𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐛; byler

e p i l o g u e

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𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫

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time is a funny thing.

his two week with tyler- god, had it really been that short a time- felt like forever. perhaps it was his exhaustion or fear, or just the overall awful-ness of it all, but his two weeks with tyler seemed like 2 years at the very least.

his two weeks with mike, however...

his two weeks with mike also seemed like forever, but at the same time raced by faster than an award-winning racehorse.

when he was with mike, the minutes stretched into a blissful eternity. every kiss, every touch, every time he but saw his beautiful black haired boyfriend- these moments made life slow down. he savored every second he got to spend with mike, he didn't think he could ever get enough. enough kisses, enough hugs, enough moments.

there was also the other kind of forever, the kind he dreaded most. those minutes of awful forever were every second he had to spend without him: every shift, every night when he was lying in bed, knowing mike was just a few doors away- so close, so far. every morning he had to walk to work alone, even fun-filled afternoons with max and jane soured with the anticipation to see mike again.

because unlike with tyler, he didn't spend every second of every day with him.

but also unlike with tyler- he really, really wanted to.

it was eternity all the way around, but it was also no time at all. because forever minutes and all, it seemed like they had only just kissed for the first time- and now will was opening his eyes on his last morning in the wheeler's house, wondering where all his time had gone.

there was no way this was his last day. there was no way this was the last time the absurdly bright sun at this warm little beach- town would wake him up. there was no way this time tomorrow he would be home, and the few rays of sunshine that would make it through the tightly- packed trees would do little besides a dim light- and would definitely not be enough to put an end to his slumber.

he had known this day was coming- of course he had, but sometime in the haze of those sweet, never-ending minutes it hadn't seemed possible time was really moving. the thought of going back home, back to the horrible, cold and dim hawkins. well, he was probably exaggerating; but everything seemed dim after his stay in this warm and sunny town.

maybe he just hadn't been expecting to be quite so down about the prospect of returning home.

chin up, he tried to look on the positive side, it's not for long. just a few weeks now, and you'll be in yale!

and that throughly was enough to make him smile. after all, that was what he had worked for all this time: this was his dream since he was a child.

and thanks to a fat check resting in his already- packed backpack, this dream would finally be a reality- and after all, wasn't that was all this summer for?

but even with the money, and the smile still curving his lips, he still couldn't deny the twitch of sadness in his chest. even after everything that happened, he really did love this town. he had come to love this room, with the window and the curtains and the bed so comfortable he could hardly get up. he loved the smell of the beach, the slight whispers of ty waved breaking on the sand, rhythmic and slow, calm. he loved the town, the restaurants, the quaint shops.