Archive of Our Own ^beta

It was Will and Stephen's annual movie night. Will had taken the initiative to set up Netflix and was already scrolling through possible contenders for their nightly entertainment. He was sprawled out on the sofa when there was a knock at the door. A smile graced his lips as he stood from the furniture and made his way towards the door.

Stephen's company always managed to put Will into a good mood. Whether it was his humour or the simple fact that Stephen was just a comfortable bloke to be around, Will never figured it out. Maybe his growing feelings for his mate factored into this, but nonetheless, Will enjoyed his friend's presence.

When he opened the door he was met with none other than Stephen Lawson himself. The man was clad in a warm looking jacket and a red scarf, which accentuated Stephen's rouge cheeks.

"Ahoy hoy!" Stephen greeted, opening his arms. Will chuckled and went in for the friendly hug. 

"Hey! How you've been, mate?" Will asked, reluctantly backing away from Stephen and letting him inside. The man did just so, unravelling his scarf and discarding it on the back of one of the armchairs.

"Oh, same old, same old. You picked a movie yet?" Stephen remarked, eyeing the television. Will returned to the sofa, picking back up his remote.

"Not exactly. Was thinking maybe something action like but, I dunno yet." Will continued to browse through movies while Stephen removed his coat and walked into the kitchen.

"Don't take too long!" Stephen hollered back into the lounge and began his routine of raiding Will's kitchen. Stephen always looked forward to his and Will's movie nights. He was an avid movie fanatic, but something about spending alone time with Will was strangely special. Maybe his growing feelings for his mate factored into this, but nonetheless, Stephen loved their movie nights.

However, a growing sense of alarm began to rise within Stephen when there were no snack foods to be seen in Will's cupboards. This was unusual, but Stephen assumed that there must be something different in the fridge. Anything.

Alas, he was proven wrong.

"WILL!"

— —

"How was I supposed to know that Gee had taken everything? 'S not my fault!"

"You're the provider of snacks, for fuck's sake Will." Will snorted at this.

"Well. What're we gonna do now?" He questioned, crossing his arms over his chest. Will was affronted that Stephen would think this was all his fault. That he's meant to know every bit of food supplied in his kitchen. That he seemed genuinely upset about this lack of nourishment.

Stephen rolled his eyes, "Go out and get some more. Isn't there that convenience store nearby?" 

"Yeah." Will sighed. He really wasn't interested in going out when he'd just gotten settled, "I'll get the car out in that case." Will replied, standing from the sofa and moving to nab his keys from the coffee table. 

"Will," Stephen said, sounding similar to a scolding parent. Will looked up at him, confusion written on his face, "It's not that far. We have legs," He gestured down to his owns limbs, to further prove his point. Will stood to his full height, running a hand through his hair. He couldn't help but laugh at the pettiness of their situation. 

"Are you serious, Ste?" He asked, searching Stephen's face for anything that could betray him. He ignored the sudden urge to cup the other man's face with his hands. He watched in relief as Stephen's lips formed a grin,

"This is a crisis, Will. Of course I'm serious." Will laughed and covered his face with his hands.

"Okay. I'm glad we're not actually bickering about snacks. Fucking hell." Stephen let out a giggle.

"Oh, bless! You're too much," Stephen said, moving to ring his scarf around his neck. He met Will's eyes and the two smiled at each other. A moment later Will went to search for his coat, but both boys still harvested butterflies in their stomachs.

— —

The wind had a bite to it; one that nips at your nose and cheeks without remorse. The kind that sends a chill down your spine. The sun had long ago laid to rest, however, the street lamps provided intervals of light to whatever brave solider dared venture out. The only sound to be heard other than the drone of cars was the snow crunching underneath the boots of both Will and Stephen.

"It's bloody cold out," Will remarked, arms clasped around his torso. He reflected on his clothing choices and frowned at his misjudgment. Who knew that weather in the UK could be so brutal? Certainly not Will. 

"Stop your whining! Look, the store's just up there." Stephen pointed towards a squat building a few blocks down. The sign hung above the display windows read in bold letters: "TESCO EXPRESS".

"Not close enough. Still more minutes of suffering. Stephen, I think I'm going to die." 

"Oh shut it!" Stephen snickered, not-so-accidentally bumping shoulders with the lanky brunet. Both boy's cheeks may have reddened, but it was hard to tell due to the dim lighting. 

The boys trudged onward, and soon they were rapidly closing in on their destination. This is when Will perked up once more.

"Okay. We get your stupid snacks, but take a long ass time deciding which flavour of chips you want when we just end up buying them all. Yeah?" Will huffed out, his breath visible in the air. He tried to ignore how his lips had trouble forming words and looked at Stephen. The older man had his hand placed over his heart,

"You really know how to flatter a lady," He said. Will chuckled and decided not to doddle over how his stomach flipped at the comment. 

"Shut your trap you loser," Will retorted and Stephen's brows launched up at this.

"I've been telling you that for the last however many blocks! Hypocrite!" He accused, but smiled nonetheless. Will returned the gesture and finally. Finally. The boys had reached the general store. Will peered in through the windows to the brightly lit shop. The counter was absent of any staff, but he was sure the bastard would peek his or her head around the corner as the two entered the shop. 

Stephen grabbed the door handle and heaved. Will's face fell. Stephen was confused. He tugged on the door, with more force this time around. 

The bloody thing didn't budge.

"You've got to be kidding," Will hissed, gnawing on his lip. He stared into the store longingly, desiring the warmth the shelter provided. His fingers were getting stiff, "You've got to be taking the piss!" 

Stephen, on the other hand, didn't express the emotion that Will did. He was dejected that his lust for junky foods was denied, but was more concerned for his mate who seemed on the edge of a mental breakdown. Not that this was anything special. Will peered down at Stephen, shoulders quivering.

"I'm actually doing to die. Stephen this wasn't worth it," Will whined, arms latching around his middle. Stephen had to admit that Will's bomber jacket didn't look overly cosy, but was quick to defend his reasoning.

"Well, of course, it wasn't bloody well worth it! We both thought the shop was open so don't go blaming me." Stephen threw his arms into the air in an exasperated manner. Will's face morphed into one ridden with guilt.

"No, no. I wasn't blaming you. Sorry, didn't mean that at all." Will averted his gaze, hunching his shoulders, "Jus' cold. Getting to my head, innit?" Will let out a breathy laugh. Stephen sighed. This was just one huge mess. 

"Here." Stephen murmured, reaching for his scarf. Will turned and watched his mate intently. Even something as mundane as Stephen removing his scarf managed to mesmerize him. Just Stephen doing Stephen things. Isn't that mental?

The man in question extended his garment towards Will, who didn't hesitate as he snatched the cloth from his hands.

"Bless," Will said. He continued to drape the thing over his entire head, bunching up the fabric around his neck. His reddened face was just visible through the folds. Stephen let out a hearty chuckle at the sight. Will tried not to blush as Stephen's scent bombarded his senses. Musky cologne and something indescribable. Something unique to his friend.

"Dear God. Let's head out before I freeze now," Stephen stated. The ginger flipped up his coat collar and began the trudge back to Will's flat. Stephen tried his best to ignore how adorable Will looked wrapped in his scarf, but this task proved futile. It was Will, for fuck's sake. Isn't that enough justification?

Will raced after Stephen, not fancying being left alone at such a precarious time of night. He tucked his hands into his pockets and let out a puff of air, creating a small cloud of carbon dioxide. Even though his ears and head were now securely covered, Will still found his shivering unable to cease. 

"I really don't think I'm going to make it home. My face is frozen," Will groaned when the silence between the two started to become awkward. He brought his hand up to his face to demonstrate his discomfort.

"Oh shut it, will you!? You're going to be fine. Think my ears are going to start bleeding if you continue on," Stephen quipped. Will shook his head at this and gently smacked the back of Stephen's head.

"My lips will fall off if I don't keep them moving." Will's hand didn't leave Stephen's head after it made contact but rather snaked down to the base of his neck. Neither of the boys made any comment about this. Will justified it by telling himself that Stephen's neck was extremely warm. No other reason than that. Nope. Why would you think that? 

When Stephen didn't respond to Will's statement, he decided to continue on, "And I really mean it when I say that. They might just quit working and when they ask me how come I didn't keep them moving, I'll tell them. Or, rather write it down, but either way. I'll say that it was all your fault and they'll detain you because not only does he touch kids, but he also made top shagger, YouTube celebrity: WillNE, mute. So what do you have to say about that?" Will tore his eyes from the sidewalk to look at his mate. Stephen was staring at him with a small smile, brows raised.

"You really are annoying. Fucking hell, didn't realize someone could talk for that long," Stephen said. Will laughed and returned the smile. 

Now. If you were to ask Will what the actual fuck Will was thinking, he wouldn't be able to give you a definite answer. Maybe it was Stephen's pretty smile or the butterflies that got too much to handle. Maybe he just felt a little horny that night. Maybe he felt like they couldn't go on the way they were—as platonic friends that is. Nevertheless, what happened: happened and cannot be taken back. Not as if the two would want it back anyway.

"If you really are annoyed, then an alternative could be to kiss me." Will's words came out hushed and he hadn't realized how low his tone had gotten until afterwards. His stomach lurched, but he remained eye contact with Stephen. Who, in all actuality, was even more nervous than Will.

As he searched his taller mate's eyes, he sincerely couldn't discern if this was a joke or not. He hoped it wasn't. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to connect their lips, but instead, he froze. Will stopped walking and stood next to Stephen. 

"What?" Stephen asked. He immediately regretted his harsh tone as Will promptly removed his hand from his neck. Will was terrified and wished he could turn back time, but stood his place. He was an alpha male, after all.

"I want you to kiss me," Will repeated himself. His insides were swirling with nerves and excitement. He took in Stephen's face and prayed he made himself clear. He didn't know if he could say it once more.

The two stared at each other for what felt like ages. Stephen couldn't process the whole situation. He was certain Will didn't reciprocate his feelings and couldn't wrap his head around his wishes. Surely not. Surely...

"Okay." Stephen breathed out. He quickly glanced at Will's full lips. This action wasn't unbeknownst to the latter, however, who smirked. He wasn't sure how things would pan out. No fucking clue. But, if he was going to die, he wouldn't go out without at least admitting his feelings. "Okay. Yeah, sure," Stephen rambled. He took a step closer to Will, who took this as his go-ahead.

Will placed his hands along Stephen's jaw and closed the distance between the two. Stephen let out a squeak—I kid you not, a squeak— as their lips met. Will wasn't lying. His lips were fucking freezing. However, Stephen eased into this. He'd been pining after his friend for who knows how long and wasn't about to waste his moment.

Stephen wrapped his arms around Will's waist and deepened the kiss. They got lost in the feeling of each other and Will felt his shoulders relax and quit shivering. Their mouths melded together with a passion neither of them had expected. Reluctantly, the two parted to catch their breaths.

Will's eyes fluttered closed as he rested his forehead against Stephen's. Their breathing mixed with each other's and it wasn't long before Stephen leaned forward once more, craving the previous sensation. Releasing all his pent up frustration and admiration for the boy. It was almost ethereal.

Will returned the action with even more force, cupping the back of Stephen's head. He walked him back and they parted once more as Stephen nearly tripped over his feet. Will made quick haste in supporting him, waiting for Stephen to fully regain balance before asking, "You alright?" Will's voice was husky and he cleared his throat afterwards. 

"That was kind of hot," Stephen said. Will hummed to himself and gently propped Stephen against the wall of the closest shop.

"You're kind of hot," Will replied, promptly moving to unzip Stephen's coat. 

"Hey, woah, what the fuck?" Stephen rushed out, placing his hand on Will's to still his movements, "In the streets? Are you mad?" Will looked up at Stephen and grinned,

"A little, yeah." Despite Stephen's wishes, Will continued to completely open the former's coat. Will was delighted to find that the inside of the jacket was lined with fur. Stephen, however, was not so delighted when Will laced his arms around the boy underneath his coat. A jolt was sent through him as Will's frigid hands met his back through the thin t-shirt he'd put on. 

"Jesus, Will! That's cold," Stephen hissed, arching his back from the touch. Will ignored his complaints—once again, the prick— and instead buried his face into Stephen's shoulder.

"Will," Stephen repeated. When he received no response, he sighed and watched the traffic move along the roads. His mind was alight with a million questions, but somehow he managed to quiet them long enough to enjoy himself. To somehow enjoy the presence of the frozen boy's body pressed against his own. His soft wheezes. 

Okay, it wasn't that hard.

Stephen looked up when he felt a cold prick against his nose and realized that few snowflakes were slowly descending from the sky. He smiled and moved his hand to the back of Will's neck.

"We should get going," He murmured, placing a kiss on top of the brunet's head. Will sighed and squeezed Stephen tighter one last time.

"Fine. Loser."