were standing five feet away, staring him down. His mom turned back to him, holding out two plates for Mike. 

"You're a good friend, Mike," his mom said quietly, letting Mike take the plates. Mike hesitated, not really liking the word friend. They were best friends, more than best friends. He would do anything for Will, and he was positive that the word friends didn't even begin to cover it. 

He put on a smile anyway. "Thanks, mom," he said, quickly turning back, walking toward the stairs. He heard footsteps behind him, but he ignored them, making it halfway up the stairs before hearing Jonathan call his name. 

"Mike," he said, getting Mike to turn around, finding Jonathan standing at the bottom of the stairs, speaking softly. "How is he today? Is he feeling any better?"

Mike huffed. "Yeah, a little, I guess, but I really need to get back to him. He didn't even want me to leave," Mike rushed out, feeling himself grow impatient. Mike tried to check his watch as Jonathan nodded, but he couldn't turn his wrist. 

"Okay, well, at least he's feeling a bit better," Jonathan said, looking back to the kitchen. "We're gonna come check on him later."

"No promises that I'm letting you in. It's up to Will," Mike said, beginning to take another step, thinking the conversation was over, but he stopped when Jonathan spoke again. 

"I'd expect nothing less," he said quietly, a smile spreading across his face. Mike froze, turning back to look at Jonathan, giving him a questioning look. Jonathan's smile only widened. "Nothing, just go. Get back to my brother."

Mike didn't stop to unpack the statement, just ran up the stairs and down the hall, only slowing when he reached the door. He balanced one of the plates on his forearm before twisting the knob slowly, not wanting to startle Will. 

Mike opened the door and peeked his head in. "Hey, I'm back," he said quietly, wanting to get Will's attention before barging in, as if it wasn't his room. Will didn't look at him, just kept staring at the clock, almost zoned out, exactly how he left him. 

Mike walked further into the room, closing the door gently behind him before walking to the bed. He stopped close to the edge of the bed, leaning over and looking at the clock, seeing he had made it on time.

He turned back to Will. "Will, you can stop watching the clock. I'm here now," Mike said, brows furrowing in confusion. Will reluctantly looked away, eyes drifting back to Mike as he nodded. Mike looked at him for a moment longer before setting one of the plates down on the nightstand. 

Mike turned back to Will. "Can I sit with you?" Mike said, pointing to the bed. Will pulled himself back to his own side, letting his back rest against the wall as he pulled his knees to his chest. Mike pulled the quilt back, sliding into the spot of warmth that Will left, careful not to spill any food. 

"Do you wanna eat with me?" Mike asked cautiously, eyeing Will. Will looked at the plate of food, shaking his head slowly, looking a bit unsure. "Do you think you could try for me? If you decide you don't wanna any, that's fine. Just take one bite for me, please."

Will looked back at Mike, searching his eyes for a long moment before hesitantly nodding. Mike nodded back, biting the insides of his cheeks to stop himself from reacting. Mike looked back down at the plate, gathering food on the fork and taking a bite of his own, giving Will time. 

He brought the fork back to the plate and got another bite, offering it to Will. Will watched him as he leaned forward, almost seeking reassurance. Mike kept his hand steady, waiting for Will to come to him instead of rushing him. 

Will's lips closed around the fork, and Mike slowly pulled it away, returning his attention to the plate. He took a few bites, waiting for Will to let him know if he wanted more. Just as he was about to take another bite, he felt Will's hand on his thigh and paused to look over at him. 

Will kept his hand on Mike's leg as he opened his mouth, leaning toward the fork that Mike held mid-air, taking the bite before Mike could himself. Mike's jaw dropped softly, feigning disbelief. Mike watched as Will's lips turned up at the corners, trying not to smile with food in his mouth. 

"How rude," Mike joked, smiling back. Will just shook his head and rolled his eyes, knowing Mike was just messing with him. Mike's smile only grew. "You wanna keep eating?"

Will nodded eagerly in response. Mike began to switch between taking bites himself and giving some to Will, not even considering the possibility of giving Will his own plate. When they finished the first plate, Mike switched to the second. 

As they got further into the second plate, Will started chewing slower, causing Mike to slow his offers. Mike began to feel full, so he was sure Will was too. Eventually, Will denied a bite altogether, shaking his head at Mike. 

"Done?" Mike asked gently, retracting his hand slowly. Will nodded instantly, pushing Mike's hand further away, insisting he didn't want anymore. "Okay, that's okay. You did great, Will."

Mike set the plate down on his nightstand before turning back to Will, finding him looking across the room. He assumed Will was looking at the dresser, so Mike looked over, trying to find what Will was staring at. 

Mike caught sight of his sketchbook. "Do you wanna draw?" Mike asked softly, looking back to Will. Will nodded, keeping his eyes trained on the sketchbook like it would disappear if he didn't. "Do you want me to get it for you?"

Will glanced at Mike, nodding eagerly and pointing to the dresser. Mike made quick work of getting out of bed, taking wide steps to his dresser, and pulling the sketchbook off. Mike wasn't sure why Will needed it so urgently, but he didn't ask questions; he just did what Will asked. 

Mike returned to the bed, flipping to a new page as he did so, before holding it out for Will. Will's hands shot out instantly, taking the sketchbook from Mike's hand, pulling out the pencil, and scribbling. 

Mike flopped onto his stomach, mattress shaking under his weight, arms coming to rest under his head. He listened to the scratching of graphite against paper as he closed his eyes, the lack of sleep coming back to him. 

Mike thought Will was just drawing, maybe he got a good idea, maybe he didn't want to forget it, but then he felt Will's ankle nudge his arm. Mike brought his head up, looking up at Will to find him holding out the sketchbook. 

Mike's brows furrowed. "What?" Mike asked, not thinking Will would want him to look at his drawings. Will just pushed it farther forward. "You want me to look?"

Will nodded, setting the sketchbook on the bed in front of him. Mike pulled himself to his elbows, pulling the sketchbook closer, expecting to find a sketch, but instead, he found neat handwriting at the top of the page. 

I'm sorry, by the way. 

Mike's eyes shot back up, finding Will looking at him with a neutral expression, most likely waiting for a response. Mike opened his mouth to speak, to say he didn't need to write, didn't need to apologize, but he decided to write instead, using Will's preferred form of communication. 

You don't have to write if you don't want to, but what are you sorry for?

Mike passed the sketchbook back, not knowing what to expect. Will had seemed okay enough, considering the circumstances at least, so Mike wasn't sure where the apology was coming from. Will quickly wrote a response before setting it back on the bed. 

I'm taking up your time and space. 

Mike knew Will was watching him, but he couldn't stop his face from screwing up in confusion. Mike scribbled words onto the page, handwriting messy and rushed, before he set the sketchbook back on Will's knees. 

So? I like having you here.

Mike never thought he would have to explain that he liked keeping Will around; he just assumed it was obvious. He followed Will everywhere, always wanting to be near him, always asking him a million questions, and talking his ear off. 

Mike was pulled from his thoughts when Will dropped the sketchbook in front of him, reminding him that they were having a conversation via note. 

I don't wanna put this on you.

Mike felt himself growing upset, not with Will, but because Will felt like he was some sort of burden, a problem.

You're not. I chose to bring you up here. I wanna help.

Mike held the sketchbook out for Will, watching as he hesitated to take it back, almost like he was scared of what Mike would say. Mike watched Will read it, seeing him nod slowly, like he was trying to convince himself that it was true. 

Mike waited for Will to return the sketchbook, but he didn't, so Mike reached back out. He brought a hand up, fingers curling toward himself to signal Will to give it back. Will looked at his hand quizzically before slowly lifting the sketchbook out to Mike. 

Mike took it instantly, scribbling more words onto the page. 

I'm serious, Will. Isn't this what you do for the people you love? Don't you help them when they are so clearly struggling? Why would I not want you here? You're my best friend. Maybe even more than just that.  I love you, and I want you to stay. 

Mike let his hand move across the page without much thought, just wanting Will to understand. When he reread his rambled note, he scratched out what he thought to be too revealing, a little too honest. 

Mike returned the sketchbook to Will, not even bothering to look up. He didn't expect a response; he just needed Will to know, to believe. He let his head fall into his hands, body still propped up on his elbows. 

After a moment of silence, he felt Will's ankle nudge his arm again, causing him to look up to see Will holding the sketchbook back out, presumably having written a response. Mike slowly took it back, feeling nervous to read whatever it said. 

It's hard for me to believe that when you've never said it before.

Mike felt fleeting hurt get taken over by confusion. Mike knew he was oblivious; he knew he often missed things that other people didn't, but he never thought Will could be just as unaware. He didn't understand how Will could ever think it wasn't true. 

I didn't realize I had to. I thought you knew. 

Mike wrote the response carefully, wanting Will to know this wasn't just a ploy to get him to feel better sooner, to get him to talk. He needed Will to know he had never meant anything more in his life. 

He passed the sketchbook back, gently resting it on Will's knees, watching closely as he began to read it. Mike watched Will's neutral expression falter briefly, brows furrowing, lips turning down at the corners, but it went away just as quickly as it came. 

Will hesitated, pencil hovering over the page, hand stalling for a bit too long before he wrote his response. Mike waited patiently until Will picked the sketchbook up, holding it out to Mike. Mike took it almost immediately. 

I guess I did. I think I just needed to hear it. 

As soon as Mike's brain read the writing, words spilled from his mouth. "I love you, Will," Mike said sternly, saying it out loud for Will to hear. Mike watched as Will's eyes widened, either not expecting those specific words or not expecting a spoken response at all. 

Will paused, eyes locked onto Mike for a long moment before drifting down toward the page filled with their written conversation. Will brought a hand out, not taking the sketchbook back, but allowing Mike to watch him write. 

I love you.

Mike couldn't stop his smile from widening with each letter that was scratched onto the page, feeling an invisible weight lift off his shoulders from the returned sentiment. Mike nodded, looking back up to Will, finding his eyes soft and his lips turned up at the corners. 

Mike tore his eyes away from Will, opting to look down at the page, attempting to commit every detail to memory. He saw that Will had added commas and periods to his sentences, dotted the i's in an attempt to fix his messy scrawl. 

Mike wanted to rip the page out and shove it into his pocket for safekeeping, but he just returned the sketchbook to Will's knees, allowing him to use the book for its intended purpose. He brought his torso back down to the bed, letting the conversation end, letting himself relax. 

The silence stretched, Will most likely drawing, Mike letting his body melt into the bed, thoughts clearing. After some time, Mike felt Will's foot press into his arm for the third time, rousing him from the limbo between consciousness and sleep. 

Mike brought his head up slowly, seeing Will still absorbed in his sketchbook, like he didn't even mean to move toward Mike. Mike rolled onto his side, facing Will, feeling Will's ankle bone press into his chest. 

Mike brought a hand up, fingers grasping onto Will's calf, tugging gently. Will allowed Mike to pull him, his leg falling to the bed like dead weight. Mike instantly curled into the warmth, head coming to rest next to Will's hip, cheek smushing into his upper thigh. 

Mike slowly brought his hand up to Will's inner thigh, tugging his leg flush against his body, not wanting to disturb Will, but still wanting him to be close. Will didn't move away, didn't even tense. 

Mike let himself get more comfortable, shifting and hooking a leg over Will’s, his weight tipping forward to rest more fully against him. The faint scratch of pencil on paper told him that Will didn’t mind.

Neither broke the silence, allowing themselves to coexist in quiet closeness, like it was natural, like it was something they did all the time. Mike let his muscles ease, letting his body melt into the mattress once again.  

After a while, Mike felt himself struggling to keep himself awake, a mixture of Will's warmth and the knowledge that Will loved him, trying to guide him to sleep. Mike knew Will wasn't going anywhere, knew he was safe, so he let himself fall. 

He let his eyes flutter shut, he let his grip loosen, and he let himself press into Will until sleep claimed him, finally allowing himself to rest. 

Mike woke slowly, hearing nothing but silence, feeling a bit disoriented. His face was pressed into something solid, something was blanketing his body, and he could tell he was overheating. He began to realize his surroundings, his room, his bed, Will. 

He realized he was in the same position as before, cheek pressed into Will's hip, hand splayed across his inner thigh, leg thrown over Will's shin. He could feel the heat pouring from Will, soaking straight into his skin. 

He lifted his head slowly, looking around to see that things had shifted. He was now covered in his comforter, quilt pulled up over his shoulder, only adding to the heat that was clinging to him. He brought his head up to look at Will, finding him looking right back, sketchbook set aside. 

Mike blinked slowly up at Will. "Hey… Were you watching me sleep?" Mike asked quietly, voice thick with sleep. Will's cheeks turned a bit red as he nodded slowly. "Do you need something? You could've woken me up." 

Will quickly shook his head, shrugging his shoulders as if to say he didn't need anything. Mike smiled to himself, realizing Will just wanted to sit with him, and wanted to let him rest. Mike nodded in acknowledgment, looked back down, and kicked the quilt off his body. 

"If you were watching me, you could've helped me out over here. I'm literally sweating on you," Mike teased, but made no effort to move away, letting his head fall back to Will's thigh. "I think I need a shower."

Will's leg tensed under his hand, causing Mike's grip to tighten and his head to shoot back up. Will was still looking down, brows slightly furrowed, a hint of a frown appearing on his face. Mike instantly knew what he had done wrong. 

"Hey, I'm not leaving. I promise," Mike assured, thumb beginning to rub Will's thigh over the thick fabric. Mike saw Will's frown smooth out, and he felt Will begin to relax under his palm. Mike stayed silent for a moment, considering his next words carefully. 

"Do you wanna come with me?" Mike asked softly, feeling Will press harder into him, seeking contact. Will's brows furrowed in confusion. Mike clarified. "We can sit in the bathroom together. I'm sure you wanna shower, too."

Will looked Mike up and down before looking down at himself, nodding slowly as if he was thinking it through. Mike hadn't gotten as far as logistics, but he knew he would figure it out if it made Will more comfortable. 

Mike needed a real response, a confident one. "Do you want to do that?" Mike prompted, peeling himself off of Will's leg, settling with his knees on either side of his shin. Will watched him move, nodding without hesitation. 

Mike smiled. "Okay, good. Do you wanna go now? I feel kinda gross," Mike said, leaning back on his heels, hand coming up to pull his shirt away from his body. Mike saw Will staring for a moment, his mind seeming to go elsewhere, before he shrugged. 

Mike leaned forward, trying to catch Will's eyes. "Hey, you okay?" Mike asked, gentle concern lacing his tone. Will's eyes snapped to him, coming back into focus before nodding. "Okay, let's get some clothes, yeah?"

Will nodded again, causing Mike to slide off the bed before reaching his hands out. Will took them instantly, most likely getting used to Mike dragging him around, and let Mike pull him to stand. Mike turned, releasing one of Will's hands, tugging him across the room. 

They approached the dresser, and Mike attempted to let go of Will's hand, but Will held on. Mike paused, looking down at their hands, then back to Will. Will was just looking at him with soft eyes and a neutral expression, grip unwavering. 

Mike felt his cheeks heat and looked away quickly, unsure of what was happening, but readjusting their hands anyway. Mike interlinked their fingers, his sweaty palm pushing into Will's cool hand. 

"Uh, okay. Let me find clothes for us," Mike muttered under his breath, beginning to sift through the stack of clothes that still sat on the dresser when he realized that Will hadn't brought any clothes up, like at all. 

"Hey… Do you just wanna wear my boxers? Is that weird?" Mike asked, pausing his movements, looking over. Will slowly raised an eyebrow at him, shrugging his shoulders as if to say he didn't know. Mike nodded slowly, looking away, feeling unsure of himself. 

"Well, if you don't want to, then we would have to go downstairs," Mike pointed out, feeling Will's grip on his hand tighten. Mike looked back at Will, finding him shaking his head vehemently. 

Mike's eyes widened. "Okay, okay, we don't have to. You can just wear mine. It's really okay," Mike rushed out, lifting his free hand between them to try to ease his worries. Will stopped shaking his head, fingers staying tight on Mike's hand. 

Mike turned back to his dresser, lifting clothes off the stack so he could access the pants at the bottom. He pulled out two pairs of sweatpants, setting them down on the dresser so he could continue looking for clothes. 

Mike reassembled the pile, struggling to do so with only one hand, before he opened a few drawers to find two t-shirts and two pairs of boxers, putting them on top of the sweatpants before looking up at Will, finding his eyes already trained on him. 

"Hey, do you wanna swap out your hoodie for a clean one?" Mike asked gently, not knowing how attached Will was to the blue hoodie he had on. Will furrowed his brows, shrugging reluctantly. 

Mike frowned. "I can have my mom wash it today. You'll get it back as soon as it's dry," Mike added, hoping that would solve the problem. Will looked down at the hoodie, clearly not wanting to part with it, but nodding slowly anyway. 

Mike offered a small smile. "Okay, let's pick out a new one, yeah?" Mike suggested, tugging Will to his closet. He shoved aside some t-shirts and flannels, showing Will all of his hoodies and sweaters. "Here, you can have whatever you want."

Will looked at him, unmoving, looking apprehensive. Mike gave him an encouraging nod, gesturing to the closet, letting Will know it was okay. Will let his eyes drift to the clothes hanging up, eyes examining every item before drifting back to the dresser. 

Mike waited patiently, not knowing what was going through Will's head, but allowing him time to decide. Mike followed Will's eyes back to the dresser, not understanding what Will was looking at until Will brought up a hand to point. 

Mike squinted, trying to follow the invisible line from Will's finger, eyes landing on the now disheveled stack of clothes. Mike looked back at Will, still not understanding what Will wanted. Will huffed, dropping his hand and tugging Mike back to the dresser. 

"Will, what is it?" Mike asked, allowing Will to pull him away from the closet. Will shook his head and ignored the question, stopping when he got to the dresser. Mike watched Will bring his free hand up, fingers grabbing a hoodie that sat on the top of the dresser. 

Mike realized. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot I set that out. You want this one?" Mike asked, reaching out to take the black hoodie from Will's hand. Will nodded instantly, certain in his decision, causing Mike to smile. 

"This is the same exact hoodie, Will," Mike pointed out, remembering he had gotten them at the same time, from the same store. Will nodded, rolling his eyes as if it was obvious, face breaking out into a small smile, the biggest one Mike had seen in days. Mike felt himself beam, but tried to contain it. 

"Okay, okay, I get it. You like them," Mike conceded, looking away to hide his own smile. He set the hoodie on top of the other clean clothes before picking all of them up. "Come on, let's go to the bathroom."

Will nodded, allowing Mike to pull him out of the room and down the hall, stopping at the hall closet. Mike stared dumbly at the door for a moment, wondering how he was supposed to open it without any empty hands. 

Will must've realized his predicament because Mike felt his fingers loosen their hold, his hand beginning to pull away. Mike tightened his fingers, not wanting Will's hand to leave his own just yet. 

Mike turned to Will. "Can you just hold these for me?" he asked quietly, holding out the clothes for Will to take, keeping his grip on Will's hand steady. Will slowly brought his free hand out, taking the stack from Mike, giving him a confused glance. 

Mike turned back to the closet, ignoring the look on Will's face, and twisted the knob. He pulled out two towels and two washcloths before pulling Will further down the hall, kicking the bathroom door open, and tugging him inside. 

Mike closed the door behind them, instinctively locking it before turning to the sink to set the towels on the counter. He turned to Will to take the clothes from his hand, setting them on the counter next to the towels. 

Finally, he turned to Will. "Do you wanna take the hoodie off now? I can run it to my mom so you get it back sooner," Mike offered, pointing to Will's torso. Will looked down at himself and nodded. 

Mike let Will release his hand so he could reach behind his back and take the hoodie off, the shirt coming up with it again. Mike reached out, grasping the hem and tugging it back down, his fingers brushing Will's stomach. 

Will didn't tense this time either, so Mike just kept his hand there, watching Will slide the hoodie over his head. When Will reemerged, Mike released his shirt, his hands coming up to grasp the end of the sleeves, pulling them over Will's hands and off his body completely. 

"Okay, do you wanna come with me?" Mike asked, assuming Will didn't wanna be left alone. Will looked at the bathroom door and hesitantly shook his head. Mike's head quirked to the side. "Well, is it okay if I go?"

Will just shrugged, head turning toward the floor. Mike sighed, reaching out and grabbing Will's hand again, guiding him to sit on the closed toilet lid. Mike watched as Will assumed his usual, protective position, knees tucked to his chest, arms wrapping around his shins. 

Mike ducked to get his attention. "I will be back in two minutes, okay?" Mike whispered, watching Will look up at him through his lashes and shrug. Mike frowned, but he knew Will would want the hoodie back as soon as possible. 

He made a split-second decision. "Two minutes," Mike said sternly, leaning down and pressing a firm kiss to Will's forehead before turning toward the door, swinging it open, and slipping out of the bathroom. 

Mike closed the door behind him gently, then ran down the stairs. "Mom?" Mike called urgently, reaching the bottom of the stairs, carrying the hoodie in one hand. 

"In here!" his mom shouted back, sounding like she was in the kitchen. Mike instantly followed her voice, finding her gathering food for lunch. He quickly walked up to her, seeing her turn to him and smile, opening her mouth to talk. 

Mike cut her off. "I need you to wash this, like, right now," he urged, shoving the hoodie forward. She slowly took it, confusion flitting across her face before she gave Mike a stern look. Mike added, "Please?"

She nodded in approval. "Isn't this the hoodie Will was wearing?" she asked, sounding curious as she flipped it over and looked at the tag. Mike was positive that she knew it wasn't actually Will's hoodie, but he couldn't bring himself to care. 

"Yes. That's why I need it washed," Mike rushed out, feeling himself grow impatient as he wondered why everyone felt the need to talk so much when he needed to get back to Will. His mom just nodded, a small, knowing smile spreading across her face. 

"Okay, I'll throw it in for him. I'll bring it up when it's dry-"

"Thanks, Mom. I gotta go," Mike said, nearly cutting her off. He quickly turned around and ran out of the kitchen, feet sliding against the tile in his haste. He went up the stairs two at a time, slowing when he reached the bathroom door. 

Mike knocked softly. "It's me, Will," he said quietly, twisting the knob and cracking open the door, not wanting to startle Will. Mike slipped into the bathroom, closing the door and locking it behind him. "My mom is gonna wash it and drop it off later."

Mike looked up to find Will staring at him, his expression blank and his eyes guarded. He watched Will give a curt nod, pressing his chin into his knee. Mike frowned, feeling like Will wasn't too happy with him. 

"Are you mad at me?" Mike whispered, not moving closer. He watched Will's expression fall, eyes becoming soft, lips turning down at the corners for a brief moment before he shook his head. "I'm sorry for leaving."

Will nodded slowly, opening his arms out to Mike. Mike took two wide strides to get to Will, feeling Will instantly pull him closer, arms circling the backs of his thighs. Mike brought his hands up to Will's back, feeling Will's head press into his stomach. 

The embrace was a bit awkward. Will hunched over to hold onto Mike, his knees pressing into Mike's hips, but Mike didn't care. He rubbed Will's back slowly, using just enough pressure for the touch to be soothing. 

Mike gave him a moment, feeling his own guilt rise, knowing he upset Will. He didn't mean to; he just wanted to help him, but maybe he made the wrong decision, maybe he should've chosen to stay. 

"I'm sorry, Will," Mike whispered, looking down at Will. Will nodded his head, forehead pressing into Mike's bare stomach, only worsening the guilt Mike felt. If he shook his head, it would be like he was telling Mike he didn't need to be sorry, but he nodded. 

Mike swallowed nervously, bringing a hand up to Will's head, pushing his hair back, running his fingers over his scalp. He swore he heard a hum vibrate out of Will's throat, but it was so faint that he convinced himself he was hearing things. 

After another moment, Mike spoke. "I don't wanna let go, but we need to shower so we can go back to the room," Mike murmured slowly, not wanting Will to feel rejected. "I could go first. I would be super quick. Then we can focus on you, okay?"

Mike watched as Will retracted his arms, pulling them around himself, but keeping his head forward for a moment longer. Mike kept his hand in Will's hair, fingers carding through the strands, not willing to pull away first. 

Mike heard Will take a deep breath before pulling his head back, nodding like he was trying to convince himself of something. Mike moved his hand to Will's jaw, thumb hooking under to tilt Will's head up.

"Are you gonna be okay while I shower?" Mike whispered, eyes flitting between Will's. Will nodded slowly, hand coming up to grasp Mike's wrist, holding him there. Mike pursed his lips, unsure if Will was being truthful. "Promise?"

Will turned his head to the side and let his lips rest against Mike’s wrist, still and gentle, more contact than intention. Mike watched Will nod gently, holding his wrist to keep him there. Mike felt his guilt ease, feeling Will's breath ghost over his skin, feeling his fingers loosen. 

"Okay," Mike murmured under his breath, watching Will drop his wrist and pull his own head back, chin returning to his knee like he was trying to make himself smaller. Mike moved slowly, reluctantly turning on the shower before moving to the center of the bathroom. 

"Close your eyes, Will," Mike requested, watching Will's eyes flutter shut. Mike quickly stripped himself of his clothing, pushing them into a pile in the corner of the room. He quickly grabbed a washcloth and slipped into the tub. 

Once he was in, he peeked his head back out. "You can open them," Mike said, talking just loud enough for Will to hear him over the water, watching as Will's eyes instantly opened. "If you need something, just reach in, got it?"

Will nodded, chin digging into his knee, arms tightening around his legs. Mike let himself watch Will for a moment longer, ensuring he would be okay, before pulling his head back and closing the curtain. 

Mike rushed through everything, washing his hair as quickly as possible, scrubbing his skin harder than necessary. He kept his eyes open the entire time, even when soap ran down his face, just to make sure Will never reached out. 

The moment all the soap was washed off his body, he shut the water off, peeking his head back out of the curtain. He found Will, nearly unmoved from where he left him, but now, his head was buried, his arms on the tops of his knees to shield his face. 

Mike instantly spoke. "Will? You okay?" he rushed out, keeping his voice gentle, trying not to spook him. Will picked his head up, flinching like he forgot Mike was there. Mike immediately honed in on Will's face, finding glassy eyes and parted lips, allowing for heavy breaths. 

Mike didn't panic. "Okay, you're okay. Give me a towel, please," Mike requested, pointing to the stack on the counter. Will nodded, sniffling before reaching over the counter and grabbing a towel, handing it to Mike. 

Mike took it and instantly wrapped it around his waist, not bothering to dry off. He pulled the curtain back and stepped out of the tub, feeling water drip from his hair, down his chest, and onto the floor. He knew he should feel bare, exposed, but all he cared about was Will. 

He walked to stand in front of Will, bending his knees and crouching, holding the towel tight to his hip so it didn't fall. He caught Will's eyes briefly before Will closed them, pushing a tear to spill onto his cheek. 

Mike felt his heart break. "What's wrong, Will? Why didn't you reach for me?" Mike murmured, bringing a hand up to wipe the wetness from Will's cheek. Will's eyes fluttered open, and his hand snapped to Mike's, catching it before he could pull away. 

Mike interlaced their fingers without hesitation. "Is it because I left you earlier?" Mike guessed, knowing Will couldn't actually tell him. Will shrugged, but gave a small nod, as if he was unsure of his answer. "Okay, is it something more?"

Will nodded, squeezing Mike's hand and bringing it between his knees and torso, tucking it to his chest. Mike nodded in acknowledgment, racking his brain for what could have triggered Will's sudden emotional state, running through all the events that had taken place since they got to the bathroom. 

"Is it because you took off my hoodie?" Mike asked gently, watching as Will shook his head slowly, letting Mike know that wasn't the right path. Mike thought for a long moment before he took a shot in the dark. 

"Is it because you couldn't see me? Was it like I was gone?" Mike whispered, feeling Will's hand tighten on his, almost painfully. Will's whole body froze, as if he had just realized it himself, before nodding slowly. 

Mike swallowed over the lump in his throat. "Okay, um, let me get dressed, then we can talk about this. How does that sound?" Mike asked, leaning in closer. Will looked between his eyes, his own wide and searching as he nodded again. "Alright, wanna let go so I can put some clothes on?"

Will reluctantly released Mike's hand, eyeing him as he stood up. Mike hesitantly pulled himself away, moving to the sink, separating his clothes from Will's. He knew Will was watching him, but he needed to drop the towel. 

"Can you close your eyes? Just for a moment," Mike requested, knowing it probably wouldn't help the situation, but the sooner he got dressed, the sooner he could tend to him. He watched as Will frowned, like he wanted to protest, but closed his eyes anyway. 

Mike quickly pulled the towel away from his hips, drying off his body before setting it on the counter. He pulled a pair of boxers from the stack, unfolding and sliding them on his still-damp legs, pulling them to his hips. 

"Open," Mike said simply, knowing Will wouldn't need him to say anything else. Mike didn't stop his movements, feeling Will's eyes burning into his skin as he pulled on a new pair of sweatpants, followed by an old band t-shirt. 

Just as he pulled the t-shirt down his torso, he felt fingers brush his hip, instantly gaining his attention. He turned to Will, finding him looking broken and small, knees still tucked to his chest, cheek pressing into his knees, and worst of all, silent tears rolling down his cheeks. 

Mike dropped to his knees in front of the toilet. "William, I am right here. I'm not going anywhere," Mike said sternly, hands coming up to grasp Will's ankles, pulling them to the floor before pulling Will into the tightest hug he could manage. 

Will melted immediately, arms wrapping around Mike, chin hooking over his shoulders, body leaning forward to get closer. Mike took the liberty of pulling Will to the edge, allowing Will's entire upper body to press into his own. 

"I never would've left you if I knew you would be so upset. I would've let you sit in the goddamn tub with me, Will," Mike said firmly, holding Will tighter, frustration at himself seeping into his tone. 

Will didn't respond, just pushed into Mike more, leaning his body weight forward, trusting Mike to hold him up. Mike took a moment to calm down, telling himself that he can't take it back, but he could try to make it better. 

He spoke softly, lips right next to Will's ear. "Do you wanna shower so we can get back to the room?" Mike whispered, not even attempting to pull away. Will shook his head, chin digging into Mike's shoulder, sniffling and breathing heavily. 

"Will, please, you've gotta bathe for me. I need to take care of you," Mike all but begged, still beating himself up over his mistake. Will pulled back a fraction, face hovering just inches from Mike's as he nodded eagerly, probably hearing the desperation in Mike's voice. 

Mike let out a breath. "Okay, so shower?" Mike suggested, hands splaying across Will's back, still holding him. Will shook his head and pointed to the tub. Mike's brows furrowed. "You wanna take a bath?"

Will nodded slowly, looking nervous about his request. Mike knew Will wanted to be able to see him, but he didn't understand how he could stay if Will took a bath. There would be no clothes to cover Will, no shower curtain to separate them. 

"How is that gonna work? You'll be naked," Mike pointed out, knees beginning to hurt where they pressed into the tile. Will shrugged, face completely neutral as if he didn't care. Mike felt Will tug him back into a hug, a silent plea to get him to stay. 

Mike knew he couldn't say no. "Okay, we can do a bath, then," Mike conceded, feeling Will pull away again, tears beginning to dry on his cheeks. Mike watched Will's lips turn up at the corners, pleased to get his way, but still looking upset. 

"Let's get you feeling better," Mike said, pulling his hands away from Will to lean over the edge of the tub and flipping the trip lever before turning the faucet on, biting his cheek to stop himself from telling Will that it hurt to see him like that, hurt to see him cry. 

Will watched Mike pull away completely, standing to his full height. Mike held out his hands for Will, watching him take them instantly, allowing Mike to pull him to his feet. Mike released his hands, fingers coming up to his jaw, thumbs swiping across his cheeks. 

"You wanna get undressed and get in?" Mike asked, pulling his hands away, gesturing to the rapidly filling bathtub. Will didn't respond, just brought his hands to the hem of his t-shirt and pulled it over his head. 

Mike spun around, trying to give Will at least an ounce of privacy, even if he seemed to not want it at all. Mike listened carefully, feeling his ears twitch to hear better. He heard the faint sound of clothes dropping to the floor, then a quiet sloshing sound, signalling that Will had gotten in the water. 

Suddenly, a small, soft voice hit his ears. "Mike," Will whispered, causing Mike to immediately spin back around, thinking something was wrong. Mike's eyes shot open, locking onto Will, exhaling sharply when he saw Will sitting in the tub, seemingly fine. 

Will was in his usual position, though for a different reason now. He was facing the faucet, thighs pushed against his chest to shield himself from Mike's gaze, his own eyes fixed on the wall in front of him. Mike felt a tug of relief as he walked to sit on the closed toilet lid, facing Will. 

Mike waited for the tub to fill, watching as the water crept higher, lapping at Will's skin. He glanced at Will, seeing him putting his head down, forehead pushing into his knee, eyes falling shut. 

"Hey, is the water okay?" Mike asked, voice just loud enough for Will to hear over the running faucet. Will picked his head up, bringing a hand out to push the knob, making the water warmer before returning to his prior position, cheek pressed into his knee. 

When the water line reached partway up Will's torso, Mike shut it off, plunging the room into silence. Mike didn't speak for a long moment, letting Will enjoy the water while it was still warm. 

Mike never imagined that was where he would be with Will. He never imagined Will Byers would be sitting in front of him, naked and trusting. Mike noticed Will's shoulders dropping, body relaxing, expression smoothing. 

Mike observed quietly from his seat, seeing Will's skin glisten where the water hit it, seeing him flush from the warmth, seeing him curled into himself. Mike thought he looked small, fragile, but certainly not broken. 

Mike couldn't stop himself. "You look pretty," he breathed out, keeping his gaze locked on Will. Will's eyes fluttered open, looking up at him through his eyelashes, cheeks darkening under the compliment. 

Mike watched as Will shook his head, playfully rolling his eyes, looking less upset by the minute. Mike smiled down at him, watching his head return to his knee, watching the tension in his body ease. 

"Do you need help?" Mike asked, clearly losing his mind. Of course, Will could bathe by himself, but Mike wanted to help, needed to help. Will's eyes shot open again, body unmoving, eyes locking onto Mike, blinking slowly like he was processing the words. 

Mike wasn't sure what the look was for; maybe it was rejection, maybe it was hesitancy, maybe it was just confusion. Mike knew Will often didn't ask for help out of fear of being too much, fear of being a burden, so he clarified. 

"I wanna help if you want me to. It's just you and me," Mike said quietly, sliding off the toilet, onto his knees in front of the tub. He wondered why he wasn't nervous, why it wasn't awkward, because he was certain it would be with anyone else. 

Will watched him move, eyeing him as he settled closer, nodding slowly like he wasn't sure Mike was serious, like Mike would rescind the offer at any moment. Mike just nodded back, acknowledging Will's response and letting him know it was okay. 

Mike leaned back on his heels, stretching over to the counter to grab the washcloth he got for Will before turning back to the tub, dunking the washcloth under to get it wet. He laid the washcloth over Will's knee, letting him hold onto it. 

"Do you wanna wash your hair first?" Mike offered, hands gripping the edge of the tub. Will nodded, fiddling with the washcloth, watching as Mike leaned over him, grabbing the cup that was in the corner. Mike realized he might've gotten a little too close. "Sorry."

Mike leaned back, cup in hand, seeing Will shake his head. "You're lucky I have a younger sister. I've got practice with this," Mike joked, trying to lighten the mood, remembering all the times his mom made him give Holly baths before bed. Mike watched Will offer a small, barely there smile as he leaned forward to collect water in the cup. 

"Okay, lean back for me," Mike requested, feeling himself smile, pushing Will's hair back. Will tipped his head, allowing Mike to cup his forehead, shielding his face from the water before pouring it over his hair, smoothing his hand over it afterward. 

Mike repeated the action until every strand was wet, pushing the extra water out one last time before setting the cup on the edge of the tub. Mike reached to grab the shampoo, pouring some onto his palm before putting the bottle back. 

"Ready?" Mike asked, rubbing the shampoo between his palms. Will nodded, leaning his head back for Mike without being prompted. Mike brought his hands up to Will's head, hands smoothing over his hair, spreading the shampoo. 

Mike began to wash Will's hair, scrubbing his scalp, trying not to press too hard. Mike felt Will pressing up into his hands, seeking the touch. After a moment, a small hum vibrated from Will's throat. 

"Does it feel good?" Mike murmured, fingers continuing their ministrations, fingernails scratching lightly at Will's scalp. He watched Will attempt a nod, expecting that to be his full response, but then Will opened his mouth. 

"Yes," Will whispered, voice a little rough from disuse. Mike felt his lips part and his eyebrows raise in surprise before he quickly wiped the expression from his face. The only word he had heard from Will in the 24 hours prior was his own name, so that was new. 

"Good," Mike said, keeping his tone neutral, not wanting to spook Will into not speaking. Once he was sure Will's hair was clean, he dipped his hands into the water to wash them off before grabbing the cup again. 

He filled it with water before bringing his hands back to Will's head. "Squeeze your eyes shut. I don't wanna get soap in them," Mike suggested, waiting until Will listened to pour water over his hair. 

Mike rinsed the shampoo from Will's hair, watching the bubbles slide down Will's back and into the water below. He was meticulous, making sure to get behind Will's ears, the nape of his neck, and his hairline. 

When he was done, he pushed all of Will's hair back, squeezing the excess water out. "Alright, you can open your eyes," Mike said, resting his hands on the edge of the tub. Will brought his head forward, slowly opening his eyes, water dripping onto his face because of the action. 

Mike smiled, watching Will bring his hands up to swipe at his eyes, rubbing away any water that trailed into them. Mike hadn't seen Will like this since they were kids, since it was socially acceptable for them to see each other like this. 

Mike didn't let that thought affect him. "How do you wanna do this?" Mike asked gently, watching as Will brought his hands away from his face to look at him, head quirking to the side, silently asking what he meant. "You have to wash your body. Do you wanna do it yourself?" 

Will nodded in acknowledgment before shrugging his shoulders, one of his arms returning to wrap around his legs. Mike looked down to see Will grabbing the washcloth from his knee, holding it out for him. 

"You want me to do it?" Mike asked, pointing to his own chest, head tilting down, eyebrows pushing up. Will shrugged with one shoulder, pushing the washcloth forward, encouraging Mike to take it. 

"Okay, I'll help, then you can finish up and get out, okay?" Mike said, taking the washcloth from Will's hand. Will nodded eagerly, clearly wanting Mike to continue. Mike wasn't sure why Will wanted help with that part. Maybe he was tired, maybe he needed the comfort, but Mike just did as Will asked. 

He brought the washcloth under the water again, rewetting it before grabbing the shower gel from the shelf. He poured it onto the washcloth and put it back, scrubbing the washcloth against itself to create a lather. 

Mike brought the washcloth to hover over Will's back. "Can I touch you?" Mike whispered, hesitating to touch Will in a new place. Will nodded instantly, leaning back to connect his skin with the washcloth. Mike nodded, beginning to wash Will's body. 

He did what he could, running the washcloth over Will's back, his shoulders, his arms, careful not to scrub too hard. Mike felt Will's muscles untensing under his palm, most likely enjoying the gentle massage of his skin. 

Mike got to his chest, reaching what he could with Will hunched over himself. He watched as Will's eyes fluttered shut, arms loosening to allow Mike better access, knees easing apart. Mike glanced down without thinking, catching sight of Will's lower half through the soapy water. 

He quickly snapped his eyes back up, keeping his hand moving, feeling his cheeks heat, not because of what he saw, but because of what it meant. It meant Will was comfortable enough to forget himself, forget he was naked, forget Mike could see him. 

Mike didn't comment, didn't draw attention to it; he just finished up with washing Will's upper body. When he was done, he pulled his hand away, seeing Will's eyes shoot open, entire body tensing, legs snapping closed. 

"Hey, easy, easy. I'm not going anywhere," Mike soothed, reaching a hand out to Will's shoulder to steady him. Will looked at him like a deer in headlights, arms wrapping securely around his legs. 

"Sorry," Will muttered under his breath, shocking Mike once again with a new word. Mike didn't let his shock show, just furrowed his brows, glancing down at Will's protective stance, no longer looking at ease. 

"What for?" Mike asked gently, thumb rubbing over the smooth, clean skin of Will's shoulder. Will tore his eyes away, looking down to the space between his chest and knees, allowing Mike to realize that Will knew he saw more than intended. 

Mike shook his head. "No, you don't need to be sorry. I'm just glad you were comfortable, okay?" Mike said sternly, not wanting Will to be embarrassed. Will still looked skeptical, causing Mike to sigh. "Do you remember what I told you earlier?"

Will shook his head, brows furrowing as he pulled his knees farther into his chest, looking down at himself. Mike brought his hand down to Will's arm, tugging it gently to encourage Will to relax, letting him know everything was alright. 

Mike kept his hand on Will's arm. "I told you I would rather you see me naked than let you be alone, right?" Mike reminded, ducking his head to catch Will's eyes. Will looked at him, nodding, causing Mike to drop his voice to a whisper. "Well, I would rather see you naked than leave you right now."

Will's eyes widened slightly, probably not expecting the statement from Mike's mouth. Mike offered a small smile, trying to put Will at ease. Will nodded slowly, body unfurling a bit, seemingly convinced of the words. 

Mike smiled with a full, toothy grin. "Good. Now, I need you to wash the rest of your body so you can get out. The water is getting cold," Mike said, voice returning to its normal volume, but staying soft as he held the washcloth out for Will. 

Will took it, watching Mike pull himself off his knees, drying his hands on his sweatpants. Mike settled back onto the closed toilet lid, reaching over to grab Will's towel, getting it ready for him for when he got out. 

"I'm gonna stay right here and close my eyes. Let me know when you're done, alright?" Mike requested, watching Will nod in response. Mike closed his eyes, listening to Will begin to move around. 

Mike listened to the sounds of Will washing his lower half, the water splashing against the tub as he moved, the sound of suds as he pulled the washcloth over his skin, then the sound of water getting poured over his body to rinse it all off. 

"Mike," Will called, voice sounding louder, smoother, more confident. Mike kept his eyes closed for a moment longer, biting his cheeks to stop himself from smiling at the sound of Will's voice before prompting Will to speak again. 

"Can I open my eyes?" Mike asked gently, unsure if Will would actually respond using his voice or just by reaching out. He heard what he thought was the sound of wet fabric hitting plastic, then Will's voice. 

"Yes," Will responded, causing Mike to slowly open his eyes, a smile spreading across his face without his permission. He immediately saw Will, cross-legged in the tub, facing the edge instead of the faucet, arms folded over his lap to cover himself. 

"Ready to get out?" Mike said, not mentioning the new, more comfortable, less protective position. Will nodded quickly, looking more aware, calmer, almost happier. Mike smiled wider, pulling himself to stand. 

"Okay, flip the lever and stand up," Mike said, unfolding the towel and holding it in one hand, reaching the other out to Will. Will looked at him incredulously, glancing down to his lap, making Mike remember that Will was, indeed, still naked. "Right. Sorry. I'll close my eyes."

Mike quickly shut his eyes, keeping a hand out for Will to take. He felt wet fingers grasp his own as he pulled himself out of the tub before dropping Mike's hand. Will took the towel, presumably drying himself off and getting dressed. 

After a moment of listening to Will shuffle around, Mike flinched, feeling icy, cold fingers brush his wrist. Mike's eyes immediately flew open at the touch, finding Will in front of him wearing nothing but boxers, a towel thrown over his shoulders, water droplets falling from his hair. 

Mike reached out, pulling the towel over Will's head. Mike watched Will's eyes flutter shut, allowing Mike to quickly dry his hair before pulling the wet towel off of him, setting it on the counter next to his own. 

Will's eyes opened, looking up at Mike with a soft, neutral expression, hair sticking up in all different directions. Mike felt himself begin to smile, but Will's shiver quickly diverted his expression, causing him to frown. 

"Let's get you dressed. We need to warm you up," Mike said quietly, not waiting for a response before turning to the sink, pulling a pair of sweatpants from the stack. He held them out for Will, watching him take them and bring a foot up to put them on, movements clumsy and slow. 

Mike grabbed the t-shirt before turning back to Will, waiting patiently for him to pull the sweatpants up over his hips. As soon as Will was done, he looked up at Mike, allowing Mike to bunch the t-shirt in his hands and slide it over Will's head. 

Mike helped Will slide his hands through the arm holes before turning back to the sink, allowing Will to pull the shirt down the rest of the way. Mike grabbed the last item of clothing, the black hoodie Will had picked out, and turned back to Will. 

He didn't even wait until Will was done smoothing down the shirt; he just slid the hoodie over his head, grasping Will's wrist to push it through the sleeve. Will brought his other hand to slide it through the other one, allowing Mike to fuss over him. 

Mike pulled the hem of the hoodie down, tucking the shirt into it, pulling his sweatpants up, ensuring no skin was exposed. He tugged down the sleeves, uncurling the cuffs and pulling them over Will's hands before tugging the hood up over Will's head. 

Will just stood there, still shivering, hair still damp, eyes staring blankly at Mike. Mike began rubbing Will's arms, hoping to ease the chills, to spread warmth back into his body, but Will just leaned forward, knocking into Mike's chest. 

"Woah, it's okay. You'll get warm soon," Mike said, planting his feet firmly on the ground to steady himself, arms wrapping around Will's back. Will buried his head in Mike's chest, his own arms curling between them. 

"Cold," Will mumbled into Mike's shirt, voice shaking as a shiver wracked through his body. Mike held him tighter, chin dropping to Will's head, feeling his chest tighten when Will wrapped his arms around his waist, holding just as tight. 

The word landed heavier than expected, not because it was a new word, but because of the weight it carried. The whole reason Will was having the episode was because of the cold, the Mind Flayer, and the Upside Down. 

Mike brought a hand up to snake under Will's hood, thumb hooking under his jaw, pulling his head away, and tilting it up. Mike saw Will's soft, hazel eyes looking up at him, only furthering the tightness in his chest. 

"I know, I'm sorry," Mike whispered, pressing his lips to Will's cold, damp forehead, pushing firmly and keeping them there for a long moment. "I love you," Mike murmured against his skin, feeling Will instantly nod and tighten his hold. 

Mike pulled his mouth away, letting Will press back into his chest, but he kept his hand on Will's jaw, holding him there. Mike began to sway from side to side gently, like soothing a child, waiting for Will to stop shivering. 

Between the swaying and the tight embrace, Mike felt his mind drift, world narrowing until it was only Will in his arms. He watched Will's shoulders drop, his arms loosen, and his chest rise and fall more evenly. 

Only then did Mike speak. "Wanna brush your teeth so we can get out of here?" Mike murmured, keeping his body exactly where it was, allowing Will to decide whether or not he wanted to move away. 

Will nodded against Mike's chest, pushing the hood down a bit, before reluctantly pulling away. Mike let his hand fall from Will's face, but kept his hand firm against Will's back. Mike leaned over the sink, grabbing both their toothbrushes in one hand, holding Will's out for him. 

Will took his toothbrush, allowing Mike to reach over and grab the toothpaste. Mike pulled his other hand away briefly, turning on the water and unscrewing the toothpaste. He put toothpaste on his own toothbrush, pushing it under the water before putting it in his mouth, holding it there. 

With his brain on autopilot, he grabbed Will's hand, holding it steady while he put toothpaste on his toothbrush before guiding it under the water. Mike glanced up at Will, catching a questioning glance, most likely wondering why Mike was doing everything for him again, just like last time. 

Mike just shrugged and looked away, not understanding his own actions either, just knowing he wanted to. Mike put the cap back on the toothpaste and returned it to its original spot, letting his hand fall back to his side. 

As soon as his hand fell, Will caught it, weaving his fingers through Mike's. Mike didn't think twice, just held on tight and began to brush his teeth with his non-dominant hand. Mike looked into the mirror, finding Will already looking back, brushing his own teeth. 

Mike smiled softly, keeping his eyes on the mirror, watching as Will's lips turned up at the corners in response. Mike felt his heart beat a little harder, cursing himself for reacting in such a way to Will just looking at him. 

When Mike was done, he spit into the sink, rinsed his toothbrush and his mouth, and put his toothbrush back in the holder, watching as Will did the same only seconds later. Mike released Will's hand and began gathering their things from the floor, tub, and counter. 

Mike unlocked and opened the door, tucking their dirty clothes under his arm, before turning back to Will, grabbing his hand again, and tugging him out of the bathroom. Will flipped the light switch and followed Mike. 

Mike guided him down the hall, reaching the bedroom door and kicking it open, pulling Will into the room. Mike half-expected Will to release his hand, head straight for the bed, and open his sketchbook, but he didn't. 

Mike pulled him over to his hamper, throwing their dirty clothes and wet towels in before turning back to Will and pushing his hood down. Will frowned before Mike ran his fingers through Will's hair, easing the tangles and smoothing it out. 

Mike watched Will's eyes close, feeling him press into his hands, adorning a small smile. Mike felt Will squeeze his hand, almost a silent thank you. Mike squeezed back harder, letting Will's hair fall to his forehead before pulling the hood back up. 

"What do you wanna do?" Mike whispered, not wanting to break the calmness of the moment. Will's eyes fluttered open, looking up at Mike briefly before turning to the bed, pointing to his sketchbook. "Alright, I should've known. Go ahead."

Will turned back and smiled, a real, toothy grin, before pulling Mike to the bed. Mike felt his eyes widen, not expecting the sudden shift of emotion, not expecting Will to be the one pulling him around the room. 

When they got to the bed, Will released Mike's hand, crawling in and sliding under the covers, settling with his back against the wall and his legs crossed in front of him. Mike crawled in after, assuming the same position, hands falling into his lap, quilt pooling around both their hips. 

Will reached over and grabbed his sketchbook, still on the bed from where he left it earlier, flipping to a new page and pulling the pencil out. Mike assumed he would need to busy himself while Will drew, but he felt Will's free hand fall into his lap, silently asking Mike to hold it. 

Mike took it without hesitation, linking his fingers with Will's, feeling Will's fingers readjust and flex in his hand, getting comfortable, as if he planned on holding it for a while. Mike smiled at the thought and leaned in a bit closer, watching Will begin to sketch out his drawing. 

They sat in silence while Will's pencil moved across the page, creating a basic outline. Mike felt all of his attention focused on Will, not looking away, not releasing his hand, just honing in on the boy in his bed. 

His thoughts were broken only minutes later by a soft knock at the door, causing Will to jump and squeeze his fingers tighter around Mike's. Mike squeezed back, looking up at Will to find his eyes trained on him already. 

"Who is it?" Mike called, gaze not budging from Will as he waited for a response. Will relaxed slightly, most likely realizing Mike wasn't going to leave, wasn't going to open the door and let the outside world in. 

"It's us, Mike. We just wanna check on Will," Nancy's voice rang out, muffled by the door. Mike assumed she meant that Jonathan was with her, so he gave Will a purposeful look, raising his eyebrows in a silent question. 

Will hesitated, looking back to the door before nodding slowly, telling Mike they could come in. Mike leaned forward, intercepting Will's gaze and giving him a look, ensuring he was positive. Will's eyes connected with his own before he nodded again, more confident this time. 

Mike nodded back. "You can open the door," Mike called out, hearing the doorknob twist, tearing his eyes away from Will to see their siblings walking into the room. He watched Nancy offer a sympathetic smile, while Jonathan instantly began inspecting his brother. 

"How are you guys doing?" Jonathan asked, using the same soft voice that they both had been using for Will for years. The two walked across the room, approached the bed, and stopped on Will's side, waiting for a response. 

"Better," Mike said simply, not feeling the need to share every detail of Will's episode. Will gave his hand a squeeze, letting Mike know he appreciated the vague answer. Mike kept his gaze locked onto Jonathan as he squeezed back, not drawing attention to their hands. 

"Well, that's good. I'm glad," Nancy said, voice sweet as she began reaching out to Will. Mike dropped Will's hand instantly, reaching out and grabbing his sister's wrist, effectively stopping her from continuing. 

"Don't touch him," Mike ordered calmly, watching Nancy freeze before nodding quickly, mumbling an apology under her breath. Mike released her wrist and watched her retract her hand slowly, his own hand returning to Will's. 

Mike looked to Will, finding him looking down at his sketchbook, flipping to a new page. Mike furrowed his brows, unsure of what Will was doing. He watched Will begin to write in big, neat letters before holding the sketchbook up for Nancy to see. 

It's okay.

"Oh, we're already at the writing stage, huh?" Jonathan asked excitedly, a grin spreading across his face as Nancy smiled sheepishly, clearly a little embarrassed. Mike felt his brows draw together. 

"What do you mean? He was writing hours ago," Mike muttered, clearly confused. Jonathan's grin dropped, surprise clear on his face. Mike's confusion only deepened as he looked between Jonathan and Will, seeing them make eye contact. 

There was a moment of silence, Will giving Jonathan a small smile, Jonathan looking shocked, but knowing, and Mike feeling a bit perplexed at the whole situation. Nancy broke the awkward silence. 

"Okay, well, are you guys hungry? You sorta missed lunch," she said, glancing at her watch. Mike looked at his alarm clock, remembering his mom was making lunch when he gave the hoodie to her. 

"Yes," Will said quietly, making everyone's heads snap up to look at him. Mike instantly looked at their siblings' reactions, seeing Nancy offering a small smile, while Jonathan's jaw was basically on the floor, most likely shocked that Will was asking for food, let alone speaking. 

Mike glared at Jonathan, silently telling him to wipe the look off his face before he scared Will into never speaking again. Jonathan looked over to Mike, seeing the look, instantly snapped his mouth shut and looked away. 

"Okay, then. I'll go let mom know. She made grilled cheese and tomato soup," Nancy said quietly, clearly sensing the tension in the room. Mike tore his eyes away from Jonathan, glancing at Will quickly, ensuring he didn't see his brother gaping at him. 

Mike looked at Nancy. "Could you bring it up? I don't wanna leave him," Mike asked, trying not to sound pathetic, but probably failing. Nancy smiled softly and nodded before turning toward the door and exiting quietly. 

They all watched her leave, but as soon as the door closed, Will returned to his sketchbook, flipping to the previous page to continue his drawing. Mike looked to Jonathan, seeing him eyeing them, almost studying their position. 

Mike knew they were close, knew their hands were entwined in his lap, but he didn't pull away, he didn't even consider it. He watched Jonathan's lips turn up at the corners, looking like he was having a revelation. 

"Did you guys just get out of the shower?" Jonathan asked, directing his question to Mike. Mike nodded, not really understanding why that was important. Jonathan nodded slowly, then added, "Separately, right?"

Mike pulled a face. "Yes, obviously. What kind of question is that?" Mike asked, incredulous. Jonathan just shrugged, like it was a possibility, like it wasn't at all a weird, invasive, personal question. 

"Okay, well, it's good that you're feeling a little better, Will," Jonathan said, averting his eyes to Will, glancing at his sketchbook. Will quickly looked up, registering that the conversation was now aimed at him. 

Will nodded, quickly looking back down, flipping to the next page in his sketchbook. Mike watched him scribble more words on the page, below what he wrote for Nancy. Mike smiled when he read what Will wrote. 

Thank you. Mike has helped. 

Jonathan leaned over and read the words, another grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, I know," Jonathan said quietly, glancing over at him, causing Mike's cheeks to heat up. Will just smiled up at him, squeezing Mike's hand again. 

"Alright, I'll leave you guys alone. Food will be brought up soon. Love you, bud," Jonathan said to Will, beginning to walk backward toward the door. Will quickly wrote something else in his sketchbook, holding it up for Jonathan to see. 

I love you.

Jonathan smiled and nodded before turning around and opening the door, slipping out, and closing it behind him. As soon as he was gone, Mike turned to Will, finding him already looking at him. 

Will tapped on his sketchbook, catching Mike's attention. Mike glanced down, furrowing his brows in confusion when he saw Will pointing to the same words he had shown Jonathan. Mike looked back up to Will. 

"What? Is that for me?" Mike asked, feeling his cheeks heat even further, surely making his face red. Will nodded eagerly, bunny teeth peeking out from behind his lips as his eyes darted across Mike's face, taking in his reaction. 

"Oh. Well, I love you, too," Mike whispered, worried his voice would waver if he spoke any louder. Will just nodded, flipping back to the previous page, shifting around to get more comfortable. 

Will let his head fall to Mike's shoulder, hand still on his sketchbook open in his lap. Mike leaned into Will, letting his own cheek press into the top of Will's head as he resumed his sketch, only getting a few more minutes alone before there was another knock at the door. 

Will didn't flinch this time, but Mike picked up his head. "Who is it?" Mike shouted, thinking it would be just Jonathan, but a different voice rang out instead. 

"Hey, sweetie. It's just me," his mom responded, pausing for a moment before adding, "I have food and a gift for Will. Can I come in?"

Mike looked to Will, watching him lean away, quirking his head like a puppy as he looked at Mike in question. Mike smiled and shrugged his shoulders, unsure of what his mom considered a gift. Will nodded toward the door, signaling for Mike to tell her to come in. 

"You can come in, Mom," Mike called, not bothering to wipe the smile from his face or pull away from Will as his mom opened the door and peeked her head in. He watched as she instantly smiled, walking to Mike's side of the bed. 

"Okay. First, I have lunch for you guys. Don't spill it," She said sternly, lowering a plate to Mike's lap, causing Mike to pull their interlinked hands away, bringing his other hand to hold the plate steady, seeing it was two grilled cheese sandwiches and a bowl of tomato soup. 

"And, of course, I have the hoodie you asked me to wash for Will," She said proudly, holding it up like it was a rare object. Mike smiled harder and looked at Will, seeing him looking just as happy. "Where would you like me to put it?"

Mike turned back. "Um, can you put it on his pile? It's on the dresser," Mike responded, gesturing in the general direction, knowing his mom would see it. She nodded and began walking over, folding the hoodie. 

Mike watched her tidy up the stack, fixing the sweater that came unfolded earlier, readjusting the pile of blankets that were beginning to tip. She put the clean, blue hoodie on top of the other clothes and turned back around, stopping abruptly when she looked at them. 

Mike realized Will had fallen back into his side, not bothered by her presence as his hand moved across the page, continuing his drawing. Their hands were still entwined, now resting against Will's thigh due to the plate in Mike's lap. 

"Aw, you guys are adorable. I wish I had my camera," his mom said, putting her hands on her hips, jutting one out, putting a fake pout on her face. Mike knew he was dramatic, but now, he knew he got it from his mother. 

"Mom, no. We're literally just sitting here," Mike said, trying to deflect the attention away from their position. His mom just smiled, playfully rolling her eyes and waving her hand. 

"Oh, come on. I haven't seen you two hold hands since you were younger. It's like you're my two little kids again," his mom pointed out, becoming way too sappy for Mike's taste. Mike squeezed Will's hand at the mention of it, memories flooding back. 

Mike rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, get used to it," Mike mumbled, looking to Will to see his cheeks flushed, but he didn't pull away; he just smiled nervously up at her. Mike squeezed his hand harder, letting him know it was okay. 

His mom waved him off. "Will, are you feeling any better?" she asked, looking at Will and walking closer to the bed. Mike watched Will carefully, seeing him nod and open his mouth to respond. 

"A little," Will said simply, shrugging as best he could with his body pushing into Mike's. Mike smiled, realizing Will technically used two words instead of only one, before turning his attention back to his mom. 

She smiled softly. "I'm glad, honey. Will you guys be joining us for dinner?" she asked, looking between them. Mike shrugged and looked at Will, seeing him do the same. "Okay, well, I'll be downstairs if you two need anything."

Mike nodded. "Thanks, Mom. We'll think about dinner," Mike said, watching as she came over to the nightstand, gathering the dishes before walking toward the door, stopping when she was about halfway there, turning back. 

"Oh, I almost forgot. Holly said she misses you, Will," she said, smiling brightly. Mike turned to look at Will, seeing him smiling just as wide. "You know how much we all love you." 

Mike's eyes snapped to her. "Hey! I do, too, but what about me? I'm your child, not him," Mike asked incredulously, gesturing to get his point across. Mike looked between his mom and Will, seeing them both smiling at him. 

"We love you, too, Michael," she said, smiling wider at Mike's antics. Mike just huffed, rolling his eyes, feigning annoyance. 

"Yeah, yeah," Mike grumbled, shooing his mom out of the room. His mom's smile didn't falter, knowing her son well enough to know he wasn't serious, and slipped out the door, closing it gently behind her. 

Mike turned back to Will. "Do you know how unfair it is that everyone loves you? I mean, come on. My own mother loves you more than me," Mike said, continuing with the dramatics. He watched Will roll his eyes, not believing Mike for a second. 

Mike smiled, dropping the act. "Do you wanna eat?" Mike asked, voice lowering into a gentler tone. Will looked to the plate, nodding as he closed his sketchbook and threw it on the bed next to him, releasing Mike's hand. 

Mike felt disappointment run through him when Will's hand left his, but he pushed it away, watching Will use his hands to turn his body toward him, knees pressing into Mike's thigh. Mike smiled when Will leaned forward, throwing his elbows on his knees, waiting expectantly. 

"Need me to feed you?" Mike joked, already grabbing one of the sandwiches and bringing it to Will's lips. Will smiled and nodded, leaning forward to take a bite, immediately beginning to breathe through his mouth, trying to cool it down. 

"Too hot," Will muttered, giving Mike a disapproving look. Mike pursed his lips, trying not to laugh at Will's disgruntled face, clearly unhappy. Mike set the sandwich back down, feeling it begin to burn his fingers. 

"I'm sorry. I should've realized," Mike said, brushing his fingers together to get the crumbs off. Will chewed the bite and swallowed, glaring at Mike, but it had no real heat. Mike picked the sandwich back up, blowing on it before taking a bite of his own, making sure it wasn't too hot. 

"Okay, I'll blow on it for you, you big baby," Mike teased, blowing on the sandwich as Will's jaw dropped softly. Mike smiled before offering another bite to Will, effectively wiping the shocked expression off Will's face. 

Will leaned forward and took a bite, tentatively chewing like he was waiting for something bad to happen. Mike continued to alternate between them, dipping the sandwich in the soup, then offering some to Will or taking a bite of his own. 

Eventually, they had finished the sandwiches, leaving only the soup left. Mike tried to focus, tried not to spill it, but he failed. He brought a spoonful up to Will's lips, watching as Will opened his mouth and leaned forward to take it, knocking some off the spoon in the process. 

Mike watched it drip onto Will's chin, some falling to the front of his hoodie. Mike immediately froze, unsure how upset Will would be, knowing how he reacted last time he had to change his hoodie. 

Will frowned, looking down at his chest, swiping a finger across his chin to try to get it off before looking back to Mike, not mad, just disappointed. Mike offered an apologetic smile, bringing his thumb to wipe Will's chin. 

"I'm sorry, Will," Mike said, truly meaning it even if he didn't quite understand Will's attachment to the garment. Will's frown deepened as he watched Mike bring his thumb to his own lips, licking the soup off it. 

"It's okay," Will responded, voice small and soft, sounding a bit upset. Mike nodded slowly, letting his hand fall back to the plate. He brought the plate out to Will, silently asking if he wanted to do it himself, watching him shake his head, denying the food. 

"Are you full or are you just upset?" Mike asked gently, needing to know if Will was actually done eating or just refusing food. Will shook his head, giving Mike an unclear answer, earning himself a pointed look from Mike. 

"Full," Will responded, looking down, using his hands to pull the hoodie away from his chest to see that Mike had, indeed, gotten it dirty. Mike heard Will huff, probably a bit annoyed that he would have to change again. 

Mike set the plate on his nightstand before turning back to Will. "Let's put your other hoodie on, yeah?" Mike asked, hopeful that it would help him feel better. Will nodded, already sliding his arms out of the sleeves. 

Mike stood from the bed, brushing crumbs off his shirt as he walked over to the dresser. He picked up the blue hoodie his mom had left, the fabric still warm and smelling of laundry detergent. 

Mike brought it back to Will, holding out both his hands, one with the hoodie, one empty. Will traded him, giving the black hoodie to Mike and taking the blue hoodie from him. As Will began to slide it over his head, Mike turned back around to throw it in his hamper. 

When Mike returned to the bed, Will was pulling the hoodie down to his hips, repeating the same actions that Mike had by tucking in his shirt, fixing the cuffs, and pulling up the hood. Mike instantly felt a loss, feeling like that was his thing, his job. 

Mike pushed it away, climbing back into the bed. "You can have them, if you want," Mike offered, earning a slow shake of the head. "What if we shared? You can come in here and get clothes whenever you want."

Will smiled, bunny teeth poking out from his lips, nodding his head slowly, looking to the closet. Mike settled back into his original position, cross-legged, back against the wall, smiling widely because of the look on Will's face. 

"Does that make you happy?" Mike murmured, reaching out to pull on the front of Will's hoodie, encouraging him to move closer. Will smiled wider, shifting his body until he was next to Mike again, leaning against the wall. 

"Yes," Will said simply, settling into the bed, pulling the quilt over their laps. Will grabbed his sketchbook, pulling it open to the page he was working on before putting his hand back in Mike's lap. 

Mike took his hand, looking over Will's shoulder. "Wait, you're drawing my room?" Mike asked, just now recognizing the familiar layout. Will glanced over at him, nodding his head and shrugging his shoulders as if to say it was no big deal. 

The drawing was from their perspective, with general shapes beginning to become the individual pieces of furniture. Mike hooked his chin over Will's shoulder, watching him add details that made the drawing come to life. 

Something was missing. "Can I add something?" Mike asked, holding his free hand up to gesture for Will to give him the pencil. He half-expected Will to shove his hand away, but Will didn't even think twice, handing the pencil to Mike. 

Mike realized Will had forgone adding the blankets and clothes on the dresser; whether intentional or not, it just would not do. Will had a home here; he left a mark, and he needed to be included. 

Mike messily added a general blob shape to the page, actually trying his best to make it look good. Will didn't say anything, just let him finish his addition, though Mike knew it was nothing compared to Will's drawing skills. 

When Mike was done, he handed the pencil back, happy that Will allowed him to touch his precious sketchbook. Will looked at it for a moment, probably regretting giving Mike a chance to ruin his drawing. 

"Not very good," Will said, shaking his head in disappointment, looking over to Mike. Mike fake gasped, picking his head up and grabbing his chest like he was offended, like he wasn't well aware that it was bad. 

"I did that with my left hand. We can't all be artists, William," Mike said incredulously, struggling to keep the laugh from ruining his fake scold. Will just smiled over at him, like he knew something Mike didn't, before turning back to his sketchbook. 

"Michael," Will said quietly, like he was testing the word on his tongue. Mike just smiled, keeping his eyes on Will, watching his face morph into concentration. When Mike tore his eyes back to the drawing, Will was going over the lines, evening them, fixing them, but not erasing them. 

The gesture was sickly sweet for some reason, making something warm and gooey lick at Mike's ribs. Will never erased it, even the squiggly line that shone through after he went over it; he just incorporated it, made it look intentional. 

Mike watched Will add shading and small details, including the little figurines that were on the desk, the rolled-up paintings at the top of his closet, the stacks of comics scattered around the room, the crooked blinds, and the skewed, wrinkled blankets on the bed. 

Mike continued suggesting things to add, Will would take the suggestion and draw it within seconds, making a complete replica of the bedroom. After a while, Mike wasn't sure how long, Will began to move more slowly, slumping into him a bit. 

Mike noticed. "Tired?" Mike whispered, watching Will nod and immediately throw his body into Mike's side, as if the question was permitting him to show his fatigue. Mike felt Will's head fall to his shoulder again, hair falling into his eyes. 

Will held out the pencil. "Can you?" Will asked quietly, offering for Mike to draw. Mike brought a hand to push Will's hair out of his face, watching Will tilt his head up to look at him. Mike smiled down at him and gently shook his head. 

"I don't wanna ruin it," Mike said, voice hushed, eyes darting across Will's face, not really knowing what he was searching for. Will blinked up at him, big, round eyes nearly staring into his soul. 

"You won't," Will assured, pushing the pencil into Mike's hand and looking back down. Will picked up the sketchbook with his free hand, lifting it off his lap so he could readjust, getting more comfortable. 

Mike watched him unfold his legs, pressing them together, legs bent at the knee, throwing them to the side to lean them against Mike's thigh. Mike let him move around, waiting patiently for Will to settle again, feeling him press further into his side. 

When he was happy with his position, Will set the sketchbook back down, head falling back to Mike's shoulder, empty hand curling over his own ribs. It seemed as though Will kept reverting to this position, though it seemed to become more relaxed, more unfurled the further they got into his episode. 

Mike waited a moment, feeling Will still. "Good?" Mike asked, hand still hovering over their bodies. Will nodded weakly against his shoulder, causing Mike's hand to drop to the sketchbook in his lap, not saying anything more. 

Mike hesitated to add anything, still feeling like he would sabotage the rather well-done sketch. He eventually began adding small things, careful not to change anything that Will had already done. 

As he added these details, a D&D die on the desk, a sticky note that Will had given him that hung on the wall, he felt Will's head beginning to fall forward, most likely dozing off. Mike set the pencil down and pressed his palm to Will's forehead, holding it up. 

"Will, do you wanna put the sketchbook away and take a nap?" Mike offered, watching the pencil roll off the book and onto the quilt. Will picked his head up slowly, like it was too heavy to carry, and looked up at Mike through heavily lidded eyes. 

"Sleep," Will mumbled, eyelids fluttering with the effort it took for him to stay awake. Mike nodded, looking down to find the pencil before grabbing the sketchbook, closing it, and pushing the pencil into the spine. 

Mike brought the sketchbook to his nightstand, causing Will to pick his head up to allow the movement. Mike pushed the plate away to make room for it, setting it down and turning back to Will. He was sitting up, looking at him, opening his mouth to speak before slowly closing it, looking away. 

Mike furrowed his brows. "What is it? What do you need?" he asked, ducking his head, catching Will's eyes, feeling Will press a finger into his chest. Mike looked down, then up again. "You need me? I'm right here."

Will shook his head. "Closer," Will said, pressing his palm into Mike's chest to accentuate his request. Mike paused, not quite understanding for a moment until he put the pieces together, realizing Will wanted him to be closer. 

"Oh, okay. You wanna lie together?" Mike asked, watching Will hesitantly nod. Mike nodded back, not even giving it a second thought before releasing Will's hand, pushing the quilt away, and shifting farther down, resting back on the bed, straightening his legs out. 

Mike looked up at Will. "Come here," Mike said, beckoning Will to lie with him. Will offered a small, almost nervous smile and brought himself down. Mike expected him to lie beside him, but Will began crawling over him, putting a hand on either side of his torso, throwing a knee between Mike's, causing the quilt to pool at their feet. 

Will hovered over him, looking to Mike for reassurance. "You're fine. Just lie down," Mike murmured, bringing his hands to Will's biceps, encouraging him to continue. Will slowly lowered himself down, blanketing Mike's body with his own. 

Mike watched Will press into him, Will's head resting on his sternum, chest pressing into his lower stomach, hips pressing into his thighs. Mike opened his legs more, giving Will's body room to rest against the mattress, bending one knee to make himself more comfortable. 

Will picked his head up, tilting it to look at him. "Okay?" Will asked, arms tucked against Mike's side. Mike nodded instantly, bringing his hands down to Will, pulling the hood back up over the top of his head. 

"Of course. You can sleep if you want," Mike murmured, dropping a hand to Will's back, resting the other on his own stomach. Will didn't respond, just lay his head back down, tucking his chin so it was on Mike's stomach instead. 

Mike let his head fall back, feeling Will shift slightly to get more comfortable, pushing one of his thighs to rest over Mike's, hand coming up to grab Mike's from where it rested, only four of their fingers interlinked, palms resting against Mike's body. 

Mike began rubbing Will's back, hand sliding side to side over his shoulder blades, trying to lull him to sleep. Will hummed, pressing his face farther into Mike's stomach, letting his weight fully relax, pressing Mike further into the mattress. 

They stayed like that for a while. Mike continued to move his hand, looking to the ceiling, listening to Will's breathing slow rather quickly. Mike stayed awake, eventually stilling his hand, letting his own body relax under Will's. 

With Will on him, blanketing him in warmth, the quilt pushed off and forgotten, Mike felt himself grow tired, too, still not completely caught up since the night prior. With no reason to fight it, he let his head fall to the side, tucking it against his own shoulder. 

Mike glanced down at Will, ensuring he was sound asleep, before letting his own eyes flutter shut. He felt his mind go blank, his last thought being Will before he let himself get pulled under, sleep taking over. 

Mike flinched awake, hearing a knock on his closed bedroom door before Jonathan's voice rang out. Mike's hand pressed into Will's back, almost like it would protect him, but Mike made sure to keep the rest of his body still, realizing Will hadn't woken up from the noise. 

"Come in," Mike called, just loud enough for Jonathan to hear, cringing when Will stirred slightly before settling, fingers flexing in his slumber. Mike heard the door open with a soft click before Jonathan peeked his head in. 

"Hey, dinner is almost-"

"Shh," Mike urged, already frustrated that Jonathan was speaking at a normal volume, not even noticing that Will was asleep. Jonathan froze, finally glancing down at Will, smiling sheepishly when he realized his mistake. 

"Shit- Sorry," Jonathan apologized, walking further into the room, closing the door gently behind him. Mike nodded, feeling his frustration dissipate as Jonathtan lowered his voice. "Um, dinner will be ready soon. I wasn't sure if you guys wanted to come down."

Mike took his hand away from Will's back, propping himself up on one elbow. "I don't know if Will wants to. I don't really wanna wake him," Mike admitted, glancing at the clock, realizing they must've slept for a few hours. Looking away from the clock, he looked down at Will, his head positioned so Mike could see part of his face. 

Mike noticed Will's flushed cheeks and sweaty brows, overheating from their shared warmth. His lips were lightly parted, allowing for his deep breaths to escape. The hood of his hoodie was slowly slipping down, exposing messy hair that fell over his forehead. 

Jonathan looked at his brother. "Yeah, I get it. He hasn't looked that peaceful in a long time," Jonathan whispered, crouching in front of Will, elbows on his knees. "He never sleeps well. I'm surprised he didn't wake up as soon as I knocked."

Mike hesitated. "Why do you think he didn't?" Mike asked, voice hushed, looking over to Jonathan, finding him donning a soft smile as he inspected his brother, not even batting an eye at their position. 

Jonathan didn't look away from him. "I think it might be because he's with you. His episodes wear him out, but they certainly don't keep the nightmares away," Jonathan said calmly, causing Mike's heart to beat a little harder in his chest. 

Mike nodded slowly, staying quiet, trying to process the words. All of a sudden, a loud voice ran out through the house, floating up from downstairs, calling everyone down for dinner. Will was instantly startled awake, hood falling right off his head. 

Mike panicked as Will lifted his head, body going rigid. Mike squeezed Will's hand in his, bringing their palms together, trying to soothe the fearful look on Will's face. Will settled a bit, looking up, eyes locking onto Mike. 

"Hey, it's okay. It was just Holly from downstairs," Mike soothed, softening his voice for Will. Will nodded slowly, looking around the room, eyes locking onto his brother, eyes widening at the unexpected presence in the room before darting to Mike, then down at their connected bodies. 

Jonathan smiled, ducking his head to get Will's attention. "Hey, bud, it's just me. You know you don't need to be worried about this," Jonathan said, bringing a hand up to gesture to him lying on top of Mike. 

Wil nodded slowly, realizing there was no threat, and slowly lowered his head back down to Mike's sternum. Mike flickered his gaze to Jonathan, realizing that their position may be a bit revealing, but all he found was Jonathan smiling. 

"You comfy?" Jonathan asked, an amused look on his face as he directed his question at Will. Will nodded, face completely serious, cheek pressing into Mike's shirt, making the hem ride up. Mike smiled at his response, glad that Will felt that way. 

"Good. Dinner is ready if you wanna join us," Jonathan offered, voice gentle, barely above a whisper. Will looked at his brother for a moment longer before picking his head up, looking at Mike, a silent question swimming in his eyes. 

"I'll go with you if you wanna go, but we can always stay up here," Mike said, already knowing what Will was thinking. Will shook his head, dropping it back down to look at Jonathan. 

"I'll go," Will whispered, causing Jonathan to widen his eyes. Mike rolled his eyes at Jonathan's outwardly shocked reaction, probably not expecting Will to agree. Jonathan slowly nodded his head, wiping the surprise off his face. 

"Okay, just come down when you're ready. There's no rush. It'll be waiting for you, okay?" Jonathan said sweetly, glancing up at Mike briefly before returning his eyes to Will, watching him nod. 

"Okay," Will said, still sounding tired, almost half-asleep. Jonathan smiled and nodded, pushing off his knees to stand at his full height, not saying another word before heading toward the door, exiting the room, and closing it gently behind him. 

As soon as he was gone, Will slumped fully into Mike, groaning into Mike's shirt, a quiet protest to his sleep being cut off. Mike felt the vibrations tickle his skin through his shirt, causing him to laugh from the sensation and Will's nuzzling into his stomach. 

"Not ready to get up?" Mike asked, keeping himself propped up on one elbow, feeling it dig into the mattress. Will didn't even bother to look up when he shook his head. "Okay, we can stay here for a minute."

"Thank you," Will responded, voice small as he tucked his chin, pressing his cheek to the sliver of overheated skin exposed on Mike's stomach, mumbling, "More."

Mike understood, realizing Will must've been seeking more contact. He let his back fall to the mattress and, without making a big show of it, reached down and lifted his shirt, offering more warmth where Will could reach it.

Will instantly readjusted, head moving further up on Mike's stomach, settling more fully against the newly exposed skin. Mike could feel Will's hair tickling him, causing him to briefly tense before relaxing again. 

Mike gave him a moment, allowing him to rest before what was surely going to be an overwhelming dinner. Will hadn't really left the room, let alone talked to anyone, throughout his episode, so Mike could admit he was a little nervous for him. 

"Are you feeling better?" Mike asked, treading lightly, unsure of how Will would react. He felt Will nod into his stomach, turning his head so he could press his lips there, leaving an unexpected, but not unwelcome, featherlight kiss. 

Will pulled his head up, looking at Mike. "I think so," Will responded, offering Mike an encouraging smile, probably sensing his unease. Mike smiled back, pulling his hand out of Will's, opting to open his arms in front of him. 

"Come here," Mike requested, curling his fingers toward himself, wanting to hug Will. Will smiled wider, a full, toothy grin as he pressed his hands to the bed on either side of Mike's torso. 

Will pulled himself onto his knees, moving the one between Mike's thighs to the outside of his hip, allowing him to crawl up to Mike's chest. Mike watched as Will came to hover over him, hair falling forward. 

Mike instantly wrapped his arms around Will, pulling him down until their chests collided, allowing Will to settle some of his weight against Mike. Mike felt Will's thighs press into his hips, head falling just below his chin, arms curling under his shoulders. 

"I'm happy that you're feeling better," Mike whispered, pressing his chin to Will's hair. Will didn't answer immediately, melting into the embrace. Mike pulled his arms back a bit, a hand running up and down the length of Will's back, the other resting on his waist. 

"Me too," Will whispered, his muscles relaxing under Mike's palm. Mike smiled, lifting his chin so he could press his lips into Will's hair and rest them there. He felt Will tip his head up slightly, pressing into his mouth, and Mike laughed, kissing the top of Will's head before pulling away. 

"Wanna go down?" Mike asked quietly, looking down at Will. Will nodded his head, tilting it up toward Mike to show he was paying attention, but his eyes were closed, clearly not quite ready to move. 

"Come on. We can continue this after dinner, okay?" Mike said, moving a hand to Will's thigh, tapping to encourage him to get up. Will huffed in protest, breath ghosting over Mike's neck before he pulled himself up, straddling Mike's hips. 

Mike waited, watching as Will lifted a knee, swinging it over Mike's body so he could slide off, settling onto the edge of the bed. Mike pushed himself up, pulling his legs up to move around Will's body, sitting on the edge next to him, hips and shoulders pressed together, hands on their respective laps. 

"Do you wanna take the hoodie off? You're kind of warm," Mike offered, bumping Will's shoulder with his own. Will's gaze instantly snapped to Mike, arms crossing in front of his chest protectively, giving Mike a purposeful look. 

Mike got the message. "You can keep it on. I just wanted to make sure. I'm sorry," Mike apologized, not wanting to upset Will, knowing all too well what would happen if he got between Will and his hoodies. 

Will nodded, accepting Mike's apology, letting his hands drop back to his lap. Mike slowly stood up, turned to Will, and held a hand out for him. Will took Mike's hand, instantly linking their fingers together, allowing Mike to pull him off the bed. 

Mike pulled Will across the room, going slow so Will had time to react, and pulled him to the door. Mike twisted the knob and pulled it open, slipping through the doorway with Will in tow, leaving the door open behind them. 

Mike tugged him down the hall, down the stairs, and into the kitchen. Everyone was already sitting at the table, beginning to eat their dinner, talking amongst themselves, unaware of their presence. Mrs. Wheeler looked up first. 

She smiled immediately. "Hello, boys," she said cheerfully, clearly happy to see them out of Mike's room. Mike offered a tight-lipped smile back, pulling Will over to the table, not even bothering to worry about their entwined hands. 

"Hey, Mom," Mike responded, shuffling over Will's chair so he could sit in his own without releasing Will's hand. He watched as Will sat down, tentatively looking around the room, most likely searching to see if people were looking at him. 

Mrs. Wheeler glanced over at Will, smiling knowingly. "Those hoodies are nice. Aren't they, Will?" she asked quietly, probably sensing his nervousness. Will's eyes snapped to her, offering a small smile, nodding slowly. 

"I like them," Will said simply, glancing sideways at Mike. Mrs. Wheeler just smiled wider, glancing between them, taking another bite of food before speaking. 

"Good. We will have to go get a few more for you guys," she offered, looking back to Nancy, returning her attention to a prior conversation. Mike began to eat his dinner with his non-dominant hand, his other one still occupied with Will's, resting on his thigh under the table. 

Both of their plates were already full, presumably from Jonathan, and Mike was grateful, though he would never admit it. He stole glances at Will, watching him slowly begin to eat his own food, still looking around the table. 

After a few minutes, Holly spoke. "Will, do you feel better?" she asked, most likely thinking Will was sick. Will looked over to where she was sitting at the end of the table next to him, flashing her a real smile. 

Will nodded. "Yes, I do," he said, his attention focused on her, allowing Mike to shamelessly watch. Mike knew they had bonded over the past few months, with Holly getting into art and Will living in the Wheeler house. 

"Good! I need help with one of my drawings," Helly said, voice high-pitched and loud. Mike watched Will take another bite of food, chewing quickly so he could respond to her, nodding to let her know he was listening. 

Will swallowed. "Tomorrow?" he offered, still not completely comfortable speaking in longer sentences or doing anything that night. Holly didn't think anything of it, just eagerly nodded and went back to eating. 

Will turned around, realizing Holly was done with the conversation, and looked at Mike. Mike felt like a deer caught in headlights, eyes widening as Will caught him staring. He watched Will's mouth spread into a knowing grin, clearly amused. 

Mike felt his cheeks flush, getting flustered under Will's gaze, but allowed himself to smile back. Will squeezed his hand, pulling them to rest on his own thigh before he looked away, releasing Mike from the hold he had on him. 

Mike quickly looked around the table, feeling like he was caught doing something he wasn't supposed to do. He caught Jonathan's eyes, finding him grinning like a madman, clearly seeing the interaction. 

Mike only felt his blush deepen as he ignored the look, tore his eyes back to his plate, and returned to eating. Throughout dinner, Holly talked to Will, or rather talked at Will, and Mike watched from the corner of his eye, seeing Will listening intently. 

The rest of the meal passed without a hitch until people began getting up from the table, rinsing their plates, and finishing up their conversations or moving them elsewhere. Just as Mike was taking his last bite, Will pushed his nearly empty plate forward.

Mike was glad that Will ate on his own, but he couldn't deny the sinking feeling in his gut that Will didn't need him anymore. Mike pushed the thought away and watched Will for a moment longer, seeing him nodding at Holly, smiling widely. 

Mike stood from his chair, using the backs of his legs to slide it away from the table before grabbing both of their plates. He walked over to the sink and began to rinse them off when Jonathan approached. 

"Hey, I didn't wanna bring it up in front of him, but when did he start talking?" Jonathan asked, voice full of wonder as he looked at Mike. Mike glanced over, shrugging as he finished rinsing their plates, setting them in the sink. 

"He, like, broke down on me earlier, but then he took a bath, ate, slept, and then he just… felt better. I don't know," Mike said slowly, unsure of why Jonathan needed to know. He felt like he needed to protect Will, to keep the information close to his chest. 

Jonathan smiled. "Thank you for doing this, by the way. You didn't have to," he said, looking over his shoulder at Will. "I don't think he has ever started talking that quickly, and it definitely wasn't just because of a nap, Mike."

Mike nodded slowly, drying his hands on his sweatpants. "Well, I love him. I just wanted to help," he said, immediately wanting to swallow back down the word love, finding it to be too revealing. 

Jonathan looked back at him, his smile faltering slightly. "He loves you, too, you know," he said, voice hushed like it was a secret, his smile coming back full force. Mike turned around and leaned against the counter, eyes trained on Will. 

"I know he does," Mike said, his voice equally as quiet. Silence settled over them for a moment as Mrs. Wheeler came and swept Holly away. Mike broke the silence as soon as Will was alone. "I'm gonna get back to him."

Mike caught a nod from Jonathan before he pushed off the counter, walking to Will. As he approached the table, Will glanced up at him, a small smile instantly stretching across his face. Mike couldn't stop himself from smiling back. 

Will spoke first. "Thank you," he said, glancing over at the sink. Mike nodded, knowing Will was thanking him for taking his plate. Mike slid back into his chair, elbow propping up on the table as he faced Will. 

"Of course," Mike replied, watching Will's eyes track his movements. "Do you wanna go back upstairs? Or, do you wanna hang out here for a bit?"

Will didn't need to think about it. "Upstairs," he said quickly, turning toward Mike, as if it would convince him, probably still tired and overwhelmed from all the people. Mike nodded immediately, instinctively holding a hand out, feeling it become a habit already. 

Will smiled wider, taking his hand without hesitation. Mike stood from the table, allowing Will time to stand and follow before he began walking across the kitchen. They got about halfway to the door before Jonathan spoke to them. 

"Have fun, you two," he said, causing Mike to glance back, seeing him give a small wave. Mike tipped his chin once and kept walking, pulling Will toward the stairs before Will stopped him, tugging him back toward Jonathan. Mike was confused for a moment before Will spoke. 

"I love you," he said, directing the sentiment toward his brother. Mike realized he had said it because he couldn't earlier, and the thought made something in his chest tighten. Mike looked at Jonathan to find him smiling from ear to ear. 

"I know. You don't need to say it, but I love you, too," Jonathan replied, seeming to recognize why Will said it, as well. Will all but beamed up at his brother, making him laugh. "Okay, now go. I won't check you tonight. I know you're in good hands."

Both of them turned to look at Mike at the same time, making Mike instantly flustered, realizing that suddenly, all the attention was on him. Mike offered an awkward, nervous smile that he knew faltered as soon as he looked at Will. 

Will abruptly turned back around, waving at his brother before pulling Mike away, spinning him around to head for the stairs. Mike's body began moving before his brain told it to, just following Will without thinking twice. 

Usually, Mike was the one tugging Will around, making him eat, and making him bathe, but now, Will was guiding him out of the kitchen, up the stairs, and toward his bedroom. Mike watched Will kick the door open, walking across the room, aiming for the bed. 

Will climbed in without ceremony, not letting go of Mike's hand, causing him to all but stumble onto the mattress. Mike laughed at Will's eagerness, catching the toothy grin from Will, who was clearly feeling much better. 

They both settled against the headboard, Will with his knees tucked to his chest, Mike with his legs straight out in front of him, one ankle crossed over the other. Will reached around Mike, pointing to the nightstand. 

Mike looked over, seeing Will pointing at his closed sketchbook, silently requesting that Mike give it to him. He did, of course, reaching over and swiping it off the nightstand, turning back to hand it to Will. 

Will instantly took it from his hand, opening it to the drawing of Mike's room and pulling the pencil out, not even sparing a glance at Mike before his hand started moving across the page. Mike didn't mind; he just slid down on the bed, lying flat, arms coming up to fold under his head. 

Mike allowed his eyes to close, listening to only the sounds of pencil scratching against paper and the hum of the house downstairs. Mike wasn't sure how long he lay there, sitting in silence, just existing with Will, but he knew it was a while. 

He could see the room darkening through his eyelids, with only the lamp casting a warm glow over the room. Every once in a while, Will would shift on the bed, causing Mike's eyes to flutter open, only to close them moments later when he realized Will was just readjusting. 

At some point, Will broke the silence. "I'm sorry," he whispered, making Mike open his eyes, tilting his head up to look at Will. Will wasn't looking at him, but he knew he was waiting for a response. 

"For what?" Mike whispered back, furrowing his brows in confusion. Will shrugged his shoulders, glancing at Mike briefly before averting his eyes back to his sketchbook. "You don't need to apologize for anything, Will."

Will nodded slowly. "It's just- I know I can be difficult. You know… like the bath," Will pointed out quietly, trailing off, purposely avoiding Mike's eyes. Mike frowned, wondering if Will had been carrying that worry the whole time. 

Mike pulled himself to sit, turning his body to face Will. "Will, look at me," he requested, reaching out to grab Will's wrist, stopping him from drawing. Will reluctantly looked over at Mike, keeping his head down like he was about to be scolded. 

Mike caught his eye, giving him a pointed look. "You don't need to be sorry. Nothing about the bath made me uncomfortable, and I'm not upset. I would do it all again if you needed me to," Mike said, releasing Will's wrist and letting his own hand fall to the bed. Will blinked at him slowly, processing the words before nodding. 

Mike continued. "We don't need to talk to communicate. We don't need words, Will. I wanted to help you. I just wanted you to feel better," he said, watching as Will nodded along as he spoke, seemingly trying to convince himself that the statement was true. 

Will didn't say anything, just looked back at his sketchbook, staring at the page like it would give him answers. Mike sighed, reached out, and slowly grabbed the sketchbook off Will's knees. Will watched it leave his lap, but didn't move to stop Mike. 

Mike closed the sketchbook, reaching back out to take the pencil from Will's hand, pushing it into the spine before putting it back on the nightstand. Mike turned back to Will, seeing him staring, looking almost dumbfounded. 

"Lay down with me, please?" Mike asked, smiling sheepishly at Will, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed to ask. Will didn't smile, just nodded his head, and moved himself down on the bed. Mike watched Will lie down on his back, head tilted toward Mike, waiting for him to join. 

Mike hesitated, looking down at the bed, contemplating just lying next to Will instead of doing what he actually wanted to do, but he gathered his courage, realizing it was his turn to ask for what he needed. 

"Can I?" Mike asked, gesturing to Will's general body, alluding to what he wanted instead of downright asking. Will seemed to understand anyway, slowly opening his arms for Mike. Mike instantly crawled onto his hands and knees, climbing over Will. 

Mike put a hand on either side of Will's torso, pushing one of his knees between Will's so he was hovering above him. Will looked a little surprised, but let his hands fall on Mike's arms, holding him there. 

Mike pulled one of his arms up, allowing Will's hand to fall as he brought a hand up to Will's collar. "Lift your head," Mike instructed, voice hushed with the short distance between them. Will listened almost instantly, lifting his head off the mattress, only shrinking the space between them. 

Mike reached behind him, grabbing the edge of the hood and pulling it up over Will's head, like he had done multiple times that day. As soon as it was up, Will let his head fall back to the bed, hair flopping into his face from where the hood was pushing it down. 

Mike smiled, brushing the hair out of Will's eyes, watching as his lips moved into a soft, almost fond smile. In an act of impulse, Mike leaned his head forward slowly, giving Will time to move his head, to push him away, connecting his lips with the corner of Will's mouth. 

Mike pulled back, eyes instantly locking onto Will's face, trying to catch his reaction. Mike watched as Will's cheeks turned a darker shade, his lips parted in surprise, and his brows furrowed in confusion. 

"What was that for?" Will whispered, sounding a little breathless. Mike had to look away for a second, feeling his own cheeks heat under Will's curious, open gaze. Mike took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart before responding. 

Mike turned back to Will. "I meant what I said. I love you, but it's more than you think," Mike whispered, beginning to pull back, bracing for rejection. Will's hands tightened over his arms, holding him in place, stopping him from moving away. 

"I love you, too," Will rushed out, pulling Mike toward him. Mike froze, not expecting Will to say it back, not expecting him to mean it in the same way. Will continued. "I love you more than you know."

Mike felt his breath get stolen from his lungs. "That's more words than you've said all day," Mike pointed out, feeling his brain struggle to comprehend the situation, just spewing out the first thought it had. 

Will laughed. "Worth it," Will said, looking a bit smug before what Mike could only describe as pure joy took over his expression. Mike's eyes darted over Will's face, stuck in a state of awe as he watched Will talk. "Kiss me?"

Mike didn't even have to think about it. 

Mike shot forward, slamming his own lips against Will's. The kiss is short, testing, but it was firm, and deep, and possibly the best thing Mike had ever felt in his life. Mike quickly pulled away as soon as his brain caught up, realizing he was kissing his best friend, Will, who apparently loved him. 

"Oh, my god," Mike muttered under his breath in pure disbelief, watching as Will smiled up at him, looking happier than ever. Mike dove right back in, gentler this time, connecting their mouths with a soft press of the lips, savouring the taste of Will's mouth on his own. 

Mike felt one of Will's hands leave his arm, snaking around to the front of his shirt, tugging the fabric forward. Mike let Will pull him down, lowering his body further. As soon as Mike's body connected with Will's, Will let out a contented sigh into Mike's mouth. 

Mike kissed him for a moment longer before beginning to pull back, causing Will to chase his lips. Mike leaned back in, giving Will a few shorter kisses until he pulled away completely, earning him a small whine from Will. 

Mike laughed. "This is great, but you need to sleep. You had a really long day," Mike murmured, immediately regretting his decision to stop kissing Will when he jutted his lip out in a pout. Mike smiled and leaned down, kissing Will's bottom lip. 

Will instantly latched on to Mike's top lip, bringing his hands up to either side of Mike's jaw, manually tilting his head to deepen the kiss. Mike allowed it, not really wanting to stop. Mike felt Will's tongue slide across his bottom lip, causing Mike to open his mouth. 

He felt Will's tongue enter his mouth, sliding against his own before he abruptly pulled away, causing Mike to chase his mouth instead. Will just laughed, allowing Mike one last chaste kiss before pushing his head away. 

"Okay, we can sleep now," Will said, patting Mike's cheek, leaving Mike a bit stunned at the abrupt change. Mike could feel his jaw drop open, heavy breaths coming out as he tried to process. Will laughed at Mike's expression, making Mike realize he did it on purpose. 

Mike snapped his mouth shut, looking away briefly so he could pull himself together. After a moment, Mike looked back and nodded his head, swallowing, not trusting himself to speak. Will's expression settled on a warm smile, his eyes open wide and attentive as his hands fell away from Mike's face. 

Mike felt Will press against his chest, pushing him to move off and lie on the bed. Mike let himself be maneuvered, sliding off of Will to settle back against the bed. Will came with him, slotting himself into Mike's side. 

Will put his head on Mike's chest before slinging an arm over his stomach. Mike's arm curled around Will's back, his other coming up to grab Will's hand. Will threw a leg over Mike, pelvis pressing to Mike's hip, leg slotting itself between Mike's thighs. 

"Are we gonna sleep without a blanket, Will?" Mike asked, a bit amused by how comfortable Will was getting. Will looked up at him and huffed, realizing he would have to move. Mike laughed as Will reluctantly sat up, reaching for the foot of the bed to grasp the quilt before pulling it up over them, settling right back into his original position. 

Will wiggled around for a bit, moving his bottom arm around so it wouldn't fall asleep, shifting his hips so they lay just right against Mike's, and tucking the blanket around for comfort. Mike waited patiently, pulling one of his own legs up to bend at the knee, laying it flat on the bed. 

Soon, Will settled. "Okay, now we sleep," he said, sounding a bit annoyed at all the moving. Mike hummed in response, looking down at Will, his Will with a fond smile, watching him look up at the sound. 

Mike picked his head up and gave Will a small, innocent peck before letting it fall back against the pillows. "I could get used to this," Mike murmured, already feeling himself sinking into the mattress, nearly boneless. 

Then, it was Will's turn to hum a response, making a sound of agreement as he let his head fall back down, positioned so Mike could see all of his features. Mike kept his head turned to the side, watching as Will's eyes fluttered shut. 

Neither of them moved, neither of them spoke; they just basked in the warm embrace until Will's body melted into him, going completely still. Mike listened to his breathing even out, felt his hand going slack in his own, and saw his face soften, brows smoothing out, lips parting. 

"Goodnight, Will," Mike whispered into the air, knowing Will was sound asleep. Mike pressed his lips against Will's forehead, one last lingering touch before he let his head fall back, his own body going slack as he was lulled to sleep by the sound of Will's breathing.