Lover boy[s] // Will Byers

-chapter nine-

Sev rubbed his head with a grimace, already feeling the headache start pounding in the base of his skull. He'd had more of them than usual the past few weeks, and getting a concussion was sure to not help that. He felt grains of rock through his shaggy black hair, and grimaced, "aw man, I got road in my hair..."

He levered himself into the gutter of the road, stretching his back out and hearing a pop, pop, pop. Will scrambled next to him, terror on his face. Sev looked away before he started staring. "Are you okay? How are you ali-"

Sev waved his hand casually, "eh, there's been worse." He looked down at the freshly ripped holes in his baggy jeans, touching the red scrapes on his knees. He scrunched his nose at the gravel embedded in his brown skin, gingerly brushing it off with a wince. Will went to help, but his hands hovered above the cuts, "I-....."

Sev watched as he hung his head, then saw Johnathon lean into the window of the car and start shouting at Argyle about something.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Will looked away, "I'm sorry about...everything. I didn't know Mike would be like that at the rink and then everything's been so crazy I don't blame you for leaving at all, but if I did anything to make you then I'm sorry-"

"It's not your fault. Promise." Sev said casually, but he looked away so that Will wouldn't see the hurt in his eyes as he spoke. "Besides, I know what it's like to leave your home, and you would have been lonely, so you...found a substitute."

Will's eyes widened and he shook his head quickly, holding his hands out and shaking them in the air, as if to wave away the thoughts Sev was having. "No! No, you're not a replacement, I promise Sevvy. Mike was just- okay I don't know why Mike said that but you're not a- a substitute or anything like that cause your-"

"Will, its okay." Sev shrugged a little, "I still get to be your friend, so, I don't mind. Besides, everyone uses me for something, I'm just glad it's you that needs me."

He dabbed at the blood pooling on his banged-up kneecaps, picking out the rocks embedded in him with a hiss, more of the red liquid dripping down his legs. He tried not to cry. Not from the pain, he was used to that, he didn't want Will to see him so upset about it.

Will protested once again, "you're not, cause...Sev you're not like anyone else I've ever met. And, and I know that I've been rude and everything is really fucked up right now but please don't leave me, I need you, but not to- not to use you or anything like that, I need you because- because it's you. I can't lose you."

Sev squeezed his eyes shut, the pounding in his head came to the front, and he gulped back a whimper of pain. He didn't want Will to see him this weak, crying over the boy's kind words.

He knew that Will wasn't the same as him, wasn't like that. Still, he wasn't lying, maybe Sev was still something to him. He still counted as a friend, and Sev was happy with that. "Mkay. You're forgiven, now stop being dramatic dude. It's not the end of the world."

Will's expression wasn't reassuring on that part. And then he chewed his lip and dropped his forehead onto Sev's shoulder with a sigh. Sev couldn't quiet hear what he was muttering quietly. "Huh?"