Chapter Text
It was a classic Hawkins afternoon, the air filled with the scent of burgers and the hum of the music. Inside the local Hawkins diner, in the corner booth was Dustin, Mike, and Will were squeezed into one side of the vinyl booth, while El sat opposite them next to Lucas, with one spot remaining empty for Max.
"I’m telling you," Dustin said, gesturing with a french fry, "The moment I walked across that stage, I felt ten pounds lighter. No more annoying essays. No more dodging Hellfire recruitment posters. And no more being bitched around by our principal."
"You were the one putting the posters up, Dustin," Mike pointed out with a smirk.
"Whatever," Dustin waved him off. "The point is, we’re free. Best memories?"
"Leaving," El said firmly, making everyone laugh.
"I don't know," Will added softly, tracing the condensation on his water glass. "I think today is a pretty good contender. Just... being back here. All of us. Not saving the world again."
The door chimed again, and a gust of humid air followed Max inside. Her red hair caught the afternoon sun, a confidence in her stride that always seemed to command the room.
“Hey guys, sorry I’m late,” she said, sliding into the chair next to Lucas. “I had to swing by the airport. My cousin just flew in, and he’s staying with us for a few weeks to help me move out.”
“It’s all good,” Lucas said, as he leaned in to press a quick kiss to her cheek.
Mike made a theatrical gagging noise, shielding his eyes. “Ew, gross, guys. Public space. Some of us are trying to digest processed meat here.”
Max didn't miss a beat. “You’re just mad because no one can stand to look at your face for more than sixty seconds at a time.”
“That is factually incorrect,” Mike muttered, though he was smiling. Beside him, Will let his gaze linger on the sharp line of Mike’s jaw, thinking privately that he could happily stare at Mike’s face until the day he died.
“Anyway,” Max continued, looking over at Will and El. “You two might actually know him. He’s from Lenora.”
Will paused, his brow furrowing. “Lenora’s a big place, Max, and we weren't exactly the social butterflies of California.” He looked at El, who gave a shrug.
“What’s his name?” Will asked.
As if on cue, a shadow fell over the table. A tall guy stepped up behind Max. He was tanned, his skin glowing with that West Coast tan, wearing a simple brown t-shirt and well-worn blue jeans. His blonde hair was layered in a messy style with curtain bangs that framed blue eyes.
Before Max could even open her mouth, Will’s breath hitched. The glass in his hand nearly slipped. "Luke?"
Luke's eyes widened as they landed on Will. "Will? No way."
The table went silent. Mike’s head whipped toward Will, his expression instantly guarded. "You know him?"
Will felt like he couldn't breathe. He and Luke were locked in a silent, panicked stare. Under the table, El’s foot collided sharply with Will’s shin, snapping him back to the present.
"Barely," Will cleared his throat, the word sounding scratchy. He shot Luke a look, a silent, desperate plea for discretion. "We... We barely know each other. Just around, you know?"
"Oh, yeah," Luke stammered, picking up the cue a second too late. "I hardly know him. We were-"
"Classmates," El interrupted, trying to save the situation, but failing. She looked at Luke with a pointed intensity. "In Lenora. Classmates."
Luke nodded quickly. "Right. Chem lab. Stuff like that."
The air at the table turned heavy and awkward. Max looked between them, sensing the shift. "Well, okay then. Small world. Everyone, this is my cousin, Luke. Like I said, he's just hanging out in Hawkins for a bit."
"Welcome to this shithole of the Midwest," Dustin joked, "Hope it lives up to the hype."
Luke laughed, though it sounded a bit forced as he pulled up a chair. "Max warned me it was... different."
As the group began peppering Luke with questions about California, Will felt his ears ringing. He couldn't focus on the conversation. His mind was a chaotic calculator, running the impossible math: What are the odds? Of all the people in Lenora, of all the cousins Max could have, it had to be Luke. His old "friend-with-benefits." The guy he’d spent most of his California existence in bed with.
He could feel Mike’s eyes on him. Mike wasn't listening to Luke; he was watching the way Will’s hands were shaking. A dark pit of jealousy was clearly forming in Mike's chest, his eyes darting between Will and the tanned stranger.
El noticed the ripple effect. She saw Will spiraling and Mike simmering.
"I am going to use the bathroom," El announced, reaching over and poking Will hard in the ribs. "Will, do you need to?”
"Y-yeah," Will jumped up, nearly knocking over his water. "Back in a second."
They hurried toward the back hallway, tucked away near the bathrooms. The moment they were out of sight, Will slumped against the wall, pressing his palms to his eyes. "El, tell me I’m dreaming. This is a nightmare."
"Will, I cannot believe this," she whispered, her voice urgent. "Of all the people."
"I literally hooked up with him for five months!" Will hissed, his voice cracking. "Basically, every other day. Mike is going to lose his mind if he finds out I was that close with someone else while I was writing him those letters."
"Then just tell him the truth!" El countered. "Tell him it was before you guys were 'official.' It wasn't serious, right? It was just... hooking up."
"El, it was five months," Will groaned, throwing his hands up. "That’s like,” he pauses, “That's sixty days of sex! How do I just 'mention' that?"
El wrinkled her nose. "Ew. I did not need the math, Will."
Will rolled his eyes, "Why is this happening to me? Why today?"
"Will, you have to tell him," El insisted, her voice with her sisterly concern. "You and Luke have a history. If Mike finds out from someone else, it will be worse, and he is going to get hurt if you lie about it."
"Lie about what?"
The voice came from the hallway. Will and El froze. Mike was standing there, his hands shoved deep into his pockets.
El looked at Will, then at Mike, and slowly raised her hands in a gesture of "I’m out." She slipped past Mike without a word, leaving the two of them alone in the narrow hall.
Will took a shaky breath and stepped toward Mike. He couldn't do it. Not here. Not with the group ten feet away. He reached out, lacing his fingers through Mike’s and leaning in to press a lingering, reassuring kiss to his cheek.
"Nothing, baby," Will whispered, "Just California drama. Come on, let's go back."
A few days later, the Wheeler basement was full of people. Dustin and Lucas were sprawled on the floor, while Mike, Will, and El were packed onto the couch.
“Three beats one!” Lucas shouted, defending the honor of Indiana Jones.
“Max hasn't voted yet!” El fired back. “She’ll definitely pick Ferris Bueller.”
“And if she doesn’t?” Dustin challenged. “If it’s a tie?”
“Luke,” Will said. The name jumped out of his mouth before he could filter it.
Mike’s head snapped toward him, his eyes narrowing. “What?”
“I-I mean,” Will stammered, shifting uncomfortably on the cushion. “Luke could be the tie-breaker. It would make it an odd number. That is... if Max is even bringing him?”
“She is,” Lucas confirmed,
Mike didn’t look away from Will. There was a flicker of that old, sharp annoyance in his gaze, but then Will caught his eye and offered a small, shy smile, the one that usually melted Mike’s defenses. It worked. Mike sighed, his posture relaxing as he leaned his head back.
A couple of minutes later, Max finally descended the stairs with Luke trailing behind. Luke looked even taller in the dim basement light, his blue eyes scanning the room until they landed on Will.
“Thank god,” Dustin groaned. “Settle this. Indiana Jones or Ferris Bueller?”
Max looked at Mike. “We are not watching Star Wars again, Wheeler.”
“Not the choice!” Mike rolled his eyes. “Jones or Bueller?”
Max tapped her chin, enjoying the power. “Both options suck. We watched E.T. last week, so... Ferris. Definitely Ferris.”
The boys let out a chorus of groans while El cheered.
“Wait!” Lucas pointed at Luke. “Tie-breaker. What do you want to watch, man?”
Luke looked around, his hands shoved into his pockets. “Oh, man. Lots of pressure. I don't want to start a civil war when I just met you guys.”
“Just pick!” Max nudged him.
Luke’s eyes locked onto Will’s. Will didn't even realize he was doing it, but he brought his hands together in a tiny, silent 'please' gesture. Luke’s lips twitched into a smirk.
“I think Ferris would be cool,” Luke said softly.
As the boys complained and El stuck her tongue out at Mike, Luke navigated over to the couch. He gestured to the sliver of space next to Will. “This seat taken?”
Will shook his head, moving over just enough. As Luke sat down, Will felt the heat of him on his side. Mike immediately shifted, his hand finding Will’s under the blanket, intertwining their pinkies. It was their secret way of physical intimacy in front of the group.
On the screen, Ferris Bueller was mid-monologue, but Will couldn't hear a word of it. All he could feel was the weight of the person sitting to his left and the heat of the person to his right. He felt like a rope being pulled from both ends.
Then Luke stood up, "Hey," his voice cutting through the movie audio. "Where is the bathroom in this place?"
"Up the stairs, down the hall," Mike answered. His voice was flat and devoid of any hospitality. He didn't even look away from the TV.
"I’ll show him," Will said, jumping up a little too quickly.
He didn't see the way Mike’s jaw tightened and how he looked at the basement stairs as if he were wishing they would spontaneously cave in, burying Max's cousin beneath the foundation.
Will led Luke up the wooden stairs. Once they reached the upstairs hallway, Will pointed toward the door at the end of the hall. "It’s right over there-"
Before he could finish, Luke’s hand shot out, catching Will’s wrist. With a swift, practiced motion, Luke pulled him into the small bathroom and clicked the lock shut. The space was tiny, smelling of Mrs. Wheeler's floral soap.
"Guess you can’t get enough of me, huh?" Luke murmured. He stepped into Will’s space, his hands hitting the door on either side of Will’s head, effectively trapping him.
The proximity was overwhelming. In the dim light, Luke’s blue eyes were intense, and for a terrifying second, Will’s brain flickered back to Lenora; to the nights when he snuck into Luke’s room or the late nights in the backseat of Luke’s car. He realized then that his behavior at the diner and the couch could easily be read as some form of invitation.
Will forced himself to place his hands on Luke’s chest and shove, creating a few inches of breathing room. "Not now, Luke," he hissed, his heart beating fast.
"Oh," Luke’s lips curved into a slow, knowing smirk. "So... when?"
"No! That is not what I meant!" Will whisper-yelled, his face flushing hot. He held his hands up between them like a shield. "I only came up here to show you the bathroom. That’s it."
He looked away, unable to maintain eye contact. Luke tilted his head, his gaze sweeping over Will’s panicked expression. "That’s it? Really? Because back at the diner, and just now on the couch... you didn't exactly look like you wanted me to stay away."
Will let out a frustrated groan, sliding his hand through his hair. "Okay, fine. And I came up here to tell you that you cannot tell anyone about what happened in California. Not a word. To Max, To anyone!"
Luke stepped back just an inch, leaning his hip against the porcelain sink. "Why the secrecy, Will? You seeing someone? Is it the lanky guy downstairs who looks like he wants to kill me?"
The word Yes was on the tip of Will's tongue. It was the truth. It was the simple answer. But if he said yes, he’d have to explain why he was hiding it and why not even his cousin knows. It’s just better this way.
"No," Will lied, the word feeling like a stone in his throat. He looked back at Luke, trying to steady his voice. "It’s just... I’m not out yet,” He lies, knowing he came out to the group a couple of months ago.
“None of them know. I’m not ready to tell them, and if you start talking about 'us' in Lenora, it’ll blow everything up."
Luke studied him for a long beat, then nodded slowly. "Okay. I respect that. I’m not a jerk, Will. I don’t want to make it weird for you." He paused, "Do you miss me? Even a little?"
Will froze. The honesty of the question caught him off guard.
In the silence of the bathroom, he had to admit it to himself; when he first moved back to Hawkins, he had missed Luke. He had missed the way their personalities blended, the way Luke didn't know his baggage, and the way Luke made him feel good during those late-night meetups. Seeing him again had stirred up a messy, nostalgic heat in his chest that he wasn't prepared for.
But then he thought of Mike. His boyfriend, although it was a secret, loved him. He thought of Mike’s pinky hooked into his under a blanket, the way Mike looked at him like he was the only person in the world.
"No, Luke. I don't," Will said, though the slight hesitation in his voice betrayed the complexity of his feelings. He reached out, not to push Luke away this time, but placing a hand gently on Luke’s arm to soften the blow, as if to redirect the energy into something safe.
"I just really don’t want the group finding out. So can we please just..." He pursed his lips, searching for the right words to keep Luke at a distance without making him an enemy. "Can we just keep it casual? Please? Just play it cool."
Luke looked down at Will's hand on his arm, a flicker of something passing over his face, disappointment, maybe, or just acceptance. He looked back up and nodded.
"Okay," Luke said softly. "I’ll keep it casual."
Will felt a wave of relief wash over him at Luke’s nod. He stepped toward the door, putting a neutral expression on his face and clicking the lock open. He expected the quiet, dimly lit hallway of the Wheeler house. Instead, he found himself face-to-face with Max Mayfield.
She was standing there with her hand raised, seconds away from knocking. Her mouth dropped open, her blue eyes darting from Will’s flushed, sweaty face to Luke, who was still leaning casually against the sink behind him in the cramped space.
“Max! I-this isn't what it looks like,” Will stammered, his heart dropping into his stomach.
Max’s gaze lingered on Luke’s smug expression and then drifted back to Will. A slow, cynical scoff escaped her. “Oh, please, Will. I know exactly what this looks like.”
“No, you don’t,” Will insisted, his voice rising in pitch. The walls felt like they were closing in. If Max told the group she’d found them locked in a bathroom, Mike would never believe another word Will said.
Luke stepped forward, “It’s really nothing, Max. We were just catching up on some stuff from Lenora. Old times, you know?”
Max rolled her eyes, her expression shifting to amusement. She didn't believe the 'catching up' line for a second, “Right. Catching up. In a five-by-five room with the door locked.” She took a step back, shaking her head. “Alright, you two. Don’t let me stop the... reunion.”
She turned and headed toward the stairs. Will didn't even think; he lunged out of the bathroom and ran after her, catching her at the top of the stairwell.
“Max, wait! I swear to God, that was nothing!” he pleaded in a harsh whisper, his hands trembling.
Max stopped and turned to face him. “Look, Will,” she said, her voice low so the boys downstairs wouldn't hear. “I really don’t care what you do.” She glanced back at the bathroom door where Luke was just emerging. “Or, I guess, who you do. It’s your life. I’m not your mom.”
“Max, please,” Will said, shoving his palms into his eyes. The weight of his secret felt like it was crushing his ribs. “Please, you can’t tell anyone. And I mean no one.
“I get it, Will,” she said softly. She stepped forward and pulled him into a quick, firm hug, patting his back. “I won’t tell anyone. I promise. Your business is your business.”
Will let out a breath. He pulled her into a hug, “Thank you, Max. Seriously. You have no idea what that means to me,” Will whispered.
“Sure,” Max said, pulling away with a small, knowing smirk.
She gave him a playful shove toward the stairs and headed down. Will followed, a small, shaky smile on his face. He felt like a massive burden had been lifted off his shoulders.
He sat back down next to Mike on the couch. Mike leaned in, his voice a low, suspicious rumble, causing Will to flinch.
“You were gone a long time,” Mike whispered, his eyes scanning Will’s face.
“We were just catching up,” Will said. He reached out and boldly rested his hand on Mike’s thigh for a second before sliding it away. “It’s a crazy coincidence, right?”
Mike nodded, his tension easing slightly at the touch.
The credits of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off began to crawl up the screen. El stood up, stretching her arms above her head. "Max and I are going to her house for a sleepover," El announced, grabbing her jacket. She turned to Will. "Tell Mom when you get home? So she does not worry?"
"Yeah. Yeah, of course," Will said, his voice sounding a little too eager for the room to clear.
As the door at the top of the stairs finally clicked shut behind Dustin and Lucas, the silence that followed was heavy.
Mike didn't say a word. He just reached out, grabbed the front of Will’s shirt, and pulled him down into an abnormally intense kiss. Will stumbled back, his calves hitting the edge of the sofa, but he didn't pull away. He met the kiss with equal intensity, his hands finding the back of Mike’s neck, pulling him closer until there wasn't a speck of air between them.
They collapsed onto the cushions. Will climbed onto Mike’s lap, straddling him, his fingers tangling in Mike’s dark curls. The energy coming off Mike was different; more desperate.
Will leaned down, deepening the kiss, his heart fluttering. He felt a surge of heat and, almost instinctively, rolled his hips down against Mike’s.
A low, broken groan vibrated in Mike’s throat, a sound that made Will’s head spin. But just as Will leaned in to trail kisses down Mike’s jawline, he felt Mike’s hands lock onto his waist, holding him still.
"What, Mike?" Will whispered, breathless, staring into Mike's dilated pupils.
"You’re lying to me." The words were flat.
Will felt a chill sweep over his skin. He scoffed, the sound defensive and sharp, as he climbed off Mike’s lap and sat on the far end of the couch. "About what, Mike?" he asked, throwing as much annoyance into his voice as he could muster.
Mike sat up, his hair messy, his lips swollen from the kiss, but his gaze was unwavering. He looked down at his hands for a moment before meeting Will’s eyes. "About Luke."
Will scoffed again, louder this time, shaking his head. "Unbelievable. This again?"
"You’re not telling me something, Will," Mike said, his voice rising. "I see the way you look at him. I saw the way you looked at him in the diner, and I saw you two on the couch tonight. And then the bathroom? You were gone forever."
Will felt a surge of genuine anger, even though he was technically lying to Mike. Did Mike not trust him? The thought of that made him even madder. He stood up, pacing the small area in front of the TV, throwing his hands into the air.
"Mike, are you serious right now? What could I possibly be hiding!" Will yelled, the gaslighting coming out of him like acid. He hated it, but he couldn't stop. "I literally haven't seen this guy in years! El told you-everyone told you! We were just classmates! Why is that so hard for you to grasp?"
He felt bad bringing El into it, using her as a shield for his own deception, but he was too far gone. He was in the deep end, and he had to keep swimming or drown.
Mike didn't argue. He just slumped back against the sofa, looking down at his legs, looking defeated. Will thought silence was worse than the shouting.
Will grabbed his denim jacket from the coffee table, "Take me home."
Mike’s head snapped up. "What?"
"Take. Me. Home," Will repeated, standing tall, his jaw set in a mask of artificial anger.
"No-Will, please, stay," Mike said, scrambling up from the couch. He grabbed Will’s arm, his eyes wide and shimmering with that "puppy dog" vulnerability that always made Will crumble. "Baby, I’m sorry. I just... I get so jealous. It’s a flaw, I know. I just love you so much it makes me crazy. Please don't go like this."
Will looked at him, and his heart ached. Mike looked beautiful even when he was falling apart. Will wanted to drop the jacket, throw his arms around Mike, and tell him everything. He wanted to tell him about the late nights in Lenora and how Luke was just his fuckbuddy.
But he had already made his bed. He had built this wall of anger to protect his lie, and if he stepped down now, the whole thing would collapse.
"Mike, please," Will said, his voice softening but remaining firm. "Just take me home."
Mike gave a slow, miserable nod.
The drive to the cabin was silent. Will sat in the passenger seat, watching the trees blur by in the moonlight. He felt the guilt gnawing at his stomach, and he didn't want Mike to go to sleep thinking Will hated him, so he reached across the center console and took Mike’s hand. He traced the lines of Mike’s palm with his thumb, a silent peace offering.
When they pulled up to the Hopper cabin, Mike leaned over and captured Will’s lips in a swift kiss.
"I love you," Mike said calmly, his voice steady but sad.
Will couldn't help the small smile that touched his lips. "I love you too."
For a second, the lie almost vanished. But as Will opened the car door, he remembered he was supposed to be the one who was "wronged." He leaned back into the window, keeping his expression flat.
"I'll call you later," he said.
He turned and walked toward the cabin without looking back. As he stepped inside and heard the sound of Mike’s car fading into the distance. Will leaned his head against the cool wood of the front door, closing his eyes. He stood alone in the dark and realized he was standing at the bottom of a very deep grave he had dug all by himself.
The next day, Will met up with Max and El at the mall, desperately needing a grounding conversation. The neon lights of the Mall hummed overhead. They walked into a random store. Will was aimlessly sliding hangers across a metal rack, just browsing as a way to distract from the heavy conversation.
"And then," Will said, his voice dropping to a frantic whisper as a group of teenage girls walked past, "I got mad. I actually turned it around on him and yelled at him for not trusting me."
He pulled a neon-striped polo off the rack and held it up to his chest. El and Max both gave a synchronized, flat shake of their heads. Will shoved it back into the wrong section.
"So now," Will continued, running a hand through his hair, "he’s probably moping around, thinking he did something wrong. And it’s because I lied straight to his face."
Max stopped dead in her tracks, clutching a pair of denim shorts. She squinted at Will like she was trying to solve a particularly difficult equation. "Wait, sorry... hold on. I’m still catching up. There is actually something going on between you and Luke? My cousin, Luke?"
Will let out a low, pained groan that was half-muffled by a rack of sweaters. "It was just sex, Max! That’s it."
Max raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.
"Okay, fine," Will hissed, leaning in closer. "It was five months of sex. Like, two or three times a week. It wasn't 'nothing,' but it wasn't love."
Max immediately dropped the shorts, sticking out her tongue, "Okay, ew! Stop. I actually don’t need the mental image of my cousin’s 'activities' in my head. Ever."
Will playfully swatted her arm, a stressed laugh escaping him. "Hey, you’re the one who asked for the details!"
"And let me just make sure I have the facts straight," Max said, regaining her composure and beginning to count off on her fingers dramatically. "Fact one: You spent half a year hooking up with my cousin in California. Fact two: You are also currently in a secret, year-long relationship with Mike Wheeler. And fact three: Instead of just being honest, you looked Mike in the eye and told him he was imagining things. Did I miss anything, or is that the full disaster report?"
Will sighed, "Yes. Unfortunately, that is the full, pathetic truth."
Max broke into a grin, let out a sharp, short laugh, and patted him on the shoulder. "Man, you are in deep, deep shit."
"I know that! Shut up and just tell me what to do!"
"You have to tell Mike the truth," El insisted. She stepped forward, becoming the moral compass of the group. "He is your boyfriend, Will. If he hears it from Luke, or if he finds out you lied for weeks, it will break his heart. Tell him before it gets worse."
Max suddenly swung her arm out, blocking El. "No way, dude. Absolutely not. Will, you’ve already committed to the lie. You leaned into it. If you go back now and say, 'Oh, hey, remember when I called you paranoid? Actually, I was sleeping with that guy,' Mike will implode. It’s too late to fess up. You have to take this secret to your grave."
Will looked from El’s pleading eyes to Max’s determined stare. Their conflicting advice was making his head spin.
"Oh my god," he whispered, burying his face in his hands. "I totally fucked up."
"Yes," El and Max said in terrifying unison.
When Will made it back to the cabin, he knew he had to fess up to the lie. He called Mike on the phone and asked him to come over. Mike agreed, and just moments later, he pulled up to the cabin. Will greeted him with a kiss and walked to his bedroom.
Mike followed Will into the bedroom, the door clicking shut, for extra privacy. They sat on the edge of the bed, the mattress dipping under their weight.
“Are you still mad at me?” Mike asked. He tried to sound firm, but his lower lip tucked into a small, defensive pout that betrayed how much the silence was killing him.
Will looked at him, the guilt finally outweighing the fear of the fallout. He leaned in, capturing Mike’s lips in a kiss that was meant to be an apology. “No, baby. That’s actually what I wanted to talk about.”
“What’s there to talk about?” Mike’s hand shot out, lacing his fingers through Will’s, gripping tight as if he were afraid Will might leave again. “I was being a total asshole. I got jealous over nothing, and I’m sorry. I'm an idiot.”
Will felt a pang in his chest. “Actually, Mike… I was the one being an asshole.”
Mike pulled back slightly, his brow furrowing in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“I know Luke a little better than just ‘classmates,’” Will whispered, the words feeling like lead in his mouth. Mike’s hand twitched in his. “We have a history. Back in Lenora... we used to be a little more. We were friends with benefits, Mike.”
Mike's reaction was immediate; his hand retracted it as if Will’s skin had burned him. He stood up so fast the bed frames creaked. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered, pacing around the room.
“I’m sorry, Mike! I should have told you the second he showed up, I just-”
“So for the past twenty-four hours, I’ve been spiraling, feeling like a piece of shit for ‘overreacting,’ when the whole time you were lying to my face?” Mike’s voice rose,
Will stood up too, his own stubbornness flaring. “I lied because it was irrelevant! It was years ago, Mike! It was a lifetime ago!”
“Irrelevant?” Mike scoffed, “He was looking at you like he still owned a piece of you, Will! I knew you were lying. I could feel it in my gut, and you let me feel like I was the crazy one.”
“Hold on, you’re no saint either!” Will jabbed a finger toward him, stepping into Mike’s space. “You immediately jumped to the worst conclusion! Do you not trust me at all? After everything?”
“Clearly I can’t!” Mike snapped, his face flushed. “Not when you’re giving it up for everyone who asks!”
The silence that followed was rough. Mike’s eyes widened, the regret hitting him the second the words left his lips, but Will was already there, face-to-face with him, eyes wide with a mix of hurt and fury.
“Are you serious, Mike?” Will hissed. “Is that what you think of me? That I’m just some easy mark?”
Mike didn’t answer. He couldn't.
“I have been loyal to you for a year,” Will said, shoving Mike’s chest. Mike stumbled back a half-step but didn't fight it. “Never once have I looked at anyone else. I have been yours.” He shoved him harder, his voice rising. “But if you want to act like a possessive asshole, at least be honest about why it’s actually bothering you.”
Will saw it then, the shift in Mike’s eyes. It was a dark, twisted fascination. Mike liked the idea that Will was desired; he just hated that he hadn't been the first or the only.
Before Will could shove him again, Mike lunged. He grabbed Will’s face and crashed their lips together.
Will tore himself away, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “What the fuck, Mike! You don't get to call me a whore and then try to screw me!”
Mike stood there, chest heaving. He stepped closer, looming over Will. “Did he kiss you like that?”
Will blinked, caught off guard by his tone. “What?”
“I said,” Mike stepped into Will’s personal space, “Did he kiss you like that?”
Will realized then that the argument had shifted. It wasn't about the lie anymore. It was about the power. He saw the way Mike’s jaw clenched, the possessive glint in his eyes, and instead of backing down, Will leaned into it. He let a challenging smirk crawl across his lips.
“I don’t think that’s relevant, Mike.”
Mike’s hand clamped around Will’s bicep, his knuckles white. “Don’t tell me what’s relevant and irrelevant. Look at me.” He forced Will to meet his gaze. “Did. He?”
Will felt a thrill of heat rush through him at the roughness. “And if he did? What are you going to do about it?”
Mike pulled Will back into a kiss, even hungrier than last time, almost hurtful. Will leaned into it and kissed back with equal hunger, trying to move his arms to touch Mike, but Mike's grip was still strong on his arms.
Mike led them to the bed and climbed on top of Will, and pinned Will’s wrists into the mattress with a force that made a divot in the mattress.
They tore apart, both gasping for air. Mike moved fast, his fingers fumbling with the buttons of Will’s shirt until he almost ripped the fabric apart. He threw Will's shirt somewhere across the room and shed his own clothes just as violently, his eyes never leaving Will’s.
“Wait, Mike-” Will started, his voice almost a plea.
Mike didn't let him finish. He captured Will’s mouth again into a deep kiss and pulled back an inch, his face flushed, “Tell me to stop. Right now, Will. If you don't want me to take this further, say it.”
Will’s heart was pounding. He looked at Mike and could see the raw and territorial hunger in his eyes, and felt a dark thrill in his lower stomach. He can’t bring himself to tell Mike to stop. He needs him right now, he lunges Mike into another kiss, but Mike shoves him back down,
“How did he do it?” Mike’s voice was low, “Tell me. How did he fuck you?”
The bluntness of the question hit Will with a heat of embarrassment, but beneath it, there was a surge of need - want,
“Mike… I am not telling you that,” he whispered.
“Okay then.” Mike made a move to climb off the bed,
“No!” Will’s reaction was fast. He bucked his hips upward, catching Mike and forcing him back down. He grabbed Mike’s forearms, his voice a desperate plea. “I’ll tell you! Just stay. Please.”
Mike settled back between Will’s thighs, his weight on Will's hardening dick. He buried his face in the crook of Will’s neck, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin. “Every detail, Will. I want to know exactly what he did so I can do it better.”
“I… I used to climb through his window,” Will started, his breath hitching as Mike bit down on his collarbone. “We’d make out for hours. He… He liked it when I gave him head. He liked to see how deep he could go. He’d hold the back of my head and just… force it.”
Mike’s body went rigid. He caught the slight reminiscing tone in Will’s voice, the way the memory was being used as a weapon to antagonize him. He bit Will’s shoulder, hard enough to leave a mark, his tongue immediately lapping at the spot. “And what else?” Mike demanded.
“Then we’d fuck,” Will said flatly, his eyes fluttering shut as Mike’s hand slid down, his thumb dragging across Will’s hip.
Mike pulled back, “I’m going to suck you off, and you better be done with that story by the time you cum. Because when you're finished talking, I'm going to remind you exactly how to be properly fucked.”
Will’s eyes widened and nodded eagerly, his head hitting the pillow as Mike slowly took off Will's boxers and peppered quick kisses up and down Will's hard cock, “Keep going, and tell it properly." Mike warns,
“He would prep me slow, and it always felt rough from his calloused fingers,” Will whines out as Mike licks him from the base to tip, “He played guitar and football, so he always had these big callouses on the tip of his fingers and his palm,”
Mike looked up through his dark curls and took Will in his mouth. Will moaned at the warmth of Mike's mouth,
“With him… I could only take a couple of fingers,” Will moaned, his voice breaking. “He’d start slow, then he’d get mean. He loved it when I rode him, Mike. He loved the way I’d grind down on him until I was shaking.” Will teased, trying to get more of a reaction out of Mike
In retaliation, Mike bobbed his head up and down faster, his hand wrapping around the base of Will’s cock to keep the pleasure overwhelming.
“He-he fucked me so hard, Mike,” Will cried out, “He wasn’t afraid to be rough. I used to be sore for days, Mike. I could still feel him inside me every time I moved.”
Mike let out a muffled scoff, popping off Will’s leaking length. He scrambled for the lube on the nightstand, fueled by a territorial hunger. “You want rough?” Mike’s voice was a dark promise. “I’ll show you what rough actually feels like.”
He didn't wait. He flooded his fingers with lube and dove in, his hand moving with a demanding speed. He forced a second finger, then a third, stretching Will until he was sobbing. He found Will’s sweet spot and hammered it, his gaze locked on the way Will’s face contorted.
“Mike-Mike, I’m good, please-I’m ready-” Will’s voice was a high, broken string of pleas.
Mike didn't stop until he felt Will’s muscles go slack in total surrender. He lined himself up and entered him in one heavy, unrelenting surge, bottoming out so hard the headboard cracked against the wall. Will’s eyes rolled back, a silent scream caught in his throat.
“Is he bigger than me?” Mike demanded, his thrusts starting with a violent force.
Will couldn't speak. Mike abruptly stopped, his body hovering over Will, his expression dangerous. “Will… answer me.”
Will blinked through tears of overstimulation. “No… no…”
“Tell me with words, baby,” Mike whispered.
“No-fuck-no, you’re bigger,” Will sobbed, his fingers clawing at Mike’s back. “You’re bigger. You’re better. Please, Mike, don’t stop.”
The confirmation sent Mike over the edge. His pace became feral. Every thrust was a claim. “I bet he couldn’t fuck you like this,” Mike hissed. “I’d like to see him try to make you scream like this.”
Will was lost, nothing but a vessel for Mike’s cock. He was shouting now, his moans louder than the sound of the headboard hitting the wall, his body arching off the bed to meet every crushing blow.
“Fuck, baby, I’m close,” Mike groaned, his muscles corded and straining.
“Me too-Please-Please don’t stop,” Will pleaded
“Tell me I’m better than him,” Mike demanded.
“You’re better! Fuck, Mike, I’m yours!”
At that, Mike let out a low, guttural groan, coming deep inside Will with a force that left them both shaking. Will followed a second later, his release so intense it left him gasping for air, his vision going out for a split second.
They collapsed together, drenched in sweat. Mike stayed inside him, his forehead pressed against Will’s.
“Mike…” Will whispered, his voice nearly gone. “What was that?”
Mike pulled back slightly, “I don’t know,” he admitted. “It’s like something came over me,” He pulled out of will and collapsed next to him on the bed, “The idea knowing he had you but I can fuck you at the end of the day, it possessed me,”
Will turned on his side, looking at the boy he’d loved since they were kids, “Mike, I love you. No one is ever going to get in the way of that. Especially not some guy from Lenora.”
Mike finally looked at him, the tension leaving his shoulders. “Of course, baby,” Mike nodded.