MIKE POV-

The ravenette's body tensed as Will's arms wrapped around him in a sudden embrace. It was unexpected for sure, and he loved it; he didn't know how to respond, wanting to just wrap both arms around the brunette in a comforting embrace, and apologise for leaving him alone- this wasn't the scenario he had anticipated; his plan failed, yet also worked. He wished he never left Will alone, he should have been with him.

But before he could react, the small boy pulled away, realising what he did, jumping away, "Sorry," he mumbled, his voice carrying a hint of awkwardness; his cheeks tinting red. Mike offered a reassuring clumsy smile, knowing the tension and fright from the situation had likely driven the small boy to the spontaneous hug.

A small, involuntary smile tugged on the corners of Mike's lips. Despite the troubling situation they had found themselves in a few minutes ago, in that moment, he scanned Will's graceful features. There was relief, a visible easing worry that etched into his forehead during the encounter but also a hint of embarrassment with his pink tinted cheeks. His hazel eyes shimmered green in the glow of the beating sun; the moles above and below his lips; the ravenette having the overwhelming urge to kiss them all, pinning the brunette against this very wall and make him feel good and hearing Will begging for Mike's...

Suddenly the ravenette snapped back to reality realising he was staring. Reaching a hand out, he touched Will's bleeding neck, noticing the quiet sound that escaped the brunette's lips. Instantly the tall boy retracted his hand, seeing the vulnerability. He knew he needed to take care of the wound, helping the small boy both physically and emotionally.

"We should clean that up," the tall boy said, his voice steady. Shifting his attention to the injury, it was unclear how bad it was, but considering the small boy was walking and talking without a care in the world, it can't be that bad. His hand moved to Will's upper arm, a soft gesture that was both comforting and guiding; a half hug that held him in place.

With a supportive arm around the brunette, Mike guided him toward the car, unable to shake the image of Will's sullen eyes from his mind- the way he had gratitude and a multitude of other mixed emotions. It was a look that made his heart skip a beat, passing Eddie who had a concerned look on his face, seeing the amount of blood.

Opening the car door, Mike carefully assisted the brunette into his seat; his touch gentle and cautious as he ensured he was comfortable. Once settled, the small boy mumbled, "Sorry for bleeding and messing your car." grabbing his neck to stop the bleeding from staining everywhere.

The tall boy chuckled, rolling his eyes, "Don't worry about it. Cars can be cleaned, but you're not easily replaced."

Will's heart fluttered for a quick moment but couldn't be seen from the beet red glow painting his face that had been present from the slap the blonde man had punished him with.

Not even noticing when the ravenette had reached over to the backseat, pulling out his backpack, Will questioned, "What are you doing?"

"Patching you up!" Mike smiled, fiddling with the zipper of the backpack, pulling out a white box with a massive red cross on it.

"Why do you even have a first aid kit?" the small boy questioned

"I mean killing people can get a bit aggressive..." Mike chuckled, but then quickly apologising upon seeing the unchanging expression on the brunette's face, "Sorry... not a funny joke apparently." he whispered.

"No... it was funny," Will passed a weird grin, "You're like a paramedic by day, criminal by night!" he enthusiastically explained.

Mike chuckled softly in return, looking at the box in his hands "Well you never know what might happen." he replied, his fingers diligently clicking the first aid kit open and taking out the necessary supplies; antiseptic wipes, bandages, and other items, ensuring they were neatly organised.

Looking down at the supplies in his hand; he gulped, knowing his task of tending to the brunette's wounds; he needed to be gentle, something he wasn't used to, making sure to clean and bandage the injuries with utmost care. As he worked, he maintained a steady stream of conversation, trying to keep Will's mind off the discomfort.

"Alright, Will, this... this might sting but I'll do my best to be gentle," the ravenette began cleaning the wounds with antiseptic cotton swabs, periodically glancing at the small boy for any signs of pain,

Will winced slightly, but nodded in understanding, clutching the seat beneath him, "I know, just do what you need to."

Mike offered a small smile before dabbing the cotton swab over the wound to clean it, "You know, I've had my fair share of stabbings and cuts to know that this will heal quick... relatively speaking of course," he uttered professionally, knowing exactly what he was doing.

"And how often do you get stabbed?" The small boy furrowed his brows, looking at the top of Mike's head

"More than you think..." the tall boy chuckled softly, continuing to clean and bandage the wound, elaborating on a story, "Like a few weeks before we met, I got stabbed by this man who I was trying to kill! That shit fucking hurt!" he giggled the last word,

The brunette stayed quiet, not daring to speak, swallowing the lump in his throat as he muttered, "Why?"

"What?" Mike furrowed his brows

"Why do you kill people?" Will replied with the full question, afraid of the answer,

"People pay me... that's all." The ravenette nonchalantly shrugged.

"Don't you feel guilty?" the small boy mumbled.

"Not really." Mike shrugged, "Most of them are assholes anyway. I'm basically a vigilante; like Batman."

"Why haven't you killed me yet?" Will added, asking the burning question he had asked multiple times before, hoping that the vulnerability opened within Mike would fill him with clarity

The tall boy said nothing, his hands becoming stiff avoiding eye contact; retracting his hands, he grabbed another cotton swab carefully choosing his next words, "I mean, even though I didn't intend on kidnapping you in the first place, I still feel somewhat responsible for you."

The small boy furrowed his brows, closing one eye as the cotton swab grazed his neck, "But why? You know I'm a liability to you right?" rationalising his thoughts; he was either the luckiest person on Earth for not getting brutally killed, or the unluckiest for being a prisoner.

Mike let out a sigh, finishing the cleaning at long last needing to now apply the bandage. He stopped, tilting his head up to stare straight into the brunette's eyes, "The truth is... I don't want to see you hurt, I guess."

Will seemed taken back by the sincerity, "Why? You didn't have a problem beating me the other day?" he jabbed.

The ravenette's expression wavered for a minute, revealing a hint of vulnerability as his mind involuntarily casted back to the first day they met and how harshly Mike had beat him for trying to run; part of the anger on Will for running, while the rest on himself for not being able to kill the boy right there and then. "I... I've come to realise that I do... care about you." Mike realising what he said but didn't cover up, instead allowing himself to continue, "I mean, despite everything, I've seen how you are- like as a person and I don't want any harm to come to you; a person my parents and friend's like."

"You... you care?" Will managed to utter in a hushed tone

"Relatively speaking..." The tall boy paused for a second, his eyes holding complex emotions "I understand if you're still angry at me, I know I'm just stringing you along at this point; I wouldn't hold it against you if you hate me."

The small boy looked at Mike, his gaze sharp, scanning his features, "I don't know if I can fully trust you... but I appreciate the honesty." he passed a small smile,

The ravenette did the same, grabbing a large bandage from his kit continuing with his first aid. "I'm gonna put this patch on now!" he explained, "Lift your head."

The brunette did as told, slightly lifting his chin; his full neck now fully visible to Mike. The ravenette trembled, bringing the patch closer to Will's neck, ensuring he was calm and steady.

Mike's fingers shifted placing the bandage on, keeping his gaze locked on the brunette. The gentle touch, a stark contrast to the situation that brought them together; the car interior feeling like a sanctuary amidst the chaos. As the ravenette secured the bandage, he stuck his tongue out slightly leaning back, his gaze unwavering. "There we go!" he added, his tone light and genuine, "All patched up."

Will's expression shifted, a small smile playing on his lips, "Thank you," his heart skipped a beat, an emotion of whirlwinds within.

"No problem," Mike grinned, ruffling Will's hair playfully, a flicker of warmth beneath his tough exterior. It was genuine, seeming to convey more than words could. It was as Mike's touch was reassurance enough that despite everything, there was... something between them; even if it was only him who saw it.

The tall boy retracted his hand, closing the car door to discard of the cotton swabs in a nearby bin. Standing by the garbage bin, was Eddie, a fearful look on his face running over to the ravenette; his words rushed and remorseful.

"Shit Mike! I'm so sorry!" the long-haired boy apologised, "I should have kept an eye on Will, but I just got caught up with my boyfriend and I didn't realise-"

The ravenette raised a hand, stopping the barrage of babbling apologies, "It's alright; don't blame yourself." he said passing an understanding smile.

Eddie's shoulders relaxed slightly at Mike's understanding tone, listening as the tall boy continued, "Look." he said, pointing to the car where Will happily sat in the passenger's seat, a big plaster sticking to his neck, "He's fine! It's like nothing happened to him, he's strong."

"You really like him, huh?" The long-haired boy remarked

"Just a bit..." The ravenette bashfully admitted.

"'Just a bit'?" Eddie mocked smacking his lips while crossing his arms, "When you plan a whole heist to make him fall for you... I have some doubts."

"Don't question it." Mike responded with a small shove.

"Fine... but all I'll say is... just treat him nicely and use protection!" The long-haired boy added, "And if you need any help then you could always ask me, I'm the master of flirting."

"Is that right?" The tall boy raised an eyebrow, a hint of sarcasm lacing his voice as he tossed the bag of used cotton swabs away.

"Respect your elders." Eddie rolled his eyes, hitting Mike on the top of his head, "Now... I'm gonna go meet my boyfriend, have fun with boy-toy over there."

"He's not... ugh whatever." Mike refused to protest seeing the long-haired boy get in his own car driving away, passing one last comically large wave out the window. The ravenette narrowed his eyes awkwardly waving back before retreating to Will.

Stepping into the vehicle, the tall boy inserted the keys into the ignition, turning to the brunette one last time before driving away; leaving a cloud of dust in its wake.

A few minutes into the car ride and the tall boy noticed something, well the lack of what he noticed; Will's voice. Usually, the brunette would be talking about anything and everything, probably used as a coping mechanism for the situation he was trapped in; most the time, the conversation led to nothing, and Will rambled for hours over anything that came to mind. Just before they got to the gas station, Will was discussing which 'Teletubby' was his favourite; Mike knew it was 'Lala'.

"Hey..." the ravenette kept one eye on Will, concern evident on his features upon noticing the quiet demeanour. Furrowing his brows slightly, he asked, "Is something on your mind?"

The brunette was startled, keeping his gaze fixed out the window, not bothering to turn his head before responding, "Just thinking about how nice the weather is today." he shrugged.

Mike scepticism was clear in his tone before prodding, narrowing his eyes, "Nice weather huh? The weather was better yesterday, and you weren't this quiet. For real what's bothering you?"

The small boy let out a defeated sigh before turning his head, nervously fidgeting with the drawstring on his joggers, "I guess... I can't stop thinking about what happened back there. When that man attacked me, I was terrified he might do something to me and then kill me."

Mike's expression softened, his concern shifting to empathy; reaching over to place a hand on Will's shoulder, offering a reassuring squeeze, keeping the other on the steering wheel. "I'm sorry you had to go through that... I wish I could have stopped it earlier."

"Mike... you're the one who saved me!" The small boy smiled

"I know but-" The tall boy retorted, retracting his hand.

"It's not your fault! It's not like you were the one to tell him to attack me or anything," the brunette cut off immediately.

But it was his fault, deep down, he knew that his own plan included very questionable tactics, and if it worked how he intended; it could have played out like what just happened. If Will had fought back on the attack with Eddie as planned... the long-haired boy may have lost his temper and stabbed him.

But shaking his head, Mike decided to change the subject, "What would you be doing now if I didn't kidnap you?"

The small boy's gaze drifted for a moment as he contemplated the question; knowing exactly what he was planning to do, "Well," he began slowly, "I know it sounds silly, but I always had this idea to find my mother,"

"Your mom? I thought you said she was dead?" Mike remarked, remembering the phone call to Will's dead-beat dad.

"I don't know if she is alive or not..." Will's expression wavered turning distant, as if lost in thought, "She 'ran away' when I was really young; my dad said she hated me as a child and left one day... but- but I don't really believe him.

The ravenette could feel the sadness radiate from the brunette's quivering voice and wanted to reassure despite not being the best, "Hey, it's not your fault, you know. People make their own choices."

The small boy looked down, his fingers tracing the fabric, "I know, but I can't help feeling that maybe if I was a better kid, she wouldn't have left."

Mike's heart swelled, hearing the brunette pour his feelings out; no wonder he was crying so much yesterday, "You're not to blame for what happened, sometimes things are beyond our control,"

Will managed a small smile, appreciating the ravenette's attempt at comfort, "Yeah," he nodded.

"Of course," Mike said, wanting to keep the conversation going to find a way to make the brunette happier, "What about friends? Do you have any close friends?"

The brunette's expression turned distant once again, seemingly disappointed in himself, "Not really, I was home-schooled my whole life and my father kept me locked up in the house most of the time; so, I didn't really have a chance to make friends."

The ravenette's expression softened, "Shit!" he mumbled under his breath, realising that didn't help at all, "I'm sorry about that,"

"Eh!" Will shrugged, "I'm used to it to be honest." mumbling the last part.

The ravenette scrunched his face; he wouldn't stop until he was able to make the brunette happy again and steer the conversation in a more positive direction, "So what about your future plans? Like your dreams and stuff?"

The small boy's eyes lit up for the first time in a while, speaking about something he felt so passionate about, "I love art, especially graphic design. I'd love to be a big-name graphic designer one day." he smiled just thinking about his own gargantuan plans.

Mike raised his eyebrows, his interest piqued, "That sounds awesome; you seem like the artistic type. Have you ever worked on any projects or designs?"

Will's smile wavered, his lips twitching, "I've dabbled in it a bit on my own, but... well, my father didn't exactly encourage pursuing anything artistic. He stopped home-schooling me when I was 15 and sent me to work. So, I don't really have any qualifications or experience to actually pursue a career."

"You know, there are other ways of getting to the job you want, you could start learning online" the tall boy instantly replied, attempting to put a positive spin on the situation, "It's quite common these days."

"I know." The small boy nodded

"And with your passion and creativity, I'm sure you'll do good." Mike winked encouragingly.

Will let out a single chuckle, "I was planning on doing something similar IF I ever meet my mom." He continued explaining, "But considering I know nothing about her, it's gonna be some time before that becomes an issue."

The tall boy could see the uncertainty in his eyes; wishing he could do more to help, but what? This situation was far too complex! All the problems stood upon one another like pillars, taking one away would make the rest crumble. However, a bulb went off behind his eyes; a marvellous, wonderful thought as he listened to the brunette.

He remembered his friend Dustin Henderson and his girlfriend Suzie Bingham; they were the smartest people he had ever met, having a knack for solving mysteries and finding information. A grin crept across his features as he realised that Dustin and Suzie might just be the ones to assist in this situation to find Will's mother.

With a mischievous smirk forming, Mike decided to keep his plan a little secret, changing the trajectory of the car despite being a few hours away from California.

His heart beat, knowing he could help the brunette one way or another.

Next stop: Salt Lake City: Utah...

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3052 Words

Stay Safe <3