WILL POV-

---- 7:36 PM ----

After a long while of mindless banter, the car stopped to a halt in front of a cozy suburban house; a quaint charm emanating from every corner; its window adorned with cheerful plants and encompassing a welcoming aura. The lawn adorned with beds of flowers and freshly manicured grass. Will glanced around, his brows furrowing in confusion as he turned to Mike.

"Are we finally here?" The small boy asked, his voice filling with scepticism.

The ravenette tilted his head with a grin that practically screamed enthusiasm, "You get to meet El! We are spending the night here!"

The brunette furrowed his brows, shooting a curious glance, "Oh wow! I can't wait to meet your superhero magician!" sarcastically chuckling.

"I know right! I thought you might be getting bored." The ravenette lined himself up with the driveway; ready to park.

"Oh, so now you're also providing entertainment?" Will narrowed his eyes; his tone laced with sarcasm.

"Well I have to keep things interesting for my favourite victim!" Mike laughed, a small smile on his lips, looking out the rear-view mirror, ensuring not to hit the garage door.

"Very interesting..." The brunette repeated rolling his eyes.

Taking the key out the ignition, he turned to Will with a playful smile, "El will be happy to meet you, you know?"

"Is that so?" The small boy scrunched his face.

"Yep!" Mike quickly nodded "And also I get to meet her, I haven't seen her in so long!"

"Well at least one of us will be having fun." Will mocked.

The banter flowed effortlessly between them, their exchanged words creating a brief distraction from the unusual circumstances. "No! I think you two will get along great; you're very cute! She likes cute things!"

"Cute?" The brunette scoffed.

Something shifted in Mike's expression- a singular bashful smile as he realised what he said, his cheeks taking on a faint blush as he tried to explain himself, waving his hands around, "I mean not cute-cute, just like cute as in; she would like you cute... you know?" he stuttered,

Will furrowed his brows, honestly having no clue what his captor was talking about, thinking all this driving had finally gotten to his head, "It's a good thing we are taking a break... you need to sleep, you've gone a bit crazy!"

"Well, some of us didn't sleep for eighteen hours!" Mike jeered.

"Thats a sensitive subject!" Will protested, furrowing his brows.

Mike chuckled, not bothering to say anything else as he got out the car taking the keys with him. Walking to the passenger side, Will watched the ravenette carefully open his door, uncuffing him from the seat; his movements slow and deliberate. Then to the small boy's surprise, Mike placed the other side of the cuff to his own wrist. The sensation of being handcuffed sent a jolt of unexpected electricity through the ravenette; something he couldn't explain.

With slight hesitation, the tall boy met Will's gaze with a soft reassuring smile on his face. The jingle of handcuffs lingered in the air as Mike held his hand out, extending it to help the small boy up from his seat. Will hesitated for a moment, his curiosity mixed with cautiousness, but reached out, allowing himself to accept the ravenette's hand.

With their wrists linked, Mike closed the car door, leading the small boy toward the front door of the house. Will's heart pounded in his chest; a combination of nerves and intrigue taking hold; he didn't know who El was but if they were anything like Max or Lucas, he couldn't wait to meet her. He glanced at the ravenette, noting the eagerness in his expression.

The tall boy stopped outside the front door, turning to Will with a bright grin, reaching for the doorbell; their linked arms hanging between them; ordinarily the small boy would complain but honestly three days in and he couldn't be bothered whining when Mike would do nothing. Will felt his own nerves mixed with anticipation.

Suddenly the door swung open, revealing a girl with frizzy brown hair that reached past her shoulders with bangs that oddly matched Will's own hair; she stood with an air of confidence- this must be El.

The girl's eyes widened in surprise as she took in the sight of her best friend, Mike Wheeler! Her smile was infectious, and Will couldn't help but feel a small thrill himself, despite never meeting her before.

"Hey El!" Mike greeted; his voice full of enthusiasm.

The doe-eyed girl's smile filled with uncontained joy as she let out a delighted squeal, jumping up and down excitedly, and without hesitation, El reached forward enveloping the ravenette into a tight hug, not even noticing the cuffs connecting the two boys. Mike laughed and hugged her back, as best as he could considering the handcuffs; the two friends sharing a tender moment while the brunette stood to the side, feeling like an awkward outsider.

But the small boy couldn't help but grin at the heartwarming sight, despite always seeing Mike in a dominant scary position; right now, he looked like a cuddly little teddy.

El's excitement was palpable as she finally released the ravenette from the hug, her eyes shining with delight; her eyes landed on the handcuffs, and without hesitation allowed them in. Will followed behind Mike and El into the house, feeling curious and uncertain.

As they settled into the living room, the doe-eyed girl sparkled with intrigue, turning her attention to Will; her eyes narrowing before opening with a barrage of questions with infectious enthusiasm.

"Hey... I'm El!" She began, her voice friendly and inviting as though this wasn't a weird sight to see. "So what's your name?"

Will blinked, slightly taken aback by her friendly demeanour, exchanging a glance with Mike; a complete contrast to the faces the ravenette pulled when they arrived at Max and Lucas's mechanic garage a few days prior. "I'm umm... Will," he replied, offering a small smile.

"So..." El began, "I guess we can't avoid the subject for much longer; so why are you handcuffed together?" she questioned,

Mike started to explain, "Its a long story..."

"You literally kill people for a living, I'm sure this is nothing in comparison." The doe-eyed girl whispered in his direction, but Will could still hear what they said as he rolled his eyes; does everyone know what Mike is doing? And no one cares?

"Basically, I accidentally kidnapped him!" The ravenette explained.

"Accidental?" El chuckled, raising an eyebrow in surprise, "Now that's something I need to know!"

Will chuckled, feeling at ease, hearing Mike recount the events of the past few days that led to this current situation. Every once in a while, the brunette would interject, telling El about the bad things Mike had done; like the beatings and the motel; each time she would get angry with the tall boy scolding him for treating Will like that.

El's eyes widened with each twist and turn of the story yet listening intently. As the ravenette finished, she leaned forward, her curiosity unmatched.

"So what's it like being handcuffed Mike?" She asked, a mischievous smirk on her face,

Mike passed a shared look with the small boy, his lips quivering slightly as he bashfully turned his head around, "Well... Will has actually been in handcuffs longer; so, I think you should ask him..." He answered, weirdly stuttering and avoiding the question.

El squinted her eyes, a sly smirk on her face, "No... I think I've heard enough." but her voice then became more serious, "Mike... can I talk to you... alone?"

The ravenette looked at her with a raised brow but nodded, "Sure thing!"

The brunette watched as Mike unlinked the handcuffs from his wrist. His curiosity piqued; planning on following the pair but was surprised when Mike suddenly used the handcuffs to secure the small boy to the coffee table; ensuring he couldn't move. Will pouted.

The pair walked off to another room of the house; isolated and alone, the small boy's eyes darted around the room, scanning the different artwork littering the walls. He tried to hear the conversation, but remained unable to make out any words as he sulked in his seat; knowing what they were discussing were their plans for him.

After a while, El and Mike returned to the room standing before the coach; their expression unreadable and serious. The doe-eyed girl's gaze landed on Will taking a deep breath before speaking. "We've been talking, and we can't let you go right now... it's complicated because someone shared a bit too much information!" she said side-eyeing the ravenette, who cowered away from her harsh gaze.

The small boy felt his heart sink at the news, he really wanted to go home and be done with all of this, but he appreciated El's honesty, yet still wishing she would tell Mike to let him go. Will nodded, his eyes darting to the ground.

El's tone softened upon seeing his dishevelled and sullen state, "Well... However, we understand that you might want to tell your family that you're safe. So, we decided to allow you to make a phone call."

Will's eyes lit up with a mixture of surprise and relief; jumping up and down in excitement on his seat. The mere prospect of reaching out to his dad, letting him know he was safe filled him with hope.

In her hand, El held a burner phone, handing it to Will, "Use this to call your family and tell them you're safe."

The brunette accepted the phone graciously, his jaw dropping looking down at the phone; would he really be able to call his dad? Let him know his only son was safe? Even if his dad wasn't the best person, he was still his father and was probably in pieces upon the disappearance of his child. Will nodded, his heart swelling with gratitude; if he was able to hug El he would, "Thank you so much... I- I really mean it!"

Mike chimed in, "Keep it brief, and put it on speaker," He threatened, "One word out of line and I won't hesitate to break that phone." His tone harsh, reflecting the way he spoke on the first time they met; maybe it was the stress of being exposed that made his words sting.

Will nodded again, understanding the need for secrecy, holding the burner phone in his hands, dialling his father's number and hearing it ring... 

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1758 Words

Stay Safe <3