Mike knows he should've kept his mouth shut. He can see it in the way
Will's fingers tense on the steering wheel and the way he bites his lip.
He can't see his jawline, but he imagines it tightening as he grits his
teeth. Mike has no right to ask about his boyfriend. Mike has no right to
be hurt by him just saying the word. Not when he had been the one who
hadn't been brave enough to take the next step when he'd had the chance.
Will's voice is even, even if he thinks he might hear an edge of irritation
to it, or maybe it's just Mike's imagination reading into things. He can't
trust his feelings with Will any more. That's part of the problem. Still,
he doesn't like the way Will falls on the sword for Daniel. The way he
immediately takes all the blame as if he's prone to hysterics. As if he
hadn't spent all night looking troubled by whatever Daniel had said
earlier, a thousand miles away from his friends and family, even if he was
in the same room.
Mike can feel the words bubbling up in his chest and even before they reach
his throat, he knows they're only going to make things worse. If Will is
upset now, Mike judging his boyfriend will not help that, and yet he can't
let it go. Not when Will looks so miserable. "Or, you reacted to someone
snapping at their boyfriend about a shitty vacation that they had nothing
to do with and can do nothing about." The words come out fast and a little
heated, defensive, even though Mike has no part in this fight. No skin in
the game. And that's also the problem, isn't it?
Mike swallows, fighting the urge to roll his eyes when Will says Daniel's
usually better. If he was better, he wouldn't be ruining Will's vacation
just because he couldn't afford to go with him and his friends. If he was
better, he would be here to support Will, not hounding him on the phone and
drawing him away from the people who he'd come home to visit. He curls his
hands into fists in his pockets, staring at the dashboard as Will admits
that they're going the long way. Mike hadn't noticed, but he understands.
"I don't mind," he says, his voice a little quieter. He watches raindrops
roll down the passenger side window, wishing he could just ask Will to pull
over so they could talk. So he could try to make him feel better. Try to
find a way to make him laugh. Tell him he's sorry for not calling or
writing. Instead, the silence draws out between them until Mike can't take
it anymore and he reaches out to turn on the radio. "Are you going to the
Hideout to see Eddie play tomorrow?"
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Date: 2024-04-09 07:33 pm (UTC)Mike knows he should've kept his mouth shut. He can see it in the way Will's fingers tense on the steering wheel and the way he bites his lip. He can't see his jawline, but he imagines it tightening as he grits his teeth. Mike has no right to ask about his boyfriend. Mike has no right to be hurt by him just saying the word. Not when he had been the one who hadn't been brave enough to take the next step when he'd had the chance.
Will's voice is even, even if he thinks he might hear an edge of irritation to it, or maybe it's just Mike's imagination reading into things. He can't trust his feelings with Will any more. That's part of the problem. Still, he doesn't like the way Will falls on the sword for Daniel. The way he immediately takes all the blame as if he's prone to hysterics. As if he hadn't spent all night looking troubled by whatever Daniel had said earlier, a thousand miles away from his friends and family, even if he was in the same room.
Mike can feel the words bubbling up in his chest and even before they reach his throat, he knows they're only going to make things worse. If Will is upset now, Mike judging his boyfriend will not help that, and yet he can't let it go. Not when Will looks so miserable. "Or, you reacted to someone snapping at their boyfriend about a shitty vacation that they had nothing to do with and can do nothing about." The words come out fast and a little heated, defensive, even though Mike has no part in this fight. No skin in the game. And that's also the problem, isn't it?
Mike swallows, fighting the urge to roll his eyes when Will says Daniel's usually better. If he was better, he wouldn't be ruining Will's vacation just because he couldn't afford to go with him and his friends. If he was better, he would be here to support Will, not hounding him on the phone and drawing him away from the people who he'd come home to visit. He curls his hands into fists in his pockets, staring at the dashboard as Will admits that they're going the long way. Mike hadn't noticed, but he understands.
"I don't mind," he says, his voice a little quieter. He watches raindrops roll down the passenger side window, wishing he could just ask Will to pull over so they could talk. So he could try to make him feel better. Try to find a way to make him laugh. Tell him he's sorry for not calling or writing. Instead, the silence draws out between them until Mike can't take it anymore and he reaches out to turn on the radio. "Are you going to the Hideout to see Eddie play tomorrow?"