WILL POV-

As the brunette drifted to sleep in the passenger seat of the moving car, resting his head on the window closing his eyes, his breathing slowed as darkness filled him; he said he would stay awake in case Mike tried to do anything to him, but his head felt heavy and his subconscious mind plunged him into a vivid dream.

He found himself in the bright woods, well, it looked like it! Walking a few steps around, he could hear noises all around him; the chirping of birds and the sounds of crickets... the lush flowers and thick trees reminded him of home; deer and rabbits running past him, causing a small smile on his face, at least in his dreams he was free... right?

But something else became more prominent, the sound of branches breaking; it could have just been an animal, but when Will turned to the sound, he could only see a dark shadow staring at him like a suffocating presence.

Fear gripped his heart as he realised the sinister figure approaching. The person remained shrouded in the dark and the brunette could sense the evil emitting from the area; looking around again, the colours of the forest started to change; twisting into a nightmarish landscape, shrouding the whole area into darkness as vines wriggled around. Panic surged through his veins, without thinking, he ran, his legs heavy running with adrenaline.

He didn't know what was going on or who was chasing him, but he knew he just needed to keep running. The eerie woods seemed to stretch endlessly before him; would he find himself out this maze? Frantically breathing deep, the air felt heavy and suffocating, every step only taking him deep into the heart of the harrowing forest.

His heart pounded, echoing in his mind was the footsteps following him. The brunette gasped as his legs trembled, pushing past branches that clawed at his arms through the dense undergrowth; his line of sight clouded by the dark. His breath came out in droves gasping for air.

Hiding behind a large tree trunk, he crouched, his legs unable to carry him any further. His heart pounded in his chest as the footsteps echoed ominously around him. Will covered his mouth; it almost felt as though the thin line between reality and illusion blurred.

Sensing the figure walking around, Will could feel the suspense of the situation, chilling him to his core. Panic consumed him, he wished he could call out for help, but his voice felt trapped; worried the shadowy figure might find him. He knew deep down that the shadowy figure was Mike- the dangerous criminal who kidnapped him.

No matter where he was, he would always be plagued by the thought of the ravenette, engulfing him into fear and despair. Will brought his knees to his chest curling into a ball, silently sobbing to himself.

But suddenly, almost like intuition or burning energy a hand grabbed his hair, throwing him to the ground. Terror sunk into his core as he stared into Mike's dark haunting eyes that showed no sympathy, his mouth twisting into an unnerving grin, sending shivers down Will's spine; it was almost as though his worst fears had come to life in this nightmarish encounter.

"I fucking told you not to escape!" The ravenette's voice boomed through the woods, cold and menacing, "I told you, you're mine now!"

The brunette tried to back away, squirming away from Mike's grasp but he was trapped with fear, paralysed and unable to fight against his captor. The ravenette grabbed his arms pulling him to an old cabin, roughly dragging him as the small boy clawed at his hand.

Fear consumed the small boy, Mike threw him to the ground locking the door behind him, approaching closer. Immediately the brunette took stumbled back, crouching to a trembling ball as he feared the worst possible outcome. He heard stories of criminals like Mike, ruthless and dangerous individuals who showed no mercy. Now it seemed as though he was trapped in his clutches, getting a first-hand account of the reckoning.

He shivered and whimpered, begging not to be hurt; his mind racing with ways of escape, but the overwhelming fear made him powerless, and it didn't help that he couldn't tell if this was real or just a big illusion; everything felt so real; too real. Tightening in his ball, he tried to shield himself from the horrors he imagined that awaited him in a few seconds.

His breaths came out shallow; overwhelming nausea and a knot of anxiety forming in his stomach; feeling cold sweat drench his forehead. The creak of the floorboards rang in his ears as his heart sank, shuffling backwards with every creak; Mike was closing in on him.

There was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide as his back hit the wall, huddling in the corner. He saw the ravenette raise his hand to the air, knife in hand, a wave of panic surging through his veins. He believed if this was real, it would be his last moments in a dingy and dangerous cabin. The criminal could do whatever he wanted with him, violence, torture, harsh words would be unleased on him.

"No please, I'm sorry Mike." Will whimpered in a last-ditch effort to save himself

The ravenette always promised to make his death last long and painful. But in an instant, Mike dropped his knife, stopping mid-air, his expression softening, gently crouching beside the small boy. Will's fear and confusion reached its peak covering his face, waiting for the attack.

But the next thing confused the brunette even more, Mike wrapped his arms around him. Will couldn't comprehend what was going on, feeling a hint of relief by the surprisingly gentle touch, a stark contrast to a few minutes ago.

In that moment, the brunette's emotion reached a chaotic whirlwind. He didn't know how to react to this display of unexpected kindness from the man who, up till now, had been nothing but threatening.

The tall boy's voice broke through the silence, soothing and comforting, "It's alright. I won't hurt you." Well, as soothing as the ravenette's voice could be; it was a little awkward and he sounded annoyed, but it was weirdly calming.

Will's voice caught deep in his throat struggling to find the right words; he wanted to kick or run but he felt safe in Mike's arms as the ravenette pat his back gently, calming his trembling body. It was almost as though he was trying to be reassuring after all the fear he instilled. Faintly he could hear Mike whisper to him, exuding calming words to soothe him.

As the dream continued, the ravenette's embrace provided a sense of comfort. Will found himself melting into the touch; this was his kidnapper, but why did his hug feel soo good?

But the dream shifted immediately, leaving the cabin and Mike behind as he arrived at a bright carnival, feeling relief wash over him. The atmosphere here was soo much better, hearing the sounds of laughter, music and joyful chatter.

A child ran past him with cotton candy in hand, wearing those silly hats with a small propeller on top as the little boy's sister ran behind him, carrying a bag of popcorn.

In this dream Will breathed deep; all the weight lifting off his shoulder...

Dreams were weird and... it all felt so real

But real Mike would never do that for him.

MIKE POV-

---- A few moments earlier ----

As the ravenette drove the car in the real world, he kept his eyes fastened on the road; he had been driving for a while to their next destination. Yet they still had a long while to go before they got to California; that was the end goal. On the way however, they needed to make a few pitstops and visit a few of his friends. All his friends spread out across the continent; they didn't really keep in touch that much but whenever they did, it was almost as though they never stopped talking, using each other for support.

He scrunched his face, focusing on the road; the sounds of the engine and the friction of the tires on the paved roads filled the silence of the car. The ravenette was a criminal; he always had been, and his job was simple- kill the person he was told to and get paid handsomely no questions asked. But now... he was stuck with a nuisance who kept asking him questions and wanted to know everything about everyone.

Looking at the time on the clock of the car, he noticed something; the nuisance had been unusually quiet. He stole a few glances at the boy, noticing he was sleeping. Mike furrowed his brows attempting to figure out how Will could have possibly fallen asleep when being kidnapped; to him, Will was such an idiot. A part of the ravenette felt relieved that the brunette stopped talking; he was always whining and chatty going over the line, but another part of him was curious over how peaceful the boy looked given the circumstances. 

He still didn't know what to do with the small boy after they reach California, but he liked the idea of having Will as a personal maid or butler; it would definitely make Mike's life easier, and the best part? He wouldn't need to pay him, maybe just a few threats or beatings every now and then; that should keep Will in check!

But his thoughts were intercepted when he heard the small boy whimper in his sleep, the sight made the tall boy uncomfortable, seeing Will so vulnerable and helpless was weird, and that was coming from the person who was keeping him handcuffed and held hostage. As the minutes passed, Mike's gaze kept drifting back to Will's sleeping form. He couldn't help but wonder what was going on in his mind; what dream, or nightmare was haunting him? For a moment, he even considered waking him up, but decided against it, not wanting to deal with emotions or whatever bullshit the small boy would throw his way.

"Stay quiet." Mike muttered in a way to maintain control, trying to keep Will in check so he wouldn't misbehave; he needed to focus, it wasn't his job to care about other peoples' emotions. The sounds of the brunette's whimpers continued in the silence; only increasing every few minutes so the ravenette could barely make out the words... Will sounded like he was pleading with him?

"No please, I'm sorry Mike." the small boy panicked obviously in distress.

Finally, the tall boy let out a frustrated sigh and glanced at Will one more time; the boy's face contorted with distress, and despite being a literal murderer... He felt a splint of sympathy; he wasn't used to it.

"Darn it!" Mike muttered under his breath, clenching the steering wheel tighter. His frustration bubbling more after hearing Will being more and more distressed; no, he didn't care about Will being scared or having a nightmare... he just didn't wanna hear the whimpering anymore; it was annoying.

He swerved the car, parking on the side of the freeway; hearing the sounds of passing vehicles in the background. He reached out shaking Will's shoulder, hoping it would be able to stir him awake.

"Hey, um wake up" The ravenette said annoyed, his voice oddly gentle than before. No matter how much he shook him or called his name, the brunette remained aloof. He was about to give up when suddenly, Will fell into his arms. The small boy trembled; Mike scrunched his face, torn between tossing Will back to his seat and allowing him to stay in his arms.

The tall boy's initial reaction was frustration. He didn't want to deal with this, comforting someone was out of his range of capability; not to mention the boy he kidnapped. His natural instinct was always to push someone away, not draw them close.

He could hear the brunette whimper more underneath him, obviously scared. He sighed, wrapping an arm over the small boy, patting him on the back. He couldn't remember the last time he had offered help to anyone beside his friends... so why did he care if Will was like this?

"It's alright. I won't hurt you." Mike mumbled awkwardly, as soothingly as he could be; it was a little awkward and he sounded annoyed, but he wasn't the most nurturing person. He noticed the tension in his own body, not used to this amount of physical contact especially not someone he held captive.

He had no idea why he was doing this, it wasn't the guilt of knowing Will was having a bad dream about him, so maybe it was something else he couldn't understand; something deep and complex. For a few seconds, his stoic exterior softened, feeling oddly protective as he heard the brunette calm down, softly snoring in his arms.

But the moments that passed only caused the ravenette to become uncomfortable. This wasn't who he was, and just because he did this does not mean he cared about this boy who he kidnapped, repeating to himself.

With a deep breath, Mike's face hardened, not showing any emotions as he detangled himself from the embrace placing Will back in his seat; ensuring not to wake him up... only so the brunette didn't ask any dumb questions.

Why did he evenhelp? 

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2265 Words

Not related but like doesn't Will and El give a Woody and Buzz Lightyear vibe?

Stay Safe <3