Archive of Our Own

Will thinks maybe he’s drank too much, but he’s not actually sure. He is sure that Mike has had too much because he’s been lying upside down on the couch next to Will for at least the last ten minutes – his legs are hanging over the back of the couch cushion, his head just above the floor, bangs touching their carpet. Will isn’t even sure if Mike is actually awake or not – that is, until he speaks.

“Hey, Will?”

Will glances back over at him, trying to appear curious, as if he hasn’t been watching him on and off this entire time, “Yeah?”

A long pause, then, “Never mind.” Mike sighs, closing his eyes again.

Will sits up a bit, brushing his hair back from his eyes, “No, what is it?”

“It’s dumb.” Mike shakes his head, “I think... I’m really drunk.”

“Well-” Will grins- “now I have to know.” He pokes Mike in the side, causing the other boy to curl in on himself, flail in incoordination, and then ultimately fall off the couch with anything but grace. Will winces and then laughs, “Sorry, my bad.” It’s a half-assed apology because he’s only partly sorry, if that.

“Mmmph,” Mike murmurs from the floor, still face down.

“You’re an idiot.” Will huffs a dramatic breath before getting up and helping Mike to his feet. They’re both a little shaky because of the booze, so it takes longer than it should, but eventually they’re both sitting on the couch again, side by side.

“We should do something fun,” Mike says when he’s upright once more. He picks something out of his hair before tossing it to the side.

“I thought we were,” Will replies, his eyes flickering over to the bottle of wine on the coffee table that they have been sharing – it only has a couple sips left.

“No, I mean like for the rest of the summer.” Mike’s brows furrow in what Will can only assume is concentration. “We should... have a bet.”

Will squints at him, certain he has heard him wrong, “A bet?”

Mike nods, looking confident in himself, “Yeah.”

“What kind of bet?” Despite Will knowing this will probably be a bad idea, he is interested to know what Mike is thinking.

“Well… there was this episode of a show on TV last night where this group of friends made a bet with each other about who could go the longest without… relieving themselves.”

Will gawks at him, and then gawks a little more because-

What??

“What?”

“Like getting off,” Mike elaborates unhelpfully, though Will is sure Mike thinks he’s being helpful.

“I understood that part, Mike. I’m wondering why you’d want to do that.”

Especially with me, Will thinks.

“See, I told you it was a dumb idea.” Mike presses his face into his hands, hiding. “I just thought it’d be something fun to do... I don’t know.”

Will was wrong before, he is actually as drunk as Mike because next thing he knows, the words are already coming out of his mouth, “Yeah, sure.”

Mike’s head snaps up, eyes wide, “Really?”

“Well, there’s not much else to do, I guess. Lucas and Max are still traveling and I haven’t heard from Dustin since April.” Will shrugs, trying to appear nonchalant, like he isn’t as eager as he knows he is. “It could be fun.”

Mike beams at him, and Will’s heart does a little flip.

“Uh, so what’s the bet, exactly?” Will asks after a few seconds. He figures he needs more info before really agreeing to this. He’s mostly sure that Mike is too drunk to realize what he’s saying – that helps quell his eagerness a little bit.

“Whoever gets himself off first loses,” Mike tells him.

“And what does the winner get?” Will hitches a brow at him, playing into Mike’s ramblings.

Mike shrugs, “Bragging rights?”

Will snorts. “Anything other than that?”

“Uh…” Mike pauses to ponder this for a while, before, “Anything... he wants?”

Will’s heart does a bigger flip – he is suddenly more interested in this, “Anything he wants?” He repeats tentatively.

“Yeah.” Mike smirks at him before holding out a hand, “So, what do you say? You wanna play with me or are you too chicken?”

Will narrows his eyes down at Mike’s outstretched palm. He isn’t chicken, in fact, he is a hundred percent sure he can beat Mike – it almost seems too easy.

“Let the games begin,” Will says with a grin – he shakes Mike’s hand, sealing the agreement.

The next morning, Will feels as though he’s been hit by a semi truck. He doesn’t even remember making it back to his own room last night but he’s somehow tucked in and everything, so maybe he wasn’t as drunk as he thought he was.

Will gets up and dresses before he even notices the cup of water and bottle of Advil next to his bed. He pops a couple pills into his mouth before draining the glass, thanking his past-self for thinking ahead. He then heads out into their small kitchen area to find that Mike is already up and making coffee. He looks better than Will thought he would. Will is pretty sure he remembers Mike finishing the bottle of wine last night when Will was coming back from the washroom.

“Hey,” Will greets before covering his mouth, shielding a yawn. “When did you get up?”

Mike glances back to him, turning around to lean against the counter, “Noon.”

Will blinks slowly – he hadn’t realized it was so late. “Oh, oops.” He makes a face.

Mike studies him for a moment, his eyes are dark and unreadable. “Did you find the painkillers okay?” He wonders before twisting back around to pour two cups of coffee.

Will blinks even slower this time – so, it was Mike who did that and not him.

“Uh, yeah, thanks.” Will smiles and then accepts the second mug of coffee from Mike, voicing another thank you. “How are so awake?” He’s honestly a little envious because he is sure Mike was, if not more, drunk than he was last night.

Speaking of last night…

Mike only shrugs, but Will’s mind has moved on to other things.

“So, about what we talked about,” Will starts as he pours milk into his coffee. He’s surprised it has been placed out on the counter for him as he knows Mike doesn’t use it. He wonders if Mike got it out for him when he heard him get out of bed. It’s not too weird for him to do something like that, so Will doesn’t give it a second thought – it does make him smile to himself though, his heart warming at the thought behind the action. “If you didn’t actually mean anything by it,” Will continues as he puts the carton on milk back in the fridge, “we don’t have to-”

A grin breaks out across Mike’s face before Will can even finish his question. “I was wondering if you remembered or not,” Mike teases, speaking into his mug before taking a sip from it.

“Right.” Will isn’t too sure why Mike seems so happy, “You were… serious?” He asks hesitantly, trying to make sense of Mike’s mood.

“Yeah...?” Mike’s smile loses some of its gleam, his expression dimming. “Weren’t you?”

“I mean… I honestly thought we were both really drunk and just saying shit,” Will admits, setting his mug down on the counter so he can stir sugar into it. He has never understood how Mike can just his drink coffee black.

“No, unless…” Mike pauses, but then the smile is back, lighting his face up once again. “Unless you don’t think you can beat me?”

Will huffs out a laugh, shaking his head – he is astonished by Mike’s confidence, “Alright, it’s on.” He picks up his drink, taking the spoon out and licking it clean before tossing it into the sink. He then heads into the living room area to sit down on their couch, placing his steaming mug down on one of the coasters on the coffee table.

Mike follows him over with his own coffee, sitting down next to him, and picking up the remote to flick on the TV. “It is so on,” he says under his breath as he starts to channel surf.

A week later, Will is feeling pretty confident in winning. Mike, on the other hand, seems almost jumpy, like someone is out to get him.

“You good?” Will asks innocently, eyeing his best friend who has crumpled up at least five or six pages of paper. He’s missed the trash bin every time he’s thrown one of the crinkled up balls at it. At this point, Will isn’t sure Mike is actually aiming for the bin at all.

“Yep, never better,” Mike replies without looking up, his voice has a small edge to it. He sips his coffee – Will thinks it’s his fifth or sixth cup of that as well, though it’s not like he’s counting or anything.

“O-kay…” Will goes back to sorting through his coloured pencils, sharpening the ones that have been dulled from use over the last week.

“Shit,” Mike hisses as he crumples up another sheet and throws it at the bin. He misses again.

“Are you having trouble coming up with something?” Will wonders. As much fun as he is having watching Mike stress over the bet, because Will is certain that’s what this is, he also hates seeing him stressed. Which doesn’t make any sense, but Will really can’t help it.

“No, I just- I can’t focus,” Mike answers, his brows dipping down.

“Something on your mind?”

Mike leans back in his chair, his eyes sliding shut as he sighs heavily, “You know there is,” he murmurs, clearly annoyed.

Will ducks his head, hiding a smile, “You could just give in, you know? It’s been a week,” he mentions. “You have already lasted longer than I thought you would.”

Mike’s eyes snap open and he glares at Will from across the room. “Oh, so that’s how you wanna play this?”

Will shrugs, unbothered, “This was your idea, Michael. It’s not my fault you didn’t think it through.”

Mike nods, his expression changing – he looks oddly thoughtful and Will knows that can’t be a good sign. Maybe Will shouldn’t have said anything about it in the first place.

“You’re right,” Mike says eventually. “I should have put more thought into this.”

Will glances over at him, curious, but he doesn’t voice it. Instead, he only murmurs, “Glad I could help…?” He then goes back to sharpening his pencils, or he tries to. He spends a fair amount of time with his eyes glued to his best friend, who appears less frustrated then he did before. Will smiles a bit at that – he’s honestly glad that he has helped, even if he doesn’t exactly know what he did.

Will watches Mike for a bit more, running his eyes over his side profile. If only Mike knew he has a giant advantage, which is that Will is in love with him and just being in the same vicinity as him is slowly chipping away at Will’s restraint. It was easier when they were both going to classes, they barely saw each other, but now they’re around one another constantly. Will just hopes Mike caves before he does, because he admittedly didn’t think this through either.

Week two and Will is confident, just not in winning anymore – he is confident that Mike has somehow figured out how he feels about him though. 

Mike’s been showering a lot, sometimes twice a day, but instead of getting dressed after, like a normal person, he’s been hanging around in only a towel.

It’s the third time this week and Will really can’t take any more of this, though he can’t say why it’s bothering him so much because it’s not technically bothering him. It’s just making it harder not to slip out of the room and go indulge in himself, and as much as he wants to do that (because Mike has certainly given him some stuff to work with) he refuses to lose to Mike. Especially in this way, it would be too ridiculous. Will should be able to control himself around Mike in a towel, he isn’t a teenager anymore.

“If you keep this up, the couch is going to start getting moldy,” Will comments, his eyes already on Mike’s ch- face. Mike’s face.

Dammit, Will, get it together.

Mike runs his tongue over his teeth, hitching a brow at him, “What?”

“You’re dripping on the couch,” Will deadpans.

“I’m not.”

Will rolls his eyes, “I can clearly see that you are doing just that, like as we’re speaking right now.”

“Are you sure it’s not bothering you for some other reason?” Mike tilts his head to the side questioningly. Will doesn’t like his tone.

“Whatever, just don’t complain to me when we have to buy a new couch because things have started growing on this one.” Will turns away from him, staring down at his sketchbook once more. 

Mike huffs, “Fine,” and rises to his feet. There’s a soft thud and Will hears Mike murmur, “Oops,” before he realizes that Mike’s towel is now on the floor beside his foot.

You have got to be kidding me, Will thinks, his eyes glued to his drawing. He has to know, this is insane.

“Will?” Mike’s voice holds no hint of his true intentions.

“You dropped your t-towel,” Will curses himself internally for stuttering, but all of his brain power is currently occupied in keeping him from looking up.

“My back is sore from earlier, could you hand it to me?”

Will wants to question what Mike was doing earlier to have such a sore back that he can’t bend over like half a foot, but he’s afraid of the answer. However, because Mike is such a great friend, he goes on to tell him anyways.

“I’ve started doing this form of stretching and I must have pulled on something too hard. Though, I think I am getting more flexible.”

Oh. My. God. He fucking knows.

Will keeps his eyes low as he retrieves the towel from the floor and lifts it up for Mike to grab, “Here,” he mutters.

Mike’s fingers linger a little too long on Will’s as he takes the towel from him, “Thank you.”

Will swallows hard before picking up his pencil again, his fingers are slightly damp from brushing up against Mike’s skin. “Welcome,” he murmurs.

Mike stands there for another few seconds before leaving the room, and Will doesn’t breathe until he hears his door shut.

Even if Mike did know, why would he react like this? Will narrows his eyes down at the lines on his page. Unless he doesn’t know, he thinks. Could he just be trying to use the fact that he knows I’m gay against me?

Will frowns at the thought. He doesn’t think Mike would do that, but then again, would he to win a bet? They have never done anything like this before, so Will has nothing to compare it to. He doesn’t think Mike would resort to that though as Mike is straight and probably wouldn’t do that, he wouldn’t think about doing it. However, this whole thing is a little less than straight and Mike is the one who had come up with it...

Whatever, Will tells himself. I shouldn’t be letting him get in my head like this.

Will glances back over his shoulder as Mike reappears, dressed – he faces forward again. He is probably just being paranoid. Mike is a klutz, just because that towel thing has never happened before doesn’t mean it couldn’t have naturally.

“So, you hungry yet?” Mike asks casually.

Will can’t help but think he’s not talking about food, but he shakes the thought from his mind.

It’s just paranoia, he convinces himself.

“Sure.”

“Is pizza cool?”

“Sure,” Will repeats before going back to his sketching.

Turns out that it’s not paranoia, it might actually be schizophrenia though, as Will swears he’s seeing things because there is no way in hell that Mike Wheeler is doing yoga in their living room at four in the afternoon when Will returns from picking up an early dinner for them – a meal that Mike had insisted for Will to go get because Mike was supposedly feeling under the weather.

Mike doesn’t look ‘under the weather’ – he actually looks great, bent over with his hands gripping his shins, hair falling into his face and his legs slightly parted.

Will is just happy he’s set the food down before registering Mike as a whole, he is sure he would have dropped something if not everything.

Mike catches sight of him, upside down and between his legs, and grins, “Hey,” he sounds out of breath. “Could you help me for a sec?”

Will needs something to drink, like a gallon of water because he feels every ounce of moisture dry up within him as he makes his way over to Mike. In hindsight, he could have refused, but seeing Mike bent over like this has done something to mess up his proper brain function.

“What, uh- what did you need?” Will asks, keeping his eyes off-centre of Mike, unable to look at him directly.

“Can you stand behind me and push down on my back?” Mike responds, “I was trying to reach at least my ankles, but I could only get so far by myself.”

Will swallows nothing because the dry to wet ratio inside his mouth right now is abhorrent – he clears his throat. “Uh… maybe you shouldn’t go any farther then, you don’t wanna risk hurting yourself.”

“That’s why I’m asking you to do it,” Mike tells him, glancing up at him from the odd angle. “I know you’ll be gentle with me,” he adds.

Almost impossibly, and laughably, Will no longer has the problem of a dry mouth because he is actively salivating.

God dammit.

“Okay, okay,” Will murmurs as he positions himself behind Mike, his hips a couple inches away from his as he presses down on the other boy’s back. “Like this?”

“A little more,” Mike hisses, bending over farther. “You might have to get a bit closer to get a better angle.”

Will can’t voice how much he does not want to do that. Any closer and he’s worried he’ll pop a boner just from being pressed up against Mike’s ass.

“I can get it from here,” he mutters.

“Who is the one doing the actual stretching?”

Will stifles a sigh, “You.”

“Okay, so believe me when I tell you that you gotta come closer,” Mike says, before he sighs, like Will is the one testing his restraint. “It’s not that hard, Will.”

It’s about to be, Will thinks before squashing the thought down.

He shifts closer, still deliberately leaving space in between his crotch and Mike’s ass, which immediately fails because Mike pushes back against him almost instantly, and Will’s breath catches in his throat at the pressure between his legs.

“Press down,” Mike instructs, suspiciously unaware of the effect he’s having on Will right now.

Will presses down on Mike’s back which simultaneously causes Mike to push back into him more firmly as Mike’s hands slide lower to grip at his ankles. Mike lets out a low groan at the stretch and Will has to purse his lips to stop a noise of his own from escaping.

Will has to say something, anything – the silence is driving him crazy. “Have you always been this flexible?” He asks, and then regrets it right off the bat because could he really not have come up with anything else?

Mike mumbles something incoherent, his body trembling against Will’s, probably with the effort it is taking to keep in this position as he’s not used to it. Well, at least to Will’s knowledge.

“Mike? Are you close to finishing?” Will wonders, trying to sound patient. He needs to get away from him; his self restraint is hanging on by a thread.

“God, I wish I was,” Mike mutters, though Will isn’t sure he’s heard him correctly.

“What?”

“Just... don’t move for another minute,” Mike tells him quietly – he sounds out of breath but Will chalks it up to him being bent over like this. After a moment, Mike’s body tenses up against him. “Will,” he whispers, his tone is a little odd.

And Will realizes, mortified, that he’s stopped focusing on not reacting at some point because he’s grown beneath his belt and-

He begins pulling away, “I, uh- I have to go and-”

“And what?”

Will narrows his eyes – he can hear the smile is Mike’s voice. Will stupidly reaches up with his free hand and grips at Mike’s hip, digging his fingers into the sharp bone in annoyance as he presses even closer despite his ‘situation’.

Mike makes a sound like the air has been punched out of him, “Shit, uh- can you- can you help me upright?”

Will helps him straighten before stepping back – he hopes his impulsive action has caused Mike some trouble.

Mike turns to him, stretching his arms above his head and cracking his back with a low groan.

Damn, Will is actually going to die.

“Was that all? I should- I should start dishing up our food.” Will prays that once he starts focusing on something else, his body will calm down.

Mike’s eyes drop briefly, but nothing in his expression gives away what he’s thinking. “Yeah, thanks, Will.” He gives him a smile, “I really appreciate you helping stretch me out.”

Jesus fucking Christ, Michael.

There is no way Mike doesn’t know how that sounds, of what that can also indicate – of what he’s just implied.

Will doesn’t answer, he doesn’t need to give Mike any more fuel. Instead, he only nods before scurrying off, using the counter as a barrier between them as he begins to unpack the Chinese food he’s picked up for dinner. He can feel Mike watching him, but he ignores it the best he can as he moves over to the cupboard to grab a couple of plates.

“Are you okay, Will?” Mike wonders, seemingly innocent – though the way he still sounds out of breath taints the purity in his voice.

“Yep, I’m good,” Will replies quickly as he pulls out cutlery from the drawer to place in the several containers of food. “We should eat before it gets cold,” he adds.

Mike stares at him for a bit longer before circling around the counter. Though just when Will thinks he’s been caught, Mike looks away and starts loading up his own plate.

Will lets out a silent sigh of relief and does the same, trying to keep his eyes to himself. He fails right away, his gaze almost instantly dropping to Mike’s ass as the other bends over to pick up a noodle he’s dropped onto the floor. Will can’t believe he was just pressed up against that – he wants to do it again. Though, he knows if he does, he will end up losing this bet (and himself) and the urge to win is greater than his desire to pin Mike up against the counter and grind into him (barely). Will stares at Mike’s ass as the other boy straightens again, his eyes lift as Mike shoots him a grin over his shoulder before he continues to fill his plate. It causes Will to think Mike had dropped food on the floor for the purpose of bending over again in front of him.

Okay, Will thinks, tearing his eyes away from Mike and his antics. This is how he wants to play? Fine, then let’s play.

It’s just after two in the morning when Will knocks on Mike’s door – he shuffles his feet, nervous for what he’s about to do.

When Mike answers the door, it’s clear that he hasn’t gone to bed yet – he looks exhausted, the bags under his eyes are dark against his pale skin. Will almost feels bad for bothering him this late but then is reminded of how Mike teased him earlier and is suddenly guilt-free.

“Will? What is it? Is something wrong?” Mike asks, rubbing one of his eyes. Even like this, he’s breathtaking.

It takes Will a moment to realize that Mike has said anything at all because he’s too busy staring at the way his hair has curled itself around his high cheekbones. Will inhales then exhales deeply to calm his nerves, “I, uh- I had a nightmare,” it’s a flat out lie but it’s a believable one as he’s had nightmares in the past. He still has them now; he just didn’t tonight. The last hour he’s been busy thinking about putting this plan into motion. “Can I- could I sleep in here with you?”

Mike is suddenly more awake – he blinks at him slowly, his eyes searching his, “Um, yeah, yeah I guess.” He steps back to let Will by.

Will shuffles in, and Mike closes the door behind him. “Thanks,” Will mumbles. The room feels smaller with the door closed but he can’t let himself think too much about that right now, not when his victory is on the line. This is all a game, after all.

“I’ll just-” Mike cuts off when Will crawls onto his bed, slipping under the blankets. His eyes flick over to the beanbag chair in the corner consideringly.

Will speaks up before Mike can move towards it, “There’s enough room on your mattress for the both of us,” he points out, scooting over to make room for Mike. “Please, I want you close,” he adds quietly. “To keep the nightmares away.” 

Mike swallows, though it might have been a gulp, but joins him on the bed, sliding under the blankets next to him with a sigh.

They lay on their backs for a while before Will musters up enough courage to ask, “Could you hold me?”

Mike inhales sharply and then chokes on the breath, his voice cracking as he responds, “Do you- do you need me to?”

“I helped you earlier,” Will mentions as he rolls over to face the wall, partly so Mike can’t read his face. “It’s only fair.”

It takes a minute or two but eventually Mike slides up behind him, wrapping an arm around his waist as he nestles in.

“Closer,” Will insists. “You’re still too far,” he tells him.

Mike makes an inconclusive sound but then presses closer until their bodies are flush against one another. He feels solid and warm against Will’s back, they fit together perfectly, but Will knows he can’t get used to this. That he shouldn’t.

Still, Will hums happily, pushing back into him as Mike had done earlier, though this setting is arguably more intimate than what took place in their living room.

Mike immediately stiffens, his fingers flexing against Will’s chest.

“This okay?” Will has to fight to keep the smile from his voice.

“Y-yeah,” Mike grunts out.

“Good,” Will replies before closing his eyes. He stays still for a long time, leveling out his breathing until it seems like he’s asleep.

Behind him, Mike’s breathing doesn’t calm, not even a little.

Will bites his lip, now, onto step two, he thinks. He fakes a soft groan, wriggling his hips back against Mike, pretending to be dreaming. He feels Mike’s heart do something concerning in his chest and has to stop himself from chuckling.

“Will?” Mike whispers, breathless. “Are you-”

Will cuts him off with a low whimper that time, pressing his ass back into Mike’s crotch, rotating his hips back into him.

Mike’s hand on him trembles before his fingers twist into the front of Will’s shirt, almost as if he’s trying to ground himself.

“Will,” Mike hisses, he almost sounds desperate now – Will loves it, it means he’s winning.

Will only groans again, though this time it’s real, because he can actively feel Mike growing hard against his ass.

It’s just his body reacting, it’d happen to anyone, Will convinces himself without thinking about it too much.

“Fucking hell,” Mike chokes out, his hips hitching forward as he pushes up into Will, probably involuntarily. “I should have told him no,” he mutters to himself.

Will can literally feel Mike’s control breaking, and it is amazing how good that makes him feel. Mike is honestly making this too easy. When he wins, Will thinks he’ll ask Mike to go downtown to that art museum he’s been dying to check out – he just hasn’t been wanting to go alone, and he knows Mike would be bored, so he hasn’t asked him outright because he knows he’ll say no. If Will wins though, Mike won’t be allowed to reject the suggestion. Will grins to himself, enjoying to fantasy of it.

But then Mike’s hand is moving down Will’s body to grip at his hip, and he rocks into him, clearly deliberately, with a low moan of ‘fuck’, and Will stops breathing altogether. Mike, hearing the change in Will’s oxygen intake, instantly freezes.

Will can’t move, but he knows he needs to do something. He just wanted to mess with Mike; he wasn’t expecting Mike to actually like this. He just wanted to get back at him for earlier. Will relaxes his body and lets out a soft snore – he’s faked sleep before; he’s perfected the sound.

The tension leaves Mike with a breath of relief against the back of Will’s neck that sends a wave of goosebumps over his skin. But he’s still hard and slotted right between Will’s thighs and Will wants nothing more than to let Mike thrust forward again and-

Will’s eyelids snap open as he scolds himself internally, no, no, don’t think about that. This is supposed to be about teasing Mike, not-

“This bet has got to be the dumbest thing I have ever suggested,” Mike says, talking to himself again.

Will doesn’t think about that too much either. This time when he closes his eyes, he actually tries to sleep. It’s hard because Mike is still hard, but he eventually drifts off.

Mike is gone when Will wakes up, which fair, Will probably traumatized him last night. Will gets up and goes out into the kitchen, not bothering to go back to his own room to get more sleep.

Mike is imitating a lawnmower at the table, his head resting in his folded arms as he snores loudly.

Will wonders when he got up, when Mike decided that he couldn’t take the feel of Will pressed up against him any longer. He shuffles over to the coffee machine and starts a brew before going over to Mike. He’s drooling, and on anyone else Will might have thought it gross, but on Mike it’s honestly adorable.

“Mike?” Will whispers, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder and shake him lightly. “This can’t be good for your back.”

“You weren’t being good for my front,” Mike mumbles, still half-asleep.

Will blinks, “What?”

Mike lifts his head and rubs at his eyes, “What?” He parrots.

“What did you just say?” Will has heard him, but he wants to know if Mike knows what he just said.

Mike squints up at him, blanches, and then looks away, murmuring, “Nothing, I was dreaming.” He glances towards the kitchen where the smell of coffee is slowly wafting its way over to them. “Bless you,” he says with a lazy smile before dropping his head back down onto his arms.

There’s an alarming sound from the corner of the room and Will turns towards it. It’s suddenly quieter in the room and it takes him a moment to realize that it is the air conditioner, that it has shut off.

“Shit,” Will hisses as he moves over to it before crouching down next to the appliance. He tries the dials to no avail before knocking his fist against it a couple of times, but nothing happens.

“What’s wrong?” Mike calls over to him, still sounding sleepy.

“AC’s out,” Will tells him, getting to his feet. “I guess we will have to call the building manager.”

They call but the landlord can’t get someone to come in until next week.

“How bad could it get?” Mike asks, sipping his coffee. “It’s only six days, I’m sure we will be fine.”

They are in fact not fine. The next day Will has to peel the sheets off of his body – he isn’t sure how much sleep he got, but it definitely isn’t enough because he can barely keep his eyes open. He dresses and leaves his room, knowing he will not be able to get back to sleep in this heat. He comes to a skidding halt when he spots Mike in the kitchen. Will has thrown on a t-shirt and shorts because it is so hot in here – it seems Mike has had a different idea.

Mike is standing in the kitchen, hunched over the sink eating a bowl of cereal without a spoon, in nothing but his boxer shorts. And Will must have made some kind of noise, because before he can even fully process what he’s seeing, Mike is glancing over at him.

“Good morning,” Mike greets with a smile. He takes a sip from the bowl and Will watches some milk escape from the corners of his mouth – it drips over his chin and then down onto his chest. 

Will is sure he has heat stroke or something because what the fuck is going on?

“Why are you standing in our kitchen naked?” Will questions, he can’t make his feet move though – he is rooted to the floor outside of his room.

Mike lifts his brows at him, “I’m not naked,” he says defensively. “I got shorts on.”

“Boxers,” Will corrects.

“They’re shorts.” Mike shrugs and sets his empty bowl in the sink, wiping the milk from his chin. “I debated wearing nothing though, so you’re welcome.”

Will really tries not to imagine that. He fails miserably. It’s difficult to do when Mike isn’t wearing much of anything.

“It is hot as fuck in here,” Mike goes on as he rinses out his bowl before turning back to Will. He looks him up and down. “You look like hell.”

“Didn’t get much sleep,” Will says, unfreezing finally and going over to the fridge. He pulls out a leftover container of chow mein before going over to retrieve a fork – he avoids Mike like he has the plague.

“Nightmares again?” Mike wonders, concern clear in his voice.

“Yeah, on and off. The heat makes them worse.” This time it isn’t a lie. Will did have a couple of bad dreams when he actually managed to fall asleep last night.

Mike watches Will take a few bites of the cold leftovers, before saying, “You could have come to me again.”

Will grips his fork just a little tighter before shaking his head and swallowing the mouthful of noodles. “It would have been too hot. I slept naked with just the sheet and it was still unbearable.”

Mike chokes, probably swallowing his coffee wrong (Will isn’t looking at him, so he’s not sure) and coughs into his arm. Mike twists away, setting his mug down and bracing himself on the side of the sink. “You’re right… but if it helped last time, I don’t think I’d mind,” he says quietly after catching his breath.

“It did help.” Will is watching Mike now, more accurately, his ass – he can actually see the curve of it through the other boy’s boxers. “But I would have needed to put clothes on if we shared a bed, so it seemed kind of counterproductive.”

Will sees Mike grip at the edge of the sink tighter, his knuckles turning white under the dull kitchen light.

Will squints at him, studying the rigidity of Mike’s body, the way he has pressed his hips up against the counter.

No way, Will thinks. Is he- he can’t be, I didn’t even do anything.

“Do you want any of this?” Will wonders, holding out the carton of chow mein.

“No, thanks,” Mike replies without looking at him. “I, uh- I already ate,” he mentions as if Will didn’t just see him finish a bowl of cereal. Mike’s brain must be working overtime.

“Okay.” Will packs the box back up and places it in the fridge again. “I think I’m going to go lie down and try to get some more sleep.” He turns to go but then pauses in front of his door as Mike speaks.

“I wouldn’t mind it if you didn’t.”

“Hmm?”

Mike looks at him then, eyes dark, “If you slept naked in my bed, I wouldn’t mind it,” he tells him. “Maybe I’d even do the same,” he adds, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Will’s face feels hotter than it did before, if that’s even possible, but he refuses to let Mike have the last word.

“And you’d hold me like that,” he counters, “Naked?”

Mike seemingly remains calm, “Why not? If it helps, it helps.”

Will grits his teeth together – Mike isn’t backing down for some reason.

“Good, then I guess I’ll see you tonight,” Will shoots back, calling his bluff.

Mike blinks quickly, but it’s not fast enough for Will to not clock his surprise before it vanishes. “Why not right now? You’re going to try and nap, aren’t you?”

Will doesn’t flinch, “Okay, come in when you’re ready.”

“I’m ready now.”

“Perfect.” Will pivots and walks into his room, leaving his door open. He’s sure Mike isn’t going to do this, there’s no chance he will. Sure enough though, Mike appears in the doorway, but Will can tell he’s hesitating. Will, already sitting on the side of his mattress, hitches a brow at him. “Are you going to come inside?”

Mike swallows visibly, “Do you want me to?” He asks, barely audible. His eyes flicker over Will’s shoulder to his bed as if he’s actually considering this. Will knows he’s just too stubborn to back down, that Mike is trying to figure out a way out of this without admitting defeat. Obviously, there is no way Mike is going to get naked with him and hold him in bed – that’s just- he’d never do that.

Before Will can answer, before he can mess with Mike some more, a shrill ringing echoes through their apartment. Mike doesn’t move right away, he’s stuck in the threshold, but then he’s off and Will hears him answer their landline.

“That was the landlord,” Mike says when he returns. “Apparently the maintenance guy had a cancellation, so he can come today. He’ll be here within the hour.”

Will nods, “Good, that’s- good.”

Mike lingers in the doorway, “I guess that means you don’t have to sleep naked anymore,” he mutters, his eyes trailing over Will so quickly that Will is sure he’s seeing things again.

“Yeah, guess so.” 

Mike clears his throat, “Uh, well I guess I’m gonna take a cold shower and then wait for the guy, so I can let him in.” He turns away slightly, pausing again.

“Mike,” Will breathes out. It really seems like Mike doesn’t want to go, and Will needs to know why. It can’t be because he wants to lie down with Will, but then what is it?

Mike meets his eyes, “Yeah?”

Then again, if this is all part of the bet, if Will mentions something about it, he’ll be showing his hand. So, Will shakes his head instead, keeping his thoughts (and heart) guarded. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

Mike stares at him for a few seconds before he slowly smiles, “Yeah, later.” He shuts the door behind himself.

Will flops back onto his bed with a sigh, stretching his limbs out. He isn’t sure what that was. Was it just a little healthy competition between friends or did Mike actually want to cuddle up to him naked?

Not likely. He’s just trying to win. Nothing else would make sense.

Will pushes the thoughts from his mind before he can get too worked up about them – after all, he still has a bet to win.

Will isn’t sure who was on the phone the day before, but it wasn’t the landlord because no one shows up to fix the air conditioner. He wonders if Mike lied or if something happened to the maintenance worker – he’s assuming it’s the former. Mike was probably too prideful to back out of what Will was offering up to him and didn’t know how else to get out of it.

When Will wakes up the next day, naked and sweaty, he crosses over into the bathroom without putting anything on because he’s sure any clothes are just going to get gross the second they touch his skin. Will takes an ice cold shower, shocking his nervous system, but it also feels really nice in the heat that is practically suffocating him in their apartment. He dries off and crosses back into his room, shutting the door behind him.

He throws on a t-shirt and then, when he finds his short drawer empty, he ends up having to dig through his closet to find a pair because there is no way he’s resorting to just boxers or putting on something that goes past his knees. He finds a pair of shorts that he’d thrown back into the depths of his closet because they’d shrunk in the dryer some time ago and he’d been too stubborn to throw them out because he likes them too much. Will pulls on the shorts – they’re a little tight, but not uncomfortably so, so he is counting them as good enough. He comes back out into the kitchen where Mike is sitting at the table. Will falters for one second – he hadn’t seen him sitting there before. Had Mike seen him cross the hallway naked only moments ago?

Will grabs a couple of bananas from the fruit bowl on the counter and makes his way over to the couch. He sits down, pulling his sketchbook off the table and into his lap before flipping it open. He flips through it while he eats the first banana. After some time, Mike joins him on the couch with a bag of chips. He doesn’t say anything, so Will is assuming that he didn’t see him naked earlier. Will tosses the first peel on the coffee table before he opens his second banana. As he brings the tip of it up to his mouth, he can’t help but feel like he’s being watched.

Slowly, almost comically, he turns towards Mike.

Sure enough, Mike is staring at him, or more accurately, his mouth where the top of the banana rests between his lips.

Will fights the smile that threatens to spread across his face.

Mike’s eyes lift and they lock gazes, but Mike doesn’t look away so neither does Will.

Will opens his mouth, taking the full tip of the banana inside before closing his lips around it. He watches as Mike’s breath catches visibly in this throat, his Adam’s apple bobbing quickly. Will takes a small bite, chewing and swallowing before going back for more.

Mike appears transfixed, his eyes dropping back down to gawk at Will’s mouth while he eats.

Will swallows a second mouthful before pulling the banana back from his lips and offering it out to Mike. “You want some?” Will asks innocently.

Mike doesn’t say anything, he only leans forward and wraps his mouth around the halfway mark of the banana, but he doesn’t bite down. He stays there with the fruit in between his lips, his eyes locking with Will’s once more. Will’s stomach does a little flip at how intimate this seems. Finally, Mike takes a cautious bite, chewing and swallowing before leaning back. He adverts his gaze then, muttering, “Thanks,” before going back to his bag of chips.

“No problem.” Will continues to eat his banana, trying to ignore the way Mike is already staring at him again in his peripheral vision and the way he can taste the salt on the fruit from Mike’s saliva because of the chips he’s been eating. Will tosses the second peel onto the table before focusing back on his sketchbook.

A few minutes later, an empty chip bag joins the other trash on the table. Will sets his book to the side and stands up, bending over to gather the pile from the table. He can feel Mike’s eyes on him again, it’s like a sixth sense he’s developed, but he doesn’t look back this time. It’s only when Will is back over in the kitchen, throwing out their trash, does he remember how short the shorts he’s wearing are, and how he just bent over in front of Mike only moments ago.

“You got any plans tonight?” Mike asks from over on the couch. He sounds both strained and breathless.

Will glances over to see that he’s not even looking at him. “Uh, no, did you wanna do something?”

Mike mumbles his answer, so Will doesn’t catch it and has to ask him to repeat himself.

“I said- I asked if you wanted to watch a movie.”

“Oh.” Will nods, “Sure, sounds good.”

“Cool,” Mike replies, but he remains facing forward, staring at the television like he’s watching something even though the device isn’t even on.

Will can’t help himself; he has to know if and why Mike lied about the maintenance guy. He comes back over and stands beside the couch, hovering over Mike.

It takes about thirty seconds or so, but eventually Mike looks up at him, “What’s up?”

“Why didn’t the guy come yesterday to fix the AC?” Will wonders, placing a hand on his hip.

Mike swallows hard, “Uh, something must have happened, I don’t know. I’ll call the landlord and ask.”

Will searches his face for any tell that this is a lie, but he can’t find one. “Okay, well I hope they send someone soon,” he says before turning to go.

“Uh, Will?”

Will pauses, “Yeah?”

“How did you sleep last night?” Mike asks, rising to his feet. “Any more nightmares?”

There is no fucking way he’s about to-

“My offer still stands,” Mike goes on, picking his way around the kitchen counter, closing the distance between them. “Naked or not,” he adds quietly.

He’s trying to get in my head again, he must be, Will thinks. He decides to call Mike’s bluff as he’d been going to the other day before they were interrupted.

“After the movie then,” Will agrees with a smile. “I’m going to take a cold shower,” he tells him before wandering off.

Will doesn’t think he could name one plot point from the movie they’d just watched, hell, he doesn’t even think he could name the main character, because all of his attention was on Mike the entire film. Mike, who couldn’t sit still to save his life, who endlessly fidgeted in his lap the whole time, who kept looking over at Will as if Will was going to burst out into laughter and claim that he’d been joking about the whole ‘spending the night naked together’ thing.

Will eventually realizes that his best friend is nervous, though if Mike thinks that Will is going to take the higher road and back down before he does, he has another thing coming. 

Will gets up to clear their dishes from dinner off the coffee table after the movie is over and then heads into the kitchen to wash them without saying anything. He’s waiting for Mike to make the first move.

Mike watches the credits roll for a while before shutting the TV off and joining Will in the kitchen just as Will is conveniently drying the last of the dishes.

Their eyes meet and Will can practically feel the regret that is wafting off of Mike.

Say it, Will thinks. Tell me you have changed your mind about tonight’s sleeping arrangements.

But Mike doesn’t, instead he asks, “My room or yours?”

Will hides his surprise very well and gives Mike half of a casual shrug, “Whatever you want.”

Mike nods, “I’m gonna shower… but I’ll-” he clears his throat before rubbing at it. “My bed is bigger because I’m bigger… it’d be more comfortable for me, if that’s- if that’s alright?”

Will nods as well, “Okay, do you mind if I brush my teeth before you shower?”

“You can brush them while I shower,” Mike says before turning and walking off down the hallway, not waiting for Will’s reply.

Will watches him go before he starts putting the dishes away. He then makes his way to the washroom where the door is slightly ajar – glancing inside Will can see Mike reflected in the mirror. 

Mike is standing at the sink, his hands clenched into fists on the counter. His gaze shifts and suddenly he’s looking at Will, straight at him. Will’s mouth goes dry and Mike disappears from his view. Will waits until he hears Mike turn on the water and get into the tub before he enters the bathroom. He brushes his teeth, keeping his eyes lowered even though he can’t see anything through their opaque shower curtain.

They’ve never done this. Hell, everything that has been happening the last few weeks aren’t things they normally do. It’s not that Will doesn’t care, it’s that Mike doesn’t seem to, so Will can pretend he doesn’t – at least, in Mike’s presence.

Will spits into the sink before taking a capful of mouthwash and starting to swish it around his mouth. He’s in the middle of picking up his floss when the water shuts off behind him – Will freezes. He’d thought Mike would have taken longer to shower, that Will would have had time to finish and flee before Mike got out.

“Will, you still out there?” Mike asks.

“Uh, yeah. But I can floss in the kitchen or-”

Mike is already pulling the curtain back, and Will cuts off, averting his eyes. He stares at the tiled floor while he flosses, listening to Mike’s wet feet pad across the floor as he goes to retrieve his towel.

Mike appears beside him with his towel wrapped around his waist a few seconds later. Will refuses to look up, keeping his eyes glued to his feet as he continues to floss. He isn’t too sure what Mike is doing, except maybe torturing Will, because he’s just standing there, dripping on the floor – he’s not even drying himself off or anything.

Will eventually needs to look up because he has to throw out the used floss and the second he does; he catches Mike’s eyes in the mirror as if Mike’s been watching him this whole time.

“I, uh- I’ll meet you back in your room,” Will mumbles before leaving the bathroom. He slips into Mike’s bedroom, keeping the door open. It doesn’t seem like Mike is going to back down, but Will still thinks he will. 

He has to, right? He’s straight, there’s no way he’s going to go through with this.

Will strips down to his boxers, before pausing and pulling at the waistband thoughtfully. What if Mike decides to wear his boxers and Will dies from embarrassment from choosing to be fully naked? That is what they’d discussed though, sleeping togeth- beside each other, naked. Will can wait to see what Mike chooses, but that feels like surrender. 

Fuck it. Will spoke a big game the other night, which means he has to go through with this. He strips off his boxers as well, folding them like the rest of his clothes and placing the pair right on top, so Mike knows he has chosen to commit. Will is just settling under the blankets when Mike enters the room.

“Door open or shut?” Mike wonders.

“Open, more air circulation,” Will mutters.

“But... it’s all warm air,” Mike mentions.

“Yes, but once we’re both in bed, it’ll get ten times hotter in here.”

Mike makes a sound of agreement and leaves the door open. He shuts off the main light, so only his bedside lamp lends them some light in the room. He stops for a moment and Will just knows he’s looking at the freshly folded pile of clothes Will has shed. At first, Will thinks he’s going to make a comment about them but he only hears Mike’s own clothes hitting the floor. Then Mike is pulling back the covers and sliding into bed next to him, their bare thighs brushing and-

Will physically startles.

Oh my God, he’s naked.

Will stares at the ceiling, like there are instructions up there for him to read about how he can deal with this – he tries to control his breathing. Maybe he can’t do this. He was so sure that Mike was going to back down, but he’s not making any show of it.

Mike turns the lamp off before rolling onto his side to face him, but Will continues to have a staring competition with the ceiling – he can’t move, he can barely think. What is Mike playing at here? Surely, he’s not going to-

“Do you want me to hold you again?” Mike whispers, a bit hesitantly.

Will hears his own breath catch in his throat, “Uh, you’re sure you won’t be too hot?” It’s his last attempt to get Mike to back down. Maybe if he can get Mike to really think about what he’s offering, what he’s actually agreeing to, then he’ll realize how gay this all is. Because it is truly gay – there isn’t a single thing about this that is going to be straight.

“No, I should be alright,” Mike replies, scooting closer – he sounds more sure than before, like he has taken the time to think this through.

Will takes a deep breath as he rolls over to face the wall, “Okay, then,” he murmurs.

Mike slides up behind him, pressing close without Will’s instruction, his front flush to Will’s back. He doesn’t, however, move his hips forward – he leaves some space between his crotch and Will’s ass.

Will is beyond thankful. He doesn’t move like last night; he absolutely does not press back into him – he stays still and tries to level out his breathing.

“You’re shaking,” Mike comments, his own warm breath tickling the back of Will’s neck.

“I’m cold,” it’s a blatant lie as it’s already very warm in the room, especially under the blankets with two people that are cuddled up together.

Mike just breathes for a moment, probably thinking, before, “Do you want me to come closer?”

Will is sure that will make things infinitely worse.

“I think this was a- a mistake,” he whispers. This bet has gotten out of hand. Will had just wanted to mess with Mike the same way he’s been messing with him, but this feels like- it doesn’t feel like it’s part of some game anymore. It feels real – too real. Under other circumstances, if this was real, Will would be elated, but he knows Mike’s only been giving back what he’s been getting.

None of this actually means anything, and he will be wise to remember that.

Mike is quiet again, and Will wonders what he’s thinking about, if Mike also thinks this has gone too far.

“Do you- do you want to go back to your own room?” Mike asks, speaking softly.

Will wants to stay, he does, but-

“Aren’t you like... uncomfortable?” Will wonders, glancing back over his shoulder at him. In truth, he had wanted to ask if Mike thinks that this is something normal best friends do with one another, but the words had gotten as far as his throat and stopped.

Mike meets his eyes in the darkness, but Will can’t read his expression. “No, I’m not,” Mike responds, just as quiet as before. “Are you?”

Will shakes his head, “No.”

Definitely not the word I would use.

Mike studies his face for a second, before repeating his question from before, “Do you want me to hold you?”

“Yeah, I do.”

I really do.

Mike nudges him to face forward before sliding up behind him again, wrapping his arm around his waist as he nestles in closer.

“Good night, Will,” he whispers, tucking his face into the crook of Will’s neck. He’s closer than he’d been before.

Will is finally able to breathe properly – Mike has managed to give him some peace of mind with just his words. He closes his eyes, relaxing in his best friend’s embrace.

“Good night, Mike.”

For the first time in a long time, when Will falls asleep he doesn’t have any nightmares. 

It’s been a month since they started the bet, and despite the night they’d shared together, Will is still set on winning. However, it’s different than before. Mike is different. He’s not teasing or taunting or tempting, he’s just… softer somehow, and honestly this is worse because it’s part of what Will fell in love with in the first place.

One night in particular, a couple days into the second month, there is a new development. Will is sitting, sketching in his book, on the couch while Mike sits across from him on the other side. At first, Will isn’t really paying attention to him, well, not more than he usually does, but then Will catches a suspicious movement. His eyes flicker over to properly focus on what Mike is doing with his hands in his lap, and his heart seems to skip a beat when he realizes what’s happening only a few feet away from him.

Mike is pressing the heel of his palm against himself, his hips pushing up into the touch. He’s biting his lip so hard it’s almost white, and Will knows he’s trying not to make any noise – he’s trying to not draw attention to himself. Will wonders how long he’s been grinding on himself like this, how long it took for Will to catch him doing it.

“Uh,” Will starts, trying, and failing, not to stare. His mouth hangs open while he watches Mike touch himself, it’s a little hypnotizing. He snaps out of it, slowly but surely – he clears his throat. “Is this your roundabout way of letting me know that you’re going to lose the bet?”

Mike glances at him with half-lidded eyes, and then shakes his head, “No.”

“Well, that’s what it looks like.” Will really should stop looking, he’s sure he’s losing his mind.

Mike sighs, though whether it’s a sound of annoyance or pleasure is beyond Will. He shakes his head again, “This doesn’t count because I’m not technically getting off,” Mike explains. “I’m just... relieving some pressure; I’ll stop before it gets too heated.”

“Or you could just give in,” Will points out, lifting his eyes to meet Mike’s – it’s harder to do than it should be.

Mike glowers at him, “You could do it, too,” he suggests defiantly, avoiding Will’s words. “I’m betting watching me do it is driving you crazy.” He smirks, raising a brow challengingly.

Will narrows his eyes in response before he focuses on his sketchbook once more, except he can’t because he can hear Mike breathing now. He is sure he couldn’t before, but he can’t remember. He can also hear the rough sounds of Mike’s fingers rubbing over the denim of his jeans as he works himself over. Will slowly closes his sketchbook before stretching out to set it down on the coffee table. He can feel Mike watching him, he knows he’s waiting to see what he’ll do.

Will keeps himself from sighing. Back to the games, huh?

Will slides his hands back into his lap before using one to rub himself through his sweatpants lightly. And then he looks to Mike again, which may be the stupidest thing he’s ever done and that’s saying a lot because he’s been pretty stupid these last few weeks.

Mike’s gaze widens as they make eye contact, like he’s shocked that Will agreed even though he’d been baiting him. They watch each other for a long time, breathing heavy, hands moving and hips twitching. Then Mike opens his mouth and asks, “The bet was to not get yourself off, right?”

Will nods slowly, wondering where Mike is going with this.

“Then- then would it count if I were to- if you- if we touched each other?” Mike’s actually gone insane at this point, not getting off is slowly killing him – well, not literally, but it feels pretty damn close.

Will blinks at him, before he furrows his brows, “Uh… I guess not.” They’ve spent a night in bed together naked, what’s one more thing?

Mike beams and scoots closer to Will, turning his body to face him on the couch.

“Oh... right here?” Will asks, glancing around them uncertainly. They eat dinner on this couch – what if they... make a mess? He flushes at the thought.

“Yeah, I-” Mike’s face turns a little red as he blushes while he admits, “I’m kind of bursting here.”

Will’s eyes drop down between them to the hard outline of Mike’s cock in his jeans – he can see it pulsing under the denim. Is he actually considering this? Maybe Mike’s more gone than he thought he was. Unless... this is another game or test or whatever Mike’s been doing the last few weeks. Will isn’t too sure what to call it – Mike’s definitely been playing dirty though, that’s for sure. If it is only that, then Will can’t back down, he can’t lose after coming this far. However, he knows he can’t seem too eager either – he can’t let Mike know he’s not just thinking about the bet right now.

“So, um-” Will lifts his hand, but it only hovers in the air as he’s choosing to let Mike take first point – hopefully it’ll lead to his downfall. “How do we…”

Mike bites his lip, his gaze unwavering – Will doesn’t think he’s ever seen him so focused in his life. Mike tilts his head to the side, thinking, before replying, “Just over the pants, if that’s okay?”

Will nods slowly. Despite this clearly being Mike messing with him somehow, he still can’t believe that this is the route he’s going. Mike is straight, there’s no possible way he’d ever want this. He’s probably trying to get Will to break first. Aside from all of that though, Will is sure he’s fallen asleep and that he’s going to wake up any second now because this seems very similar to dreams he’s had about his best friend in the past. But then Mike is reaching out and suddenly his large palm is pressing down on Will’s dick. Will intakes a sharp breath, his hips involuntarily hitching upwards into the touch.

“Will,” Mike whispers after he has begun to rub Will through his sweats. “I need you to touch me, too.”

Will swallows hard and nods again, “Right,” he mutters. He places his own hand down on Mike’s cock, beginning to stroke him through his jeans. He feels big. In spite of the fact that they have lived together for years, Will has never seen Mike naked. He’s thought about it, (and thinks about it still) but nothing more literal. Sure, there has been a few almosts these last few weeks, but Will (choosing to keep his sanity intact) hadn’t given into any of the temptations.

“Fuck,” Mike hisses, scooting closer so Will can add more pressure, rocking his hips forward into Will’s hand.

Will doesn’t know where to look – he decides on down after a moment but watching Mike’s hand move against him is a little too much for him. He lifts his gaze and immediately freezes up when he locks eyes with Mike – it is almost as if Mike had been waiting for him to look.

“How does it feel?” Mike asks as he presses down on Will’s dick, his fingers curling around the shaft through Will’s sweatpants.

“G-good,” Will stutters. “You?”

Mike’s hips twitch up and he lets out a shaky breath, “Fucking amazing. I wished I’d thought about this weeks ago.”

So, he hasn’t been planning this? Does that mean it’s not part of the bet? Will blushes still, like a teenager, though he’s not sure why – possibly because Mike just said that Will is making him feel ‘fucking amazing’, but who knows? Then again, Mike could just be playing another mind game, and Will is nothing if not headstrong.

“I knew you’d cave first,” Will teases, trying to steal some of Mike’s confidence. “Your shower time has dropped by at least fifteen minutes.”

Mike doesn’t falter, he does, however, cup his fingers around the head of Will’s dick and start stroking him there.

“Oh, yeah?” Mike smirks as Will’s breath catches in the back of his throat. “What about you?”

“What about me?” Will responds defensively. He inclines forward, rubbing Mike’s cock a little faster, adding a bit more pressure. He can clearly see it affects Mike, but Mike pretends it doesn’t.

“After you shower, sometimes you’re in your room a little too long. It takes two minutes to get dressed, not twenty-five, Will.”

Will falters slightly – he isn’t even sure how Mike would have noticed that. He takes a breath and starts up his steady rhythm again.

“At least I’m not skyrocketing our water bill,” Will shoots back, grinning.

Mike makes a face, a wince, and Will freezes.

“Shit, did I hurt you?” 

“No, no, it’s just- these pants are really tight,” Mike tells him. “There’s not a lot of freedom in such a small space.”

Will blinks before the realization hits him, his gaze dropping down to where he’s touching Mike. He makes a split second decision without putting much thought into it, or any thought, for that matter.

“Take it out then.”

Mike’s eyes widen and his hand freezes in its motions.

Will realizes what he’s said, but before he can take it back in a panic, his brain reminds him that this is all a game, so he might as well play along – that is what Mike is doing, isn’t he? He just wants Will to cave first, right?

Well, that’s not gonna happen anytime soon.

Out loud, Will tries to speak calmly, but he’s sure he’s never stuttered worse in his life, “I mean, if you- if you want to. If that would be- be more comfortable for… for you.”

Mike stares at him for a long time, his eyes searching his, and just when Will is regretting not backpedalling, he asks, “Will you do it too?”

Will blanches. Why should he? He’s the one wearing comfortable pants, there’s no reason for him to take his dick out. But the way Mike voices the question almost as if he’s pleading… it speaks to the part of Will that isn’t only trying to win some stupid bet.

“Yeah,” Will agrees. “Sure, why not.”

There are so many why nots. So many reasons why they shouldn’t do this. Will can’t believe they’ve gotten this far. Mike is sure to back down sooner rather than later, right? There’s only so far he can go, being straight and all.

Mike leans back a bit and Will retracts his hand as the other boy gets to his feet. Will does as well.

Mike undoes his pants, hissing slightly as it relieves some pressure. He glances back to Will – he appears strangely eager. “On 3?”

Will stifles an eye roll.

Dork.

“Yeah, 3.”

There’s no way he’s going to-

Mike wets his lips with his tongue, “2.”

Mike is straight, he’s always been-

Will can’t breathe but somehow manages to croak out, “1.”

He’s not like me – he can’t be...

Will pushes down his sweatpants a millisecond after Mike shoves his jeans and boxers down, because Will is sure up until the literal last second that Mike isn’t going to go through with this.

Mike steps out of his discarded bottoms, somehow maintaining eye contact the entire time. Will doesn’t look down, he wants to, but he can’t, not with Mike watching him like this.

Will steps out of his sweatpants as well, kicking them to the side. He feels a little odd being pantless with his shirt still on, which is absurd. This whole thing is absurd. Mike is straight. Had he been drinking when Will hadn’t been looking? Where is all of this coming from?

Will toys with the hem of his shirt slightly, more so fidgeting than anything else, but Mike takes it to mean something different apparently because within seconds Mike is pulling his own shirt off over his head. Will follows suit without words, his eyes locking with Mike’s once he drops the garment to the floor.

Okay, so now that we’re both naked, there is only so much farther Mike will go, Will tries to convince himself. God, he really wants to look down. Mike’s sure to give up now, right?

Mike swallows visibly as he reaches out without looking and wraps his slender fingers- jeez, have they always been this long -around Will’s dick.

Mike hitches a brow at him, asking without asking, daring without voicing it.

Will figures Mike is seeing just how far he can push him, unfortunately for Mike, Will isn’t going anywhere. Will acknowledges Mike’s silent inquiry by reaching out as well, curving his palm around Mike’s cock. He then tenses up immediately. Now, he’s seen the outline of Mike, moments ago, in fact, so he shouldn’t be surprised, but Holy Fucking Shit, Michael.

Will isn’t hiding his shock too well apparently because when he zones back in, Mike is full on smirking at him and honestly that helps quell the shock a little, because Will can’t have Mike being cocky about his cock. No matter how hot and heavy it feels in his hand, no matter how much he currently wants to drop to his knees for him right now.

So, in retaliation, Will starts stroking first, running his hand up and down the long shaft – how the hell does Mike find pants that both fit and hide this?

Mike’s lips part, the smirk vanishing as he moans shakily. His own grip tightens around Will as he starts pumping him as well.

Will still feels as if he’s losing somehow and decides to crank it up a notch. He’s not sure how though until Mike presents him with the perfect opportunity. The exact moment Mike pauses to thumb at Will’s slit, Will lets out a breathy moan of his name, “M-Mike.”

Victory is sweet as Will watches Mike’s face crumble, his heart (which Will can actively feel in his dick) actually seems to skip a beat.

It is short lived though, because Mike’s also, if not more, stubborn and doesn’t like losing either. He lifts his free hand and grips at Will’s shoulder, under the ruse of steadying himself, but Will knows better. It’s a fucking battle move, and Will refuses to go down without a fight. He has come this far – he can’t go back now. Honestly, he doesn’t want to.

Will raises his free hand as well, but instead of gripping at Mike’s shoulder, he places it firmly, palm flat, against his chest. Will feels Mike’s heart stutter in two places this time, and the rush is exhilarating.

Top that, you jerk, Will thinks, partly spiteful but secretly he’s excited to see how Mike will retaliate. Mike seems lost in thought for a few seconds, before his expression shifts, and Will thinks that maybe he should’ve just let this go.

Very cautiously, Mike moves his hand away from Will’s shoulder and grips at the wrist of the hand on his chest. He then, just as slowly, pulls Will’s hand back, but just when Will thinks he has won, that he has read Mike’s expression wrong and Mike is surrendering (finally), Mike leads his hand up instead of down. Mike opens his mouth before steadily guiding Will’s hand closer to his face. His eyes meet Will’s once more before he wraps his lips around Will’s fingers and begins to suck on them.

It takes everything inside of Will to stay upright – his legs suddenly start shaking something horrible.

Mike swirls his tongue around Will’s fingers, keeping eye contact the whole time. He’s taking his time, too, like he’s enjoying the flavour of Will on his tastebuds – like he’s savouring it.

Will gapes at him. He doesn’t know how to top this, he’s not sure if he can top this. With having both Mike’s hand and mouth on him, he knows he isn’t going to last much longer. He also knows if he goes first, he is never going to hear the end of it – it will also mean that he’s lost this round.

“Mike,” Will breathes out without meaning to. In his defense, Mike’s tongue is very talented.

Mike slips Will’s fingers out of his mouth, and lo and behold, there’s that damn smirk again.

Will does the first thing that comes to mind, which is apparently stick his own fingers in his own mouth while they’re still slick with Mike’s saliva. 

It works. Will isn’t sure how it works, but it does, because next thing he knows, Mike is coming, hot and wet, against his chest.

Will finally looks down, and the sight of Mike’s cock spurting all over his skin, sends him right over the edge – he paints Mike’s abdomen, his hips jerking forwards, which causes his dick to bump into Mike’s. The friction is a lot, and Will moans loudly, watching it happen. He doesn’t know if Mike is looking as well, but he can’t find it in himself to care in this moment because holy fuck. None of the stuff from before matters in this moment. Not the fact that this wasn’t supposed to get this real. Not the fact that none of this actually means anything. Not the fact that Mike only didn’t back down because he didn’t want to lose. Not even the fact that Mike is straight.

The only thing going through Will’s mind right now is that the boy he has loved for so, so many years, is pulsing in his hand, unloading on his skin. That he, William Byers, has made his best friend in the whole world, Mike Wheeler, feel this kind of pleasure, and vice versa. Will almost feels like he could get hard again, just by the realization.

However, when it’s over, when Will comes down from his high, he finds he can’t look back up. He can’t meet Mike’s eyes, which is dumb because they have just shared something that absolutely crossed all sorts of lines, even if it wasn’t really for real.

Mike steps back, letting go first, and Will retracts his hand as well.

“Uh, I’m gonna go shower,” Mike mumbles before skirting around Will and heading towards the hall. It’s the backing down Will had been expecting before.

And despite not being able to look at him, Will feels odd leaving it like this. So, he turns, and calls out, “Mike!”

Mike halts in his beeline for the bathroom and faces him again, “Yeah?”

There are a million things Will wants to say, to ask, but he doesn’t know how to speak them without potentially making this even weirder. Mike’s still straight and Will doesn’t want to pressure him about anything.

So, instead he says, “Bet’s still on,” and taps his watch. “I’d like to be able to afford some actual groceries this week.”

Mike cracks a smile before laughing, nodding all the while, “I will only wash,” he promises before continuing on his way to the bathroom.

Will doesn’t breathe until he hears the shower running. He plucks a couple of tissues from the box on the coffee table to wipe down his chest, but then he freezes. He shoots a cautious glance towards the hallway before he dips one of his fingers into a trail of Mike’s release. He then sticks the digit into his mouth, somewhat out of curiosity but mostly out of want- needing to know how Mike tastes. Will closes his eyes, swishing the flavour of Mike’s cum around his mouth. It’s too salty and oddly thick but it belongs to the love of his life, so you bet your ass Will swallows it without much thought. 

Will wipes the rest away quickly, fearful he’ll eat it all up and get lost and still be standing here eating it off of his chest when Mike finally emerged from the bathroom – which would be mortifying.

Will pulls his clothes back on before picking up Mike’s. He heads back to his room, not really thinking as he tosses Mike’s clothes into his own hamper, before settling down on his bed. He flops back on his mattress, resting his hands on his stomach.

Well, that happened, Will thinks. He decides to shower tomorrow and turns off the light before getting into bed. Usually, he will brush his teeth before going to sleep, but he doesn’t want to lose the flavour of Mike that is currently sitting in the back of his throat. He tucks himself in under the blankets, thankful that their air conditioner had been fixed, before rolling over and closing his eyes – his mind continues to buzz with everything that has happened tonight. This is the farthest they have ever gone before to get the other to back down, Will hopes it isn’t too weird between them when the sun rises. He doesn’t know what he will do if it is.

The next morning is normal; they cohabitate as they always do. It’s after dinner when Mike starts acting shifty, like he wants to say something but can’t. Will almost tells him several times to just spit it out, but pushing Mike might make things worse, so he leaves it.

Around 7, Will decides to go back to his room to just get away from Mike because Mike being on edge is making him feel on edge. Maybe he should talk to him, maybe Mike just needs a little help. Will listens as Mike showers, figuring he’ll just ask tomorrow – he will give Mike space. Will is sure that Mike has finally come to terms with just how gay what they did actually was, that he’s regretting it and trying to pinpoint how exactly to back out of the bet without losing completely.

Will is still in the process of trying to wrap his mind around everything from last night when he hears the water cut off and the distinct sounds of Mike entering his own bedroom to get dressed.

Will gets up so he can brush his teeth and start getting ready for bed, even though it’s only after 7. So, imagine his surprise when he opens his door to find Mike standing right there.

“Oh,” Will says, startling. “I, uh- I thought you were in your room.”

“I was,” Mike replies. Though he clearly wasn’t because he’s standing out in the hall in a towel still.

“Did you need me?” Will wonders. He’s thought they were going to be avoiding each other for the rest of the night – Mike’s indecisiveness is a little unpredictable sometimes.

“Yeah, I was wondering if you wanted to watch a movie or something.” Mike crosses his arms over his wet chest, “It’s pretty early still,” he adds, quietly.

“Sure.” Will nods, keeping his eyes on Mike’s face. “I’m just going to change into my pajamas.”

“Cool,” Mike says with a nod, but then he doesn’t walk away to do the same.

“Mike.”

“Yeah?”

“You’re dripping on the floorboards,” Will states, not unkindly.

“Right, sorry.” Mike turns and walks off, disappearing into his own bedroom.

Will sighs, at least he’s not the only one who has had to rewire his brain. He closes his door and changes into his pajamas before heading to meet Mike out in the living room. Mike is somehow already there, even though Will took less than a minute to change. Will doesn’t ask about it – he only settles down on the couch next to him.

“So, what do you wanna watch?” Will asks when Mike makes no move to touch the remote control. Will glances over at him when the other stays quiet.

Mike then digs the heel of his palm into his thigh, seemingly agitated. “I was wondering,” he starts without looking at Will. “Was last night like... okay?”

Will wonders if they were going to watch anything in the first place or if it was just a ploy to lure him out of his room so Mike can finally tell him what’s been eating at him all night.

“Yeah, it was okay,” Will hopes he doesn’t sound as anxious as he’s feeling.

“Well…” a redness creeps across Mike’s face, “I, uh- I…” he sighs at himself before twisting to face Will. “This is embarrassing,” he mutters.

Will gives him a gentle smile, “Mike, I don’t think anything you could say could make me think differently of you.”

Especially not after last night, Will thinks.

“Before the bet… which I’m never making another bet drunk again, by the way.” Mike lets out a forced laugh – he can’t meet Will’s eyes again. “Anyway, before the bet, I usually- uh, I usually do… stuff mostly every day and it was fine before because I hadn’t for a while but because we… last night…” Mike fades off – his face is beet red at this point. 

Will waits for him to finish.

“It… now my body kind of…” Mike buries his face in his hands. “Why is this so fucking hard?” He mumbles.

Will can help, he’s pretty aware of what Mike is trying to say, but he’s kind of enjoying watching Mike flounder like this – so, he doesn’t say anything.

“Can we do it again?” Mike speaks out in a rush, the question muffled by his palms.

Will, despite knowing what Mike has been trying to say for the last couple of minutes, feels like his heart is trying to make a speedy escape through his ribcage.

Mike peeks out through his fingers, “Please say something,” he whispers.

Will swallows and then swallows again because at some point his mouth has started watering and he doesn’t want to choke on his own spit.

Rather be choking on Mike’s, eh?

Will blushes fervently at the thought and averts his eyes.

“We can-” Will pauses to clear his throat and his mind- “if you really don’t think you can handle it, we can call off the bet,” he offers, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. Despite all of his ‘hard work’ these last few weeks to try and get Mike to cave first, Will is willing to let this go. He’s not a monster, if Mike doesn’t want to do this, like really doesn’t, Will is not going to force him. Plus, he has been expecting this, hasn’t he? He knows that Mike doesn’t like guys, at least, not in the way Will does.

But Mike shakes his head, “I still want to do the bet. I like the bet.”

The confirmation triggers something in Will, his competitive side.

“Then why would I give up my chance at an easy win?” He teases, trying to lighten the mood.

Mike drops his hands from his face, narrowing his eyes at him, “That’s cheating,” he accuses.

“No, it’s not.” Will scoffs without spite. “Just because you can’t keep your own hands off of yourself, doesn’t mean I’m cheating.”

Mike stares at him for a moment before scooting closer, entering Will’s personal bubble – their knees brush at the closeness.

“Then how about…” Mike tugs at his bottom lip with his teeth before letting it go with an exhale. “It’s ‘cause I liked having your hand on me… more than my own?” Mike asks, speaking barely above a whisper. And thank God he continues because Will has stopped breathing. “It felt different, but better, and I- I want it again. I want you again, Will.”

Mike is... not straight?

Will feels the need to grab a paper bag to help remind him how to breathe properly, but he can’t move. He can’t do much of anything at the moment. He knows Mike is waiting for an answer, he can feel him burning holes into the side of his head with his intense eyes.

“Will?” Mike whispers. He reaches out and tips Will’s face up to his, making him look at him. He’s closer now, somehow, Will doesn’t know when that happened. “Did you not like it when I…” he brushes his thumb over Will’s chin, “when I touched you? Did I not make you feel good?”

Will might be having a heart attack. He blinks up at Mike before his eyes lower to his mouth.

Mike is not straight. He isn’t straight. He wants this. He wants me. The thoughts continue to loop through Will’s mind over and over again. Then suddenly he’s leaning forward and Mike’s not moving to meet him but he’s not backing up either, so Will is taking that as a go-ahead. Will brushes his lips over Mike’s, featherlight and cautious.

Mike inhales sharply and goes rigid – his grip on Will’s chin tightens significantly.

Will pulls back a bit, still breathing in the same air as Mike and peers up at him again, searching his eyes with his. He doesn’t see any sign of disgust or discomfort.

“When you touched me,” he starts, just as quietly as Mike. “It was…” Will feels like his heart is caught in his throat, it takes a lot of effort but he manages to swallow it down. “I loved it,” he confesses. He knows he’s laying everything down on the line, that he’s admitting that this isn’t just some stupid bet he’d agreed to at the beginning of the summer. That this, what they’ve been doing, means more to him, and that it always has. He just hopes Mike understands that.

Mike visibly swallows as well before tipping his head down and catching Will’s mouth with his, kissing him for real this time. The hand on Will’s chin slides up and over his jaw, cupping around the strong bone there.

Will practically melts into him, relief flooding through him. He parts his lips against Mike’s and deepens the kiss. They make out for a bit, breathless and loud, and Will can’t believe he’s actually being allowed to taste Mike like this. 

Mike breaks the kiss, resting his forehead against Will’s, panting shallowly. He leans back then, opening his eyes.

Will blinks his open as well, already missing the heat of Mike’s mouth pressed up against his. The way Mike is looking at him right now has him questioning how he ever thought that Mike was straight in the first place. This is definitely not how someone looks at their best friend, or any friend, for that matter.

“You never…” Mike pauses to catch his breath – he can’t seem to keep his eyes off of Will’s mouth. “You never answered my question.”

Will frowns, “Yeah, I did,” he says. “You asked if I liked the touching and I replied.”

Mike shakes his head slightly, his eyes locking with Will’s once more, “My first question,” he clarifies.

Oh? Oh.

“I thought the kiss answered that,” Will tells him sheepishly, feeling his face heat up.

Mike wets his lips with his tongue, “So, can I- can we…”

Will nods, “Yeah.” He gets up and Mike mirrors him, but when Will reaches for the front of his pajama pants, Mike grips at his wrists. Will looks up at him quickly, a little startled – has he read this wrong somehow? He isn’t sure how that would even be possible at this point, not when he can still taste Mike on his tongue. “What is it?” He asks, worried nonetheless.

“Could we maybe… not here,” Mike mutters, his gaze shifting to land somewhere over Will’s head. 

“Where?” Will wonders, still a bit dumbfound.

Mike meets his eyes again, “My... room?” He suggests carefully.

Will swallows hard, so hard it kind of hurts, and he ends up choking on his own saliva and coughing. Mike watches him patiently, keeping quiet. “Yeah, yeah,” Will agrees, nodding, before turning and starting to walk over to the hallway.

Once they’re both inside of Mike’s room, Mike oddly shutting the door behind them even though they live alone, Will stands in the middle of the space, unsure of where to situate himself. When he turns to face Mike, to ask how he wants to do this, Mike is already halfway done taking off his top.

Mike tosses it to the floor before closing the distance between them. He tugs at the hem of Will’s sleepshirt, “Can I take this off?” He wonders.

It might be a trick of the light, but Will swears he’s never seen Mike’s eyes so dark. Will swallows and nods, untrusting of his voice.

Mike pulls Will’s shirt off over his head, discarding it as well. He then lowers his hands to the front of Will’s pajama pants – his eyes find his again.

Will nods a second time, consenting. This is much more intimate than the night before as Mike is the one undressing him, he’s never had someone undress him before – he’s not sure how he feels about it. It definitely helps that it’s Mike.

Mike holds his gaze as he undoes and pushes Will’s pajama pants and boxers off, he takes his time with it, crouching down in front of him to slowly pull them down his legs before straightening once more. He maintains eye contact with Will the entire time, but he remains silent.

Will doesn’t look away as he steps out of his bottoms and kicks them to the side. He’s already hard, he knows that – he’s been hard since the kiss on the couch. What he isn’t expecting is for Mike to immediately wrap his long fingers around him.

Will intakes a stuttering breath at the sensation, caught off guard at the suddenness of his best friend’s actions as everything up until this point has been so cautious. He reaches out to touch Mike as well, but Mike swats his hand away with his free hand. Will frowns, “Shouldn’t- shouldn’t I be-”

“Shh,” Mike murmurs soothingly, tugging on him gently. “In a minute.”

Will’s breathing hitches as Mike thumbs the slit, he has to grip at his shoulders to steady himself. He doesn’t understand. Mike said that he wanted a repeat of the other night, that he wanted Will’s hand on him again, but this isn’t that. This is Mike pleasuring Will and Will clutching at Mike while he tries to stay upright. Will’s legs shake, having trouble, and Mike’s gaze drops, noticing. 

“You wanna lie down?” Mike offers, although he’s already helping Will over to his bed.

Will lets him – he’s lies down on the mattress, on top of the comforter. He’s a little surprised the bed is made; it’s a weird contradiction to the way Mike threw their clothes on the floor only moments ago.

Mike slides on top of him, positioning himself between Will’s legs as he takes hold of his dick again. His other hand grips at Will’s hip, keeping him pressed down against the bed.

“M-Mike,” Will breathes out, reaching out for Mike’s erection, which is tenting the front of his pajama pants. He wants to touch him too, he wants to make him feel good too.

“Hands to yourself,” Mike instructs, leaning back a bit, out of Will’s reach. He doesn’t sound angry though, if anything he sounds anxious.

Will pouts but drops his hands to his sides to grip at the comforter, he’s not really in the right place to be calling the shots right now.

Mike begins stroking up and down his shaft, his eyes focusing back on Will’s face. He still can’t seem to take his sight off of his mouth – Will wishes he would just kiss him again.

“How does it feel?” Mike asks, as if the way Will’s been whimpering hasn’t given away how he’s feeling already.

“G-good,” Will stutters, fisting his hands into the blanket, his body bucking up into Mike’s grasp. “Really good.”

Mike smiles at him, “Good.” He settles down on his knees as he speeds up his hand, eliciting a low moan out of Will.

“Shouldn’t I be-” Will has to take a breath to speak properly- “don’t you want me to touch you, too? Like last night?” He thinks he’s going to start begging soon if Mike makes him wait any longer, though he’d rather not because he isn’t sure he will be able to live that down.

Mike bites his lip, “In a minute,” he repeats, however Will is certain it’s already been more than a minute since he said that last time. Mike’s eyes find Will’s mouth again as he inquires, “You really wanna touch me again? Like, really?”

He is anxious, Will realizes, though he doesn’t know why.

Will nods eagerly, he doesn’t even have to exaggerate the action to make Mike feel better, but he hopes it helps, he hopes Mike can tell he means it, that he wants it. He speaks out when Mike seems to be waiting for a verbal confirmation, “Yes, I- I do. I really do.”

Mike studies him for a time before nodding and inclining his body forward in acceptance, “Okay,” he yields.

Will controls himself for another thirty seconds before reaching out to pull Mike out from his pajama pants. Mike looks oddly bigger in the brighter light of his bedroom, but Will manages to school his face before the shock can bleed through. However, his mouth seems to have a mind of its own.

“Why are you so big?” Will can’t help but ask as he thumbs the vein on the underside of Mike’s cock. The feel of it in his hand (finally) has his hips stuttering with his heart – Will wants to put it in his mouth.

Mike hisses softly in pleasure, his head dropping towards their chests as he bucks his hips into Will’s hold on him. “I don’t know,” he mumbles. “Shit luck, I guess.”

“Shit luck?” Will hitches a brow at him, confused. “Not likely.”

A long pause, then, “You, uh- you like it?” Mike questions huskily.

Will glances up sharply, as he’s been staring at Mike’s cock for the last couple of minutes, and is expecting to see that damn smirk again but Mike looks genuinely worried, as if he wants Will to like it, that if he doesn’t, it’ll be bad. Will isn’t sure where all of this anxiety has come from because Mike’s been pretty confident in doing a lot of things these last few weeks. Will wonders what has changed.

“Yeah, I do.” Will assures him with a sincere smile, then, because he’s trying to distress Mike, he rambles on without a filtering his words, “I mean, I have no idea how I’d ever take it, but-” Will cuts off abruptly, some of his brain managing to function enough to bite down on his tongue. He grimaces as he tastes blood, but it can’t be helped now.

Holy shit, he did not just fucking say that out loud.

Mike’s hand freezes on Will’s dick momentarily before starting up again, his grip tightening possessively, like he’s enjoyed the admission, like it hasn’t sent Will to the moon.

“Would you want to?” Mike asks, his tone changing – Will doesn’t like it, or he does, but he can’t look Mike in the eye when he sounds like this. Mike seems to realize that and speeds his hand up on Will’s dick, “Have you thought about it before, William? Taking it? Take me inside of you?”

Will has been trying to help Mike with his nerves; Mike is choosing to take a different route. Will misses that awkward guy from out on the couch, or the one that was with him only a minute ago because he can’t face Mike when he’s talking to him like this. He hasn’t been properly introduced to this version of his best friend. Mike isn’t being competitive right now, he’s teasing, sure, but it’s not in the same context – Will is sure of it.

Will pumps Mike’s length in his hand while he pretends to think about it, stalling a bit more before answering, “Yeah, if you- if you wanted that.” And it’s the truth, which is why it’s so easy for him to say it. He’s always wanted to tell Mike, to say it out loud; he has just been sure he would never get the chance to.

Mike’s eyes take on a thoughtful gleam, and Will instantly regrets admitting to anything. “Have you ever-” Mike licks his lips, pausing to rub his thumb against the vein on the underside of Will’s dick, smirking softly as Will wriggles under him in response- “had anything up there before?” He finishes.

Will feels like his face is melting off, “I-I’m not- I’m not answering that,” he stammers.

“Why not?” Mike doesn’t sound offended, if anything he seems amused. “If you were going to tell anyone, it should be me.”

Will isn’t sure what he did to trigger this side of Mike, but he would like to unflip this switch. It’s attractive, but it’s kind of intense with Mike on top of him like this – he almost feels trapped.

“So?” Mike tilts his head to the side, eyes flickering back and forth between Will’s. He slows his stroking down, withholding his touch until Will gives him an answer probably.

Jerk.

Will narrows his eyes up at him, “And why is that? Why should I tell you over everyone else?” It’s a stupid question, as Mike is absolutely the only person alive he would ever tell. Will just feels like they’re back to playing the game they’d been the last month and isn’t going to let Mike push him over that easily. If Mike wants to play again, then Will will indulge him.

Mike smirks, “Because you’ve been fantasizing about me fucking you,” he tells him bluntly, unapologetically.

“I never said that,” Will scoffs.

Mike sighs and retracts his hand, sitting back, but before Will can say anything, Mike is pulling him into his lap, causing Will’s dick to press up against his. Will lets out a startled gasp and squirms against him, but Mike holds him in place, not budging.

“You didn’t have to say it, I’ve always known how to read you,” Mike murmurs, peering up at Will. “Even if I couldn’t, you haven’t been very subtle. You’ve basically been eye-fucking me for weeks – I’m not blind, Will.”

“And what have you been doing?” Will cocks a brow at him. “Taking an unnecessary amount of showers? Started doing yoga? Invited me back into your bedroom to cuddle naked?” Will makes a face, “You haven’t exactly been innocent these last few weeks either, Mike.”

“I’ve been letting you look,” Mike says casually before lowering his gaze. “I’ve been wanting you to look, wishing you would,” he confesses quietly. His eyes meet Will’s once more as he goes on, “And I’ve been looking back, too.” His briefly glances at Will’s mouth, “I can’t tell you how many times I almost lost last week.”

Will blinks in surprise, “Really?” He had no clue he’d done anything so extreme to make Mike react like that. He honestly thinks Mike’s beat him quite a few times these last few weeks, though he isn’t about to admit to that.

“Really.” Mike snorts, his lips quirking up at the side. “I didn’t even know you owned shorts that short.”

Will huffs out a small laugh, remembering, “Oh, right. Yeah, that was a laundry malfunction, they shrunk in the dryer but they were my only pair left until the next day.”

“Thinking about it now...” Mike wets his lips with his tongue, rutting his hips up, rubbing his cock against Will’s in a way that has Will clutching onto his shoulders tighter. “When you bent over that afternoon to clear the dishes off of the coffee table, I wanted to- I almost-” Mike cuts off for a second time, his voice breaking, as he presses up against Will again, their erections sliding against one another’s. He lets out a low groan, his head bowing forward as he shakes under the older boy.

Will grabs at his shoulders harder, his fingers digging into his skin as he bucks up against him, meeting his movements. “What did you almost do?” He whispers, breathless, as they continue to grind up against one another. He can guess what Mike thought about when he bent over in front of him, which had admittedly been an accident, but he still wants to hear him say it.

“I wanted to bend you over the rest of the way, pull those stupid shorts down and take you from behind,” Mike confesses, letting out half of a growl as he thrusts his hips up to meet Will’s bucks. “I wanted it so badly, I was seconds away from just forgetting about the bet altogether.”

Will pushes his face into the crook of Mike’s throat, whimpering at the admission, his body sliding against his frantically as Mike picks up the pace, the noises of skin slapping against skin fill the room. “Technically, it wouldn’t have been breaking the rules,” Will mentions, his voice coming out shaky. He’s barely holding on at this point, but he wants Mike to finish first. He isn’t sure when he’s going to be confident enough again to learn all of this, he doesn’t want to waste this chance. “You could have taken what you wanted, you know-” Will blushes, and it’s dumb because they are way past blushing by now- “I would have let you.”

“Yeah, really?” Mike wonders, his own movements becoming jerkier – his heart is beating a mile a minute, Will can feel every thump of it against his chest.

Will whines softly in the back of his throat at how happy Mike sounds, “Mike,” he whispers. “If I had known that was what you wanted, I would have given myself to you weeks ago.”

Mike’s hips jerk upward as he comes abruptly against Will’s chest, capturing his mouth with his and moaning into the kiss. Will follows right after him, completely turned on by Mike getting turned on by him.

Mike breaks the kiss a few moments later, letting out a shuddering breath as he comes down from his climax, his hips twitching against Will’s slightly with the aftershocks of his orgasm. He tentatively moves Will off of him, to the side, before lying down next to him then pulling him onto his chest and wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

Will isn’t doing too great in the breathing department either, not when he’s losing his breath every time he looks at Mike like some schoolboy with a crush. Except, he’s been that little boy with a crush, so this really is like a dream. He leans in and presses a soft kiss to the side of Mike’s face, before resting his head there, breathing him in.

“So,” Mike starts after some time; he combs his fingers through Will’s damp hair, brushing it out of his face. “Does this mean we both lose?”

“No?” Will doesn’t move; he only speaks as he is too comfortable where he is. “We got each other off, not ourselves – technically, neither of us lost.”

A pause, then a suspicious sounding, “Hmm.”

Will looks up at him then quizzically, leaning back a bit so he can read his expression. “What?”

“I just figured-” Mike sighs deeply, appearing gloomy- “since I gave you such a great orgasm that you’d want to forfeit,” Mike tells him with a shrug, trying and failing to hide a smirk.

Will scoffs, “Are you forfeiting?” He questions.

Mike tips his head back, a mischievous grin spreading out across his face. “Nope,” he replies. “How about you? Do you wanna give me the win all of a sudden? Don’t you think you’ve tortured me enough this past month?”

“Not a chance.” Will mirrors his expression, his lips stretching from ear to ear. “Game on.”