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MIKE RUSHED HOME straight from school, biking as fast as he could.

He changed, left his book bag in his room ate a quick meal and by 5:15 he was already at the arcade, changing his cash for quarters at the front desk.

He hated that that nasty Keith was giving him quarters full of Cheetos powder.  he was sure Keith had been working there for at least 5 years.

"How about you bring your own quarters next time, Wheeler?" Keith snapped as he handed him the stack. They really didn't like each other much:never had.

"How about you find a real job, Keith?" Mike snapped back, taking his money.
"Asshole! I happen to be going to college-" Keith started, but Mike was already walking back to Will, rolling his eyes.

Will was waiting by the dig dug machine, guarding it from the hoards of small kids staring at it with hungry eyes. 
"This should last a while," Mike said, dumping the not-so-small stack of quarters on the machine in front of them.

The children around them sighed in disappointment, understanding it would be a while before their time to play came. They scattered, and Will chuckled slightly. Then, he took a quarter and put it in the machine, starting his game.

Will was good, but Mike was better.

They came to the arcade pretty often, and Will never managed to beat Mike's score in dig dug. Mike loved watching him try: lips pursed in concentration, eyes fixated on the screen. Mike liked to lean on the side of the machine and yawn loudly, or exclaim:

"Is this your first time playing, boy?" Sentiments that would always make Will laugh and punch his shoulder playfully. Mike liked making him laugh. Since it was the only sound he had ever heard Will make, it was the sound he associated with the brunette the most:

The tinkling, beautiful laugh. He really liked making him laugh,

This time was no different: Will tried his luck for about 6 tries, Mike making comments at him all the while- then he gave up, and kicked the machine in frustration.

Small clouds of dust arose from the place it had been kicked, and for a minute a beeping sound sounded in the whole arcade. Both Mike and Will turned to Keith, who was sending them the stare of death, and both exploded in laughter at the same time.

"Let me show you how it's really done." Mike exclaimed, stretching his hands dramatically. Will rolled his eyes, and moved so Mike could stand in front of the machine.

But just before Mike put the quarter in to start the game, he felt a hand on his chest stopping him.

He looked up, and Will was standing closer to him than he had thought. Will moved his hand from Mike's chest up.

Mike's whole body started tingling, and he was staring, frozen, as Will's hand continued up him. What was he doing? 
Finally it stopped, his fingers lightly glazing over the fresh bruise. Mike winced slightly, and looked at Will's face.

Will's big eyes were staring straight into his, worry and confusion practically oozing out of them. Mike understood: He was asking what was wrong.

"Oh,this? I just fell off my bike," he said nervously, trying to shrug it off. He still tingling from Will's hand on his face.
Will removed it, but stared at him and slowly shook his head. He knew he was lying.

"It's fine, Will. I swear." Mike said again, and Will finally removed his hand and shrugged. But his eyes, looking at Mike, still told him he knew he was lying.

"Now, can I beat you at this game or are you too scared?" Mike tried teasing, and Will smiled and moved away. But something in his eyes still told Mike he was worried.

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Mike put the quarter in and started the game, but his mind was miles away.

Will had noticed his bruise. No one had noticed the bruise: not his friends at school, not even his mom when he passed at home and she had noticed a grape sized stain on his shirt and made him change!

But Will had seen it. 

Mike didn't know why it mattered so much, but something in him just seemed to grow warmer at that, at the worry in Will's eyes. Will was worried about him? Why did that make him so happy?

The beeping signaling his loss sounded on the game, and Mike was at once brought back to earth. He checked his score: one underneath Will's on the chart.

Will came to stand by him, and when he saw that his face broke with a giant grin.  

Mike was going to tell him that it wasn't fair and he had been distracted, but before he could Will gave him a giant bear hug.

It was in that hug that something changed in Mike.

It was like at once he was on fire. His stomach broke out with butterflies, he felt like he was burning with fever.

 It lasted for less than 30 seconds, and when Will pulled away he stuck his tongue out in the childish way, but Mike couldn't let it go.

What had just happened to him? He smiled back at Will, uttering a "congrats, you finally did it!" as Will moved on to the next game- but something in him just felt wrong. 

No, not wrong- different. 

He looked at Will's hazel eyes, at his adorable face, and something in him just felt perfectly at ease and at the same time completely nervous. it was like he had drunk three cups of "Rick's" hot chocolate but at the same time about to enter a huge math test.

He- he was straight, right?

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[AUTHOR SAYS]

Eek I felt like this was cute right? Is this boring??

I don't even know ahahaha I like this like a lot but I'm scared it's too slow/ not enough drama?? Are you guys liking this??

𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭; bylerWhere stories live. Discover now