Chapter 7

Sunlight crept through the thin hotel curtains, Will was already awake, sitting cross-legged on the floor near the window with his sketchbook open. He was just staring at the drawing of Mike, pencil resting between his fingers.

Behind him, the room stirred.

"El, if you steal the blanket again I swear to God." Richie groaned, voice thick with sleep.

"I am not stealing it," El muttered, immediately tugging it higher so it covered her and max who lay on the sofa together.

Will smiled to himself.

Mike shifted on the couch, blinking awake. He rubbed his face, hair sticking up in every direction, and for a second he just watched Will sitting there in the quiet. Something about it felt... calm. Normal.

Normal was all that Mike really wanted.

"You're up early," Mike said softly.

Will glanced over his shoulder. "Couldn't sleep." He sighed, looking back at the drawing of Mike.

"Thinking too hard?" Mike teased gently.

"Always," Will said, smiling back.

Max woke up, tying her hair into a messy ponytail. She looked tired, but less sharp than yesterday. She glanced between Will and Mike, then sighed.

"Okay," she said, arms crossed. "I may have overreacted." She said looking at El.

Will looked surprised, turning around and looking at his best friend, "You're changing your mind?"

"Not really," Max replied. "I just don't like the idea of you getting dragged into tabloids."

Mike sat up straighter. "I'd never let that happen."

Max studied him for a moment, then nodded. "I know. That's why I'm backing off, but anything else and you're getting it Wheeler." She warned.

Dustin popped up from the couch like he'd been awake the whole time. "Character development."

"Go brush your teeth," Max said, shoving him.

Laughter filled the room, easy and familiar.

Later, when everyone had scattered—El and Richie arguing over breakfast plans, Dustin calling his mom, Max on her phone—Mike wandered over to Will by the window.

"You gonna draw today?" he asked.

Will tapped the pencil against the page. "I'm just thinking about the shading."

Mike looked at him then, really looked—at the concentration in his eyes, the way his shoulders relaxed when he talked about art.

"Hey, Will?" Mike said.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. For listening last night. For... not treating me like I'm some headline." Mike smiled gently.

Will smiled, small and warm. "You're just Mike to me, you may be famous pornstar Mike but I can look past that."

Something settled in Mike's chest at that.

Outside, cameras still waited somewhere down the street. Inside, the hotel room felt like a bubble—messy, loud, real.

Will finally put pencil to paper.

Mike smiled and watched as Will began to shade the drawing of Mike.

———

That night, they ended up at a neon-lit bowling alley a few blocks from the hotel.

It was loud enough to drown out most thoughts—music thumping, pins crashing, people laughing too hard. Dustin had claimed it was "iconic" and Richie had agreed immediately, mostly because there was beer.

Mike hadn't let Will out of his sight since they walked in.

"Okay," Mike said, handing Will a bowling ball and leaning far too close to be necessary, "bend your knees a little. Like that."

"I know how to bowl," Will laughed, though he did exactly what Mike said.

"Yeah, but I know how to look good while bowling," Mike replied smoothly.

Will snorted. "You literally just guttered."

Mike grinned. "I was distracted."

"By what?" Will smiled, oblivious.

Mike leaned in, voice low. "You."

Will's ears went red instantly as he chucked the ball down the lane.

From the benches behind them, Max watched with her arms crossed, jaw tight.

"Oh, come on," Dustin said around a mouthful of fries. "They're flirting, not committing tax fraud."

Richie scoffed. "It's annoying flirting. There's a difference."

Max didn't laugh. "It's reckless."

Richie shot her a look. "You don't trust that Mike and Will won't have sex before the weeks over?" He asked.

"I don't trust the situation," Max muttered. "Mike's life is a mess. Will doesn't need to get caught in it, I would die if he started doing porn to please him."

On the lane, Will rolled the ball—knocked down seven pins.

"Hey, that was good!" Mike said, clapping once. "Proud of you."

"You're acting like I'm five," Will laughed.

"Yeah, but you're my favourite five-year-old," Mike shot back.

Will bumped Mike's shoulder with his own, smiling too wide. "You're ridiculous."

"And yet," Mike said, gently catching Will's wrist before he could walk away, "you're still here."

For a split second, the air shifted—too close, too real.

Richie stood abruptly. "Okay! Shot break."

Mike frowned. "We just started—"

"Shot. Break," Richie repeated, sharp. "Mike, with me."

Reluctantly, Mike followed him toward the bar.

Max immediately slid into the seat beside Will.

"You okay?" she asked.

Will blinked. "Yeah? Why wouldn't I be?"

Max sighed, rubbing her temples. "Because he's intense. And charming. And complicated."

"I know," Will said softly.

"And you're getting attached." She frowned, looking at her best friend.

Will didn't answer right away. He watched Mike at the bar—laughing now, head tilted back as Richie talked at him.

"I'm not stupid, Max," Will said finally. "I know he's not... safe."

Max's expression softened a little. "Then why?"

Will swallowed. "Because when I'm with him, I really enjoy it." He smiled shyly, "I think he does too."

Max looked at him for a long moment. "Just promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise," Will said. Then, quieter, "But I'm allowed to feel things, I just wish we could drink with them."

At the bar, Richie leaned in close to Mike.

"You're playing with fire," Richie said flatly.

Mike's smile faded. "I'm not playing."

"That's worse," Richie replied. "He's not built for this world, man."

Mike looked back at Will—laughing now as Dustin did something stupid on the lane.

"I know," Mike said. "That's why I'm trying not to hurt him anymore."

Richie raised an eyebrow. "Trying isn't the same as not, you belong with me." He argued.

"Shut up Richie, it's never gonna happen." Mike sighed, shaking his head.

When Mike walked back, Will brightened instantly.

"You miss me?" Will teased.

Mike smirked. "Every second."

Max groaned. Richie rolled his eyes.

But when Mike leaned down and whispered something that made Will laugh again—soft and unguarded—both Max and Richie felt the same uneasy thought settle in their chests.

This wasn't just flirting anymore.

———

Everyone staggered into the hotel room, Richie stumbling in, drunker than Mike and El were.

They were stone cold sober compared to Richie.

"Mikey put me to bed." Richie slurred as he grabbed onto Mike's shirt.

Mike frowned and pushed Richie away from him, "No you freak." He sighed.

"Let's go buddy." Dustin smiled as he slung his arm around Richie and brought him to his room.

Max looked over at El who was standing at her bedroom door, beckoning her over.

Max looked over at Will and Mike and smiled awkwardly, "I'm gonna hit the hay, such a long day I'm exhausted." She lied, hugging Will and rushing to her room where El was waiting for her.

Will laughed a little and looked over to Mike who was drinking a glass of water, he smiled softly, "You sober up fast."

Mike shrugged and sat beside Will, "Alcohols overrated, you're gonna hate it." He smiled, nudging Will's shoulder with his.

Will looked at his hands and took a deep breath, "Can you believe the week is almost over?" He sighed softly.

Mike nodded, "Yeah, I didn't expect it to go by so fast." He sighed.

"I guess I'm good company then." He joked, winking at Mike.

Mike smirked and leaned closer to Will, "You're definitely less nervous than you were."

Will nodded, blushing a little, "Yeah, sorry about that." He apologised

Mike raised his eyebrow and looked at Will, "Sorry about what?" he asked.

Will sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, "I was super embarrassing the first day we met, even my email was horrible."

Mike laughed a little as he watched Will continue, "Once you get to know me I settle down."

"Don't be embarrassed, I've met people who have literally climbed on me and wouldn't let go." Mike smiled, taking a drink of his water.

Will took a deep breath and bit his lip before speaking, "I'd love to climb on you."

Mike began choking on his water, patting his chest as he coughed loudly, Will's eyes widened as he realised what he said and pat Mike's back to help with the cough, "Shit! I wasn't thinking, I don't know why I said that!" he blushed furiously.

Mike cleared his throat and laughed, shaking his head as he set the glass down. "Wow," he said, still smiling, "didn't see that one coming."

Will groaned softly and covered his face with his hands. "Please pretend I didn't say that," he muttered. "I swear my brain short-circuited."

Mike reached out and gently pulled one of Will's hands away, his thumb brushing against Will's knuckles. "Hey," he said, voice lower now, warmer. "You don't have to hide."

Will looked up at him, their faces closer than before. "You're not... weirded out?"

Mike's smile turned slow and deliberate. "If I was weirded out, I'd be sitting a lot farther away."

Will swallowed, his eyes flicking down to Mike's lips before he could stop himself. He laughed nervously. "You're dangerous, you know that?"

Mike leaned in just a fraction more, close enough that Will could feel his breath. "Funny," he murmured, "I was thinking the same thing about you."

The space between them felt charged, like the air had thickened. Will's heart was pounding so loudly he was sure Mike could hear it. "If I say something stupid again," he said softly, "it's just because I'm a little distracted."

Mike's gaze didn't waver. "By what?"

"By how close you are," Will admitted.

Mike's hand shifted, resting lightly against Will's knee, not moving, just there—intentional. "I can move back," he said, though he made no effort to do so.

Will shook his head almost immediately. "Don't."

For a moment neither of them spoke. Mike's eyes searched Will's face, as if checking for doubt, for hesitation. Finding none, he leaned in slowly, giving Will time—time to pull away, time to change his mind.

Will didn't.

"I want you Mike, if it's forever or a one night stand I don't care I just know right now that I need you before I go back home." he whispered.

"Then have me." Mike whispered, their faces inches away, "You're eyes say yes, but I want to hear you say it."

"Yes, Mike."

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to vote!