Archive of Our Own ^beta

William felt a giggle escape him as Michael pressed another kiss to his throat.

“Michael… Mike,” he protested softly, placing his hands against the other boy’s shoulders. The wool of his blue gambeson was soft under Will’s fingers, the upper part of his armor having been divested somewhere on the floor after Mike had returned from his afternoon training with Master Sullivan.

“You’re going to make me late for my training with Mistress Kelley.”

Mike let out a sigh against the skin of Will’s neck, the breath warm, goosebumps rising from it. His hands tightened slightly on Will’s hips, grip warm even through the cleric’s robes as Mike pulled back enough to look Will in the eyes, a sullen pout on his face.

“Will, you’re set to become the High Cleric of Hawkinge. I would think Mistress Kelley would have some leniency.”

Will scoffed, raising a brow. 

“It’s because of that that there is no leniency.”

Mike let out a groan, wholly childish with the pout still on his face. A stark contrast to the knight he was meant to be, greaves with their elaborate protective sigils that Will had set into them clanking as Mike shifted on the bed to lean further away from Will and fully face him. His hands still remained on Will’s hips, their warmth searing.

“Michael,” Will teased, reaching a hand out and poking his lover in the side, watching the knight scrunch his nose up. “What would Sir Hopper say, seeing you whine and cry, keeping Hawkinge’s beloved cleric from fulfilling his duty?”

“I’d tell that bespawler that Hawkinge could survive a day without you,” Mike grumbled, ignoring Will’s sputtered reprimand at the insulting name; he wasn’t wrong, as Sir Hopper often did spittle when he got loud.

“Maybe they could. What would I do in my free time?” Will prodded, wanting to hear what hypotheticals Mike would come up with.

“You’d be free to do whatever you want. You could go out to the gardens and sketch your heart away. I would go inform your masters that there’s been a change in plans.”

Will stifled a smile, as the king would never allow such frivolous behavior.

“Okay. Then what would you, Sir Michael, say exactly to my teacher when you showed up without your charge?”

“I’d tell Mistress Kelley that there’s been a change in schedule, as I said before. I’d say you’re finally having a day of rest.”

“And then what? What would you say when she tells you she must have a pupil? She’s not here to laze around.”

“I’d tell her I shall be your substitute,” Mike said, face deadly serious. It didn’t last long as Will burst into laughter—loud and uncouth snorts filling the room. Mike cracked his own smile, a few chuckles escaping him.

“And how would that work? You are sweet, Mike, but we know you don’t have any magick,” Will said, tone light as he reached a hand out to brush a stray curl behind Mike’s ear.

“I would figure it out. You know I’d do anything to allow you a moment of relief. I’d do anything for you.”

Will smiled shyly, but his chest hurt at the reminder. It was Michael’s role as Will’s knight to devote his life to him—even if it ended in his death. He tried not to dwell on the oath that lingered behind Mike’s words and instead on this present moment.

“So, you would somehow become magickal? What would you do with this newfound power?”

“Well, I don’t believe it’d be as potent as yours. Maybe I would have a tiny bit, enough to draw on from somewhere within me,” Mike grinned. “I would use it solely for you. Maybe…”

Mike trailed off, his face starting to flush.

“Maybe I would use it to leave a sign of how much I love you. Like how you do for me.” Mike removed one of his hands from Will, tracing his fingers over the runes etched into the silver that protected his thighs. He lifted his gaze back up to meet Will’s.

“Except, perhaps, I would leave it on your skin. A love you would always see. One you couldn’t forget.”

Will felt his own blush form at the idea—that Mike’s love for him would be powerful. Powerful and magickal enough to leave something close to a sigil on him. His lashes fluttered as Mike leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to Will’s lower lip, where the fair color of his skin transitioned into the rosy tint of his mouth.

“I would never forget it,” Will murmured as Mike pulled away. “… How would your signs look?” 

Will began thinking of his own sigil designs, usually simplistic in comparison to other clerics’ intricate and complex runes. Perhaps Mike, as cheesy as he was, would say something about the outline of his lips on Will’s flesh; Will found he wouldn’t mind it, a brand he’d proudly carry from his paladin.

“Dots.”

Will blinked, drawn abruptly out of the romantic image he had conjured in his head.

“Dots?” He repeated.

“Yes. Simple dots. Brown, instead of the black or other colorful pigments you guys use. It’s not extravagant, but… it would look natural, and only you would know what they meant. A secret between you and I.” Mike smiled gently, his cheeks rosy. Will’s eyes drifted over Mike’s face—over the freckles that decorated his cheeks. He found himself growing fond of the idea. Of having his own set of dots to match Mike’s. Something so simple others wouldn’t think about it, but every time Will would see the marks in the mirror, he would know. He would remember.

“I would want that,” he said, voice low, keeping their secret, even though it was just the two of them. There were no observers to their dalliance, except for the four stone walls that made up his chambers.

“Always you and I, right?” Will asked, watching as Mike’s hand moved from their previous positions to cup Will’s face. Will leaned into the touch that remained soft despite the callouses on his hands, the ones that told the story of his role.

“Always together,” Mike replied.

His eyes fluttered shut as Mike leaned in.

“Mike,” he whined as stars burst in the black of his vision, even though the pressure from Mike’s lips were light. “You’re, like, squishing my eyeball.”

Mike separated, allowing Will to open his eyes again. He had a dopey grin on his face, his thumbs brushing over Will’s cheekbones.

“I told you I’d kiss every mole I could see.”

“It’s not even that visible, it’s hidden in my lashes…,” Will mumbled, reaching a hand up to rub at the spot.

“Well… I notice everything about you.” Mike looked sheepish as he said it. They were still quiet in their volume considering they were up in Mike’s room while the rest of the Wheeler family was piddling about downstairs.

“Yeah?” Will asked, almost breathless. It felt unreal that after everything—rescuing Holly, battling Vecna, kicking the goddamn military out of their town—that Mike had taken him aside once they’d gotten back and confessed. He had apologized again, profusely this time, saying he had been so nervous on the radio tower and so afraid that he had played down the things he’d done to Will. That he had played down his feelings for him.

“I don’t wanna be your… ‘Tammy,’” he had said, voice trembling as he stared at Will. “I just wanna be your Mike.”

Will had stared at him, watching as Mike’s face had begun to crumple in on itself at the lack of response before he’d thrown himself at him, kissing him. It hadn’t been some beautiful thing, with their teeth clacking and Will almost smacking his forehead against Mike’s, but that didn’t matter. It had felt perfect.

It had allowed Mike and Will to finally return back to the true form of MikeandWill, with the added perk of cuddles and kisses whenever they got a chance.

Mike had pulled Will up into his room once they’d gotten to his house after school, abandoning their bags on the floor before Mike had pounced on the brunet. He had led Will over to his bed with hands on his waist, pressing kisses on seemingly random spots.

Will had giggled at the ticklish feeling, bracing his hands against Mike’s shoulders as he had pulled them to sit on his bed.

“What’s gotten into you?” Will had asked as Mike had pulled back from kissing near his collarbone.

“Can’t I miss my boyfriend?” Mike had joked, his own smile fixed upon his face.

“Sure, but I don’t think you’ve ever kissed me like that before.” Will had poked Mike’s forehead, keeping his finger there as he pressed him back. He had unconsciously started to gravitate directly into Will.

“Okay… don’t laugh!” Mike had stammered out. Will’s brows raised before he slightly nodded.

“I, um, overheard this girl in my Lit class talking about how moles are from where your lover in a past life kissed you… and I thought, uh, maybe I should reaffirm those spots?”

Will felt his lips curl upwards, a huff of a laugh escaping him.

“Hey! Didn’t I just say not to laugh?”

“No, no. That’s really cute, Mike.” Will could hear in his voice how in love he was with his dork of a boyfriend. Mike had beamed at him.

“What if they’re not from you, though?” Will had said before Mike could say anything else. He couldn’t help poking at the possessive part of Mike, seeing a scowl replace his grin.

In response to Will’s statement, he taken it upon himself to kiss every other mole visible on Will’s face, claiming they would be from his kisses now in this life and the next, thank you very much.

Which led to now, with Mike having finished with the mole on Will’s lash line. His dopey grin had morphed into something more satisfied and proud.

Will leaned in, giving him a final kiss, feeling the chapped, warmth of Mike’s lips on his own. Once they’d broken the kiss, Will settled back onto Mike’s bed, keeping his eyes on Mike as he laid down beside him. They turned to each other, barely any space between them.

Mike was quiet, a contemplative look on his face. Will reached out to brush a curl from Mike’s eye.

“What’s on your mind?”

“I’m still thinking about that thing the girl said. I wonder if it’s not that far-fetched, since we basically traveled to a different dimension… Maybe there is more out there? Maybe past lives are a thing?”

“Hm,” Will hummed. “I mean, with all we’ve seen, why wouldn’t there be?”

Mike was quiet for a moment before reaching a hand out to tangle his fingers with Will’s.

“… Do you think, if so, that in all dimensions, or universes, or whatever the hell, we’d be together?” Mike asked, voice soft. Will felt himself smile.

“Why wouldn’t we be?”