Ok wait so would you ever do a part 2 where we get the argument between Leno and Will or more importantly Mack comforting Will?
fighting with leno is like staring down a dog and waiting for it to lunge. will is circled by leno, cutting him off from seeing mack who seems to understand the game leno is playing. he spends most of the party tailed by leno, his ever so imposing body right behind him as will makes his way through the house.
he sees mack sparingly, half-stuck to gabe who watches them with worried eyes every time their eyes meet. it makes something painful curl behind will’s ribs, knowing that they keep putting gabe in this position of having to chose because they long since gave up on the whole neutrality thing.
the room is quiet, gabe, mack and will squeezed onto the bed as leno romps around the house, turning lights off and locking doors. mack is fast asleep and will is watching gabe over the rise and fall of mack’s chest. he wants to apologize, wants to reach out and touch gabe and hope he still understands will, that the distance between them didn’t disrupt who they were.
gabe is staring at the ceiling, expression clear of anything but the exhaustion that seems to always cling to him. he’s there, physically within reach but will’s hand makes it as far as across mack’s chest when the door opens.
leno stomps in, feet always almost too heavy and he glares at mack who is almost cradled between him and gabe, who doesn’t look away from the ceiling, but edges just enough closer to mack.
will gets up because this has to end somehow, fallout be damned. he misses his best friend, the one he had by his side since they were kids and not this always-angry guy who acts like will is something to own.
he shoves his way past and isn’t surprised to be shoved into the hall bathroom directly across gabe’s room. the door shuts behind them harshly and the dog lunges, hands pawing at will and will—he lets him, let’s him drag will’s shirt up and put meaty paws on him, pull him which ever way before he pushes back
“why’d you bring him?” leno asks, scruff scratching up the pale skin of will’s neck and will shoves him back, chest heaving and the warmth in his gut turning violent as leno huffs, back pressed against the wall.
“he’s my best friend,” will says, aiming to hurt because he’s as much as a hypocrite as leno, “why wouldn’t i bring him.” and it was less that he invited mack and more of mack following him everywhere, entitled to the life will sometimes keeps separate when they’re in san jose, but he spent marmon with him and gabe and knew that mack was coming home with him regardless of an invitation.
will knows that leno’s dislike for mack is less of mack as a player and more as the person will left leno for, and in a way he’s right. he did leave boston for a failing franchise, to tie his name with the macklin celebrini that racked up 114 points and broke records like it was his right, who’s name was scribbled on a majority of will’s goals and vice versa.
because deep down, they know the truth: will loves mack in a way he will never love leno.
leno seethes from the door, chest heaving—because his nose is almost as fucked up as his—and will can see the insults that form in his mind before they leave his mouth.
“i don’t know why you can’t even try to be friendly with him,” will spits, “he’s being perfectly polite and you become even more of an asshole.”
“i don’t like him,” leno says and it’s true, he doesn’t like the way mack looks at will, doesn’t like the way mack waits for will, a hand always on his lower back, not exactly leading but following, eyes attentive to everything will says.
he hates the way will has become synonymous with mack, so intertwined that he can’t look up will’s name without hearing celebrini to smith, smith to celebrini
“yeah that’s fucking obvious, leonard.” will says, “whatever it is, you have to get the fuck over it.”
he’s shoved back, stumbling as he grapples at thin air to not land on his ass before getting himself together and shoving leno back. will isn’t a fighter, has never won a fight and is quick to give in the moment a hand wraps around the back of his neck.
leno knows this and even through his anger, through whatever resentment that has made itself at home in him, he doesn’t hurt will, grabs and pulls and shoves but not enough to injure.
“you left!” leno finally shouts when will’s bitten-down nails dig into his shoulder, “you left and didn’t even think twice! you went back on your promise the moment he fucken showed up.”
annoyance flares up in will, the undercurrent of pain receding, “you cannot still be on this! it’s been two years, lenny, i have apologized and apologized, i’ve cried over it, agonized over leaving you and gabe for weeks before i signed the elc.”
the fight leaves him so suddenly, will has to grab at him so he doesn’t fall straight to the floor.
“he took you from me.” leno whispers, “you were supposed to stay, we were supposed to win the natty and be rookies together and you fucking left.”
will’s nose burns as he pulls away. leno has always been a crier, cried over anything if he can get away with it. it made will’s chest ache violently as he carefully cups the back of leno’s neck.
he runs his hand through his hair, chest burning with the urge to do something, to grab at leno and shake him until he understands that this was always the way it was going to end. even if will had stayed, they would’ve been separated by the time their collegiate season ended, will would have still gone to san jose, still played on mack’s wing and let himself be wrapped around his fingers.
“i love you, leno, you have to know that i still love you.” will says, “but we can’t keep doing this, you can’t keep thinking that you own me or something, you didn’t even want me when i told you how i felt.”
and leno can try and twist everything to be blamed on mack, but the truth was that there was that chance he would’ve picked leno, would’ve somehow made it work between san jose and washington but leno had pulled away, a distant look in his eyes and a frown on his face.
will had licked his wounds, prayed about it even and signed the fucken elc months later so why does leno insist on acting like the victim?
he needs to get out, needs to leave and let leno hang in the back of his mind until either can apologize because it could’ve been way worse. leno can be mean, the type that lingers under your skin and taints everything you do, his voice constantly in the back of your mind.
he reaches for the door, tongue thick in his mouth and lungs burning when leno says: “you’re just a shiny toy for him, and there will come a time where an even more shiny toy will come and he will throw you away without thinking.”
it startles a laugh out of will as he turns to look at leno, “you don’t fucken know him! you think you know everything about him but the truth is that you need to twist him in order for you to feel better and if you have to convince yourself that he secretly hates me or something, then that says a lot more about you than him.”
he leaves leno in the bathroom, heading across the hall as his eyes brim with tears. the bed is empty, both gabe and mack gone so he closes the door and sits down. he doesn’t cry, but it’s a near thing as he hears the bathroom door open and then the rev of an engine because leno always ends up leaving one way or another.
will stands up and walks through the quiet house. he doesn’t look too closely at the pictures hung on the wall as he makes his way outside. he wanders down to the beach, nose still twitching with the urge to breakdown but he sees mack, shoulder pressed against gabe.
“mack.” he calls out and mack looks over his shoulder at him and stands up. he says something to gabe who doesn’t turn to look at him but nods at whatever mack says before mack makes his way over.
mack’s eyes run over his face, a frown on his own before he wraps an arm around will and guides him back to the house. his hand is heavy at the small of his back, and he doesn’t move away as they go back to the room.
“find flights back to boston,” mack says quietly, green eyes staring into will’s blue ones, “i’ll pack our things and we can go home.”
will nods, finding his phone between the blankets as mack moves around, finding their suitcases and picking up their clothes.
will finds their flights, buys their tickets and finally breakdown in mack’s arms. mack holds him through it, arms tight around him. mack is quietly talking to him, something about the training camp in a few weeks, the sharks that’ll join them and the apartments they’ll look at come august.
mack drives them to the airport, hand on will’s thigh and keeping him grounded until they get to boston, to his half-shared apartment with grace. mack gets him in the shower, dutifully goes through his hair routine and drying him off before tucking them in bed, a heavy weight around his back.
mack has will’s phone, leno’s contact pulled up and he watches, eyes half-lidded and tired as the [block this number] pops up and his eyes slip shut when mack presses on yes.
he’ll deal the consequences later, when he no longer feels like his heart will rip in two.
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