WILL POV-

---- 9:43 PM ----

As the car continued down the path, the golden hour ceased to exist; the sun setting behind the horizon. The ravenette continued to engage Will in conversation, asking various questions. The brunette decided to answer, albeit carefully, withholding certain details he believed may be used against him later.

Mike seemed genuinely curious, and Will couldn't help but notice the complexity of emotions swirling in the criminal's eyes. He chose his words wisely, giving enough information to maintain the illusion of cooperation while safeguarding crucial personal details.

Through the conversation, the small boy maintained a semblance of anonymity as he tried to continue his plan of making himself humanised in Mike's eyes rather than just a puppet on a string; hopefully by keeping some things secret, he would be able to protect his father and his non-existent friends; it wasn't as though he was giving any names or the exact location.

He knew the ravenette could use this information to exploit him, so Will remained cautious; wary of sharing too much, knowing that despite being apologised to, Mike was still holding him against his will; even if it was an accidental kidnapping. Still, the small boy tried to maintain a sense of composure, hoping that his guarded responses might eventually lead to Mike's humanity.

The night wore on and the car headed toward its final destination, the headlights peaked like the sun in the darkness, illuminating the road before them; as they continued, Will shuffled in his seat noticing the subtle shift in Mike's demeanour. Perhaps, the ravenette was really filled with remorse, although he wouldn't easily believe Mike's apology so easily.

The uncertainty of Mike's changing emotions lurked in the back of his mind, but Will realised the importance of playing along for now. Wanting to find a way to connect with the taller boy and make him seem like more than just a hostage; maybe he could have the ravenette think they are 'friends', though he knew he had to tread lightly in order to protect himself.

Although the tall boy's demeanour seemed to shift slightly amidst the tension and uncertainty, it remained awkward as he started to tease the small boy; perhaps in a way to release some tension or assert some level of control.

"You know," Mike began, "for a guy who got himself kidnapped, you're surprisingly feisty!"

"So, are you saying I should just roll over and take it?" Will quipped

"No... I like my hostages to have a bit of fight in them; it's fun that way." The ravenette replied as though he had been doing this regularly.

The small boy shuddered at the words, not exactly knowing what he meant by 'fun', but decided to return the conversation, "Oh, I'm glad I'm the perfect victim!"

"Most people would be crying and begging for mercy by now!" Mike explained

"What?" the brunette scrunched his face, "You expected me to get on my hands and knees and beg you?"

"See that's more like it! Sarcasm suits you." The tall boy replied, "Though I wouldn't be opposed to hearing you beg once in a while." he added, not realising the double meaning.

"Great, at least you get your ideal kidnapping fantasy." Will waved his free arm around.

"Oh, I know! But I must say you're not as boring as I thought you'd be." Mike quickly glanced at Will before turning his eyes to the road once again.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" The brunette scrunched his face.

"Take it however you want." The ravenette replied with a shrug, "It's not like we have anything else to do on this little road trip."

"It's not a road trip... it's a kidnapping." Will deadpanned.

"That's just a minor technicality," the ravenette raised an eyebrow, "You're still stuck with me either way!"

The brunette rolled his eyes, sarcastically throwing the words out his mouth, "Lucky me." he mumbled; his sarcasm becoming a way of detaching himself in this unfamiliar situation, but he couldn't deny that the teasing from his captor both intrigued and unsettled him.

Mike's teasing was oddly both infuriating and perplexing for the small boy. He couldn't wrap his head around why the ravenette seemed to be so talkative and dare he say, annoying in this situation; a few hours ago, he was ready to punch Will in the face if he had misspoken. The uncertainty of the destination kept the brunette on edge, constantly unsure of how to navigate this unpredictable criminal.

The ravenette flipped his head around keeping a small watch on Will, his lips curling, "You know, when you behave, you're not so bad, Bowlcut. Maybe I'll keep you around when we reach California."

"Keep me around? Are you crazy?" the small boy blinked; at least now he was clear of where their final destination was. Although it didn't make sense, why would Mike willingly hand over this information? And what did he mean by keep?

The ravenette giggled, "Do you have any special talents? Like juggling knives or jumping through rings of fire?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" The brunette asked, clearly annoyed by the sudden shift of subject.

Mike shrugged, "If you did... I could lock you in a cage and force you to be my personal entertainment; like a town jester but just for me!" allowing a small smile to creep onto his face and seeing nothing wrong with that sentence.

Will sarcastically shook his head; his gut twisting, worried that it might actually be a reality once they reach their destination, "I'd rather eat rat poison!"

"Oh come on, you have to admit you're having a little fun!" The ravenette replied.

"So much fun; it's almost like a 5-star limo ride!" The small boy quickly looked the other way for a second before looking back.

"Okay maybe it's not ideal, but you got to admit, it's been eventful!" Mike added

The brunette raised an eyebrow, "Eventful is one way to put it." he mumbled under his breath. "You're very chatty, aren't you?"

"I have to find the way to pass the time somehow!" the tall boy reasoned

"Of course! Why don't I serenade you at this point?" Will furrowed his brows,

"You know... you never did tell me what your favourite song is, I'm dying to know what tunes my kidnapping victim enjoys!"

"Don't ever call me 'your victim'!" Will narrowed his eyes with wit.

"Dually noted! So what is the song my dear Victim?" Mike asked dramatically

"What did I just... Whatever!" The small boy reluctantly rolled his eyes, cutting himself off; deciding to answer the dumb question, "My favourite song is 'I Bet on Losing Dogs'."

"A bit of a dramatic name don't you think?" Mike furrowed his brows.

"Hey don't judge Mitski! Her music is powerful and emotional!" Will defended

"Alright, alright calm down! No need to get offended. I'm sure she's... great." the ravenette chuckled,

"She is!" the small boy quipped

"I bet her music is about love and heartbreak, right?" Mike assumed

Will rolled his eyes, obviously not a fan of his favourite artist being reduced to nothing more than 'sad' and 'hopeless' as he retorted, "Not all of them! She has a lot of different meaningful and deep songs."

"Deep and meaningful? Sounds like a code for sappy love songs to me!" the tall boy added with a sly smile.

"Yeah, well maybe only people with emotions can appreciate her music." The brunette crossed his arms, well as much as he could considering the handcuffs still locked him in place; at least the pain was minimal as the cuffs were looser.

"I have emotions!" Mike countered, "I listen to Lana!"

"You... listen to Lana Del Rey?" Will repeated in disbelief

"Yeah, why not?" The ravenette shrugged.

"I just thought you'd listen to music that was a bit more... action-packed, I guess." The small boy reasoned with Mike and himself

"Well maybe you shouldn't judge, before you get to know me." The tall boy answered.

"No... I think I will." the brunette chuckled, momentarily forgetting the predicament he was in. And despite the teasing, the small boy couldn't help but wonder if there was more to Mike then meets the eye; sure, he might be a self-centred, smug, unapologetic little fucker, but perhaps there was something under his tough exterior; deep, deep, deep down, maybe a sliver of vulnerability?

But beyond all, Will played along, torn between his little glimmer of hope in the ravenette and the uncertainty of the future, but his thoughts cut short when the pair turned into a gas station on the side of the freeway... 

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1447 Words

Stay Safe <3