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Normally Will wouldn’t describe himself as a nosey person. He never liked to gossip or butt into other’s business but when it came to his best friend it was different. He wanted to know everything about him, at least anything humanly possible without seeming creepy. But he’s so use to knowing everything about him. Growing up they would never keep anything from each other. He couldn’t even tell Mike a white lie before instantly telling him the truth and Mike would do the same. And sure there was a period of time where they barely talked but even then he felt like there was a chance he still knew everything about Mike. Then, he saw him during spring break at the airport and he realized it’s changed. He doesn’t know everything about Mike anymore. He isn’t the one person that Mike trusted with every small secret. He felt like he wasn’t even his best friend anymore. Even after they talked it out that feeling lingered in the back of his mind. He knows things won’t go back to how they were the summer before he went to California but at least it’s close enough. Even after they planned on going to the same college together it lingered. Even when they moved in together it lingered in the back of his mind. He knows he shouldn’t worry since Mike has been telling him anything he could but it sometimes still feels like he’s hiding something. But today that feeling was stronger than usual. He woke up to the sound of the shower water hitting the bathroom floor. He slowly rises and leaves his bed, opening the door to see that the bathroom door is wide open. He doesn’t look for more than a second but in that one second he sees something. A tattoo on Mike’s upper leg. A tattoo?
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Mike walks into the living room with a towel wrapped around his waist. It’s fully covering the tattoo that he hasn’t told Will about. Yet. He sees Will at the kitchen table drinking his bitter coffee.
“I don’t know how you drink that” He says while sitting down in the chair across from Will.
“I don’t know how you drink sugary sap” Will retorts back in a voice that Mike barely hears from Will. Is Will mad at him? But why would he be mad at him? Maybe he did something bad without realizing it. “You left the bathroom door open again” Will mutters while taking a sip of his coffee.
“Sorry it just slips my mind..does it make you uncomfortable?” Mike asks hoping it gives him an answer to what Will seems to be annoyed about. He immediately regrets asking when he sees the look that goes over Will’s face. It leaves his face as quickly as it came but it doesn’t leave Mike’s mind. Why would he react like that? Mike feels dumbfounded by this. He hasn’t seen Will annoyed by him. Usually he wouldn’t be so stunned by someone being annoyed by him since it’s not unusual but from Will. It’s different. Any reaction from Will feels different to him. He’s always cared more about how Will felt about him so seeing him annoyed by him feels weird. It feels hurtful. He doesn’t want Will to ever be mad at him.
“Just start closing the door.” Will said to him in a tone that was similar to a command. Mike looked down feeling like he was suddenly smaller than Will. He’s the only one that could ever make Mike feel like this with just his tone. He nods his head as his response. He’s scared to hear how he would sound if he spoke out loud. He doesn’t want to sound like Will could break him with just one word. But if he spoke it would be obvious that Will could. When Will finishes his coffee he stands up without saying anything. The room is quiet with the only noise being the chair scraping against the floor as Will stood up. He feels like he should say something but the look on Will’s face makes him stay silent. Maybe it’s for the better that he doesn't speak because everytime he does he feels weaker against Will. He needs to say just one word. One word to break the silence.
“Will” Mike was finally able to spit out. He can hear the slight tremor in his voice as he says the other’s name. Will turns and looks at him, seeming to have finally calmed down. Maybe he heard the tremor in Mike’s voice. Maybe he realized how easily he could break Mike down. Maybe he’s pitying Mike for being so weak under Will. He doesn’t want to think about that right now and he wished it never came across his mind. “Sorry about the whole bathroom thing and sorry if I made you uncomfortable? If I did please tell me I don’t want you to be annoyed with me” Without realizing Mike avoided Will’s eyes as he spoke.