𝒔𝒐𝒇𝒕 𝒉𝒖𝒆𝒔 ( byler )

⁴ orange ⁴

I still wanna be your favorite boy,
wanna be the one that makes your day

*xxx*

Will woke up dazed, looking around the dark messy room he was in. The smell of pumpkin spice filled his nose. It was so... unfamiliar. On the end of the long couch he was curled up on, was a figure. While try to figure out who it was, he was hit was a sting of pain in his face.

He let out a strained groan in a reply to the pain he was feeling. The person finally turned to look at him after hearing the sound.

"Oh finally, you're up." The voice said.
"M-michael? Wait, where am I?" Will questioned.
"Oh..." Mike smirked at Will with a mixture of guilt and embarassment. "my basement."

Will swallowed and looked around him. In a panic he tried to sit up but a soft, firm hand on his chest stopped him.
"What do think you're doing?" Mike mumbled. "It's ten at night and you're hurt."
Will felt his body heat up from Mike's touch. Mike's eyes were staring at him with orange highlights from a nearby candle.

"I have to go. Now." Will couldn't believe it. He was in his crush- Michael Wheeler's house. In his basement. His burning hand on Will's chest.
Will tried to refocus. It was already 10pm. What did his mom think. She was probably so  terrified.
"I'm sorry Will, I just can't let you go." Mike sighed, while lifting off his hand. Will frowned a little at the loss of contact.

"I have to go home, my mother is probably worried about me." Will reflected back on his past, those times he wouldn't go home. When he was too scared of Lonnie. How he left his mother at home to fend for herself. Suddenly he felt sick.

"Uh, I think going to- " Will covered his mouth trying to delay the inevitable. Mike was already on it though, with a little trash bin he handed to Will. Will vomited.
Mike sighed, "like I said. I can't let you go. Just spend the night with me."

Will's eyes widened and Mike blushed heavily. "I-I didn't mean it like that... like you c-could stay-" Mike was stammering. Will just giggled at Mike. He was so cute like this.

"Okay fine, I'll stay with you," Will choked out. "Thank you for bringing me here."
"Of course Will, I tried to warn you about that piece of shit but I guess it can be hard to listen to others when you have a crush." Mike's mouth seemed to hurt a little as he said that last part.

A crush. No, I don't. Not on him.
"I don't like him Michael..." Will trailed off. He's not you.
"Oh, so you're not gay?" Mike asked. Will appreciated him not using a slur or hateful term. But he still couldn't answer.

"It's alright, you don't have to tell me anything. I'd never judge you but sorry for assuming." Mike looked a little upset but got up and walked away.
"Wait, where are you going?" Will yelled a bit panicked.
"Well, I have to get you some ice for that pretty face." Mike said with a smirk and turned up the stairs.

Will blushed at the comment, even though he was sure Mike didn't mean it like that. Maybe it was sarcasm. Either way he was happy to be there. Despite all Troy had done to him earlier that day.

He grabbed at the blanket he didn't realize someone had wrapped him in and fell back asleep.

~~~

The next couple of weeks actually went pretty well. Of course his mom, Joyce, was worried about where he'd been and what happened to his face. He told her he fell off his bike, and stayed at a friend's house. While she was still suspicious she eased up once she heard he had a friend. She was very worried about Will being alone when they moved here.

Will spent most of his time with Mike's friends, well at this point they were his friends too. Him and Max were closest. But he didn't like anyone else, the way he liked Mike.

Sometimes Will felt little bursts of jealousy when he saw Mike and El together. But he suppressed those feelings. Mike wasn't gay like him and El was sweet, he couldn't do that to her. Even if, most of the times Mike and El acted more like close friends than an actual couple. He's only seen them kiss like twice in the month that has passed. Weird.

Will sighed as he made his way to school. He was sort of hating this week. Not because of the increasing bullying from Troy and his friends. It
was because of the event coming up soon.

"Morning Will," Mike called out to him. "Hi Michael," Will smiled back.
Will still refused to just call him Mike.
"Are you ready for tonight?"
Will exhaled and tried to look excited.
"Yeah, totes..." Will quietly cursed at himself for saying something so girly.

Mike chuckled. "Well, I can't wait to see you there. Make sure you eat, there will probably be drinks there."
There it was, the problem. Will knew what happened when people get drunk. He'd seen it first hand from his father and he worried he may be same.

And even if he doesn't get violent. There was a chance he could expose his own secrets. Hidden behind the long sleeves and baggy clothes Mike was always asking him about. Everyone else took it as his style, but Mike always seemed a bit suspicious. It was scary having someone almost find out his secret.

Tonight was an early Halloween party. It was only October 11th, pretty early to celebrate where Will is from, but maybe American's did it differently. How is it even a Halloween party if there are no costumes?

Will sluggishly went along his school day, orange and gloomy with anxiety, and rode home early to try and look good for this party. He had someone he wanted to impress.

*XXX*

I told you, I hate seeing Will in pain. Some crazy shit happens in the next chapter so I hope it makes up for the time skip :).
I'm aiming to update at least every week so while I'm gone...
Drink water?

980~ Words