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Assistant: Title: snakebites and bitter tonics
        Author: willelworld willelworld 
        Chapter: 5/6 
        Summary: “D’you ever consider I did it on purpose? I am a bit of an attention-seeker, you know.” Perhaps Mike is drunker than Will initially thought.
  
    “What?”
  
  “How else could I get the chance to talk to you alone?” Will feels like the air was just knocked out of him. Of course Mike is joking, but there’s a hint of truth to the statement. He was looking for ways to get Will alone. Will isn’t sure whether this information excites him or terrifies him.
  “You’re nutty,” Will says, physically shaking the worries from his head.
  “Maybe so,” Mike says, “but it worked.”
A collection of moments between cowboy Mike and saloon worker Will as they start to understand what they want in life. Story set in the Red Dead Redemption universe. Byler Big Bang 2024
        Contents: Chapter 5
    

    


  

  
  
    
    After he and Mike’s horse ride to the waterfalls, filled with not one but two life-altering revelations, namely his feelings for the other boy and said boy’s criminal activity, Will had expected Mike to pull away from him in preparation for his eventual goodbye. He was counting on it, honestly, considering how difficult it had been for Will to not spend every waking moment playing back the memories of their not-quite date, this time with a more overtly romantic veneer. Mike had said it himself - no girls. Will may be extrapolating a bit with the details, as that could mean any number of things, or he could’ve been lying, of course– but the manic, uncontrolled part of his brain has settled with the conclusion that there may be a slight possibility of Mike being like him. It’s small, sure, but Will’s always been a big dreamer. He could live off of this one for months to come, even if it’s nothing but a figment of his imagination.That being said, Mike has made it incredibly difficult to not ponder the prospect of what it would be like to be  with him. In that way. A couple. He knows it sounds insane. Nice things like this do not happen, especially not to Will. He’s never even heard of two men being together- happily, that is, in the ways that he’s envisioned. He had heard of men who were imprisoned on such charges. If Mike ever found out about Will's feelings, at least he can be sure he wouldn’t go to the police over it. Mike would likely be hanged for his gang associations, if not locked up for life. He’d never risk it.Speaking of Mike, the scourge on his endeavors at a normal, healthy friendship without Will’s inclinations bleeding in to ruin this delicate dance they’ve nearly perfected over the past two months. Will’s beginning to see the cracks in his own thoughts and actions.Mike’s been spending more time with Will, if that were even plausible. It’s like Will goes two seconds without thinking of him, and then Mike manages to wriggle his way into his line of sight and wrecks all of his progress at pushing down these rising, bubbling thoughts that plague his every waking moment. Mike pulling him aside after work, whispering in his ear, kissing his forehead and neck and jaw til they’re both laughing. He sees it so clearly, like a motion picture they play at the Riggins’ lantern show. It’ll never happen, but that hardly matters to Will’s ever demented psyche, hellbent on showing him unattainable things.Since Will had been such a brat the last time he left him for a couple days, he’s been trying to give Mike space, given the stated fact that Mike is preparing to leave Valentine in the coming weeks, he assumes. The opposite is true for Mike. He’s asked Will on multiple rides since, most of which Will agrees to. They rode out to Citadel Rock and watched herds of bison run along the flat plains of the heartlands. Mike brought him to an empty field to do some shooting practice, which mostly involved him aiming at empty glass bottles that he begged Will to snag from the saloon’s trash. He shot about forty percent of the targets, clearly distracted, but Will cheered him on like he’d hit them all. Will showed Mike around the trails of the Cumberland forest where he likes to forage for flowers and ginseng. Mike acted like everything Will said and did were worthy of his undivided attention and the utmost respect. Like he said, Mike isn’t helping with the massive, strenuous ordeal of squashing his feelings.Where Will’s been pulling away, or at least attempting to, Mike’s been yielding more and more of himself and his personal life. He’s filled Will in on the men who took him under their wing a decade prior and the handful of women who actually took the initiative of raising him in areas other than picking locks and cheating in poker. There was an older woman - Helena - who had acted as a mother figure to Mike in his teen years. Stern, a hardass at times, and taught him his  pleases  and  thank you’s.  She kept Mike from slipping too far into deviancy, which would’ve been all too easy from the way he tells it. Growing up in an environment like that, surrounded by people who cared little for anyone but themselves and their own pockets, it’s a testament to Mike’s character that he’s able to stand up for himself. Or at least, is trying his very best to. He shares how Helena’s death had kick-started his desires to escape around a year ago. There had been another boy around his age that Mike leaned on for support. Lucas. Another stray who found himself tagging along with Mike’s group, and had subsequently ditched around the time they were twenty. Mike says he was the only person he could confide in about his concerns - for his future, his childhood, and the constant stress of outrunning the law. They’ve met up in secret a couple times since his departure - their group doesn’t take kindly to defectors - but it only ends with Mike dreading his current situation and envying Lucas’s courage. Will tells Mike he’s just as brave, but Mike brushes off the encouragement with firm dismissal. He doesn’t believe in himself. The last thing Will wants is for Mike to back out of his plans over something absurd as self-doubt. He’s not sure if Mike’s refraining from mentioning said plans for Will’s sake, or if he’s seriously doubting his ability to live on his own, away from the eyes and control of his gang members. One area he dares not venture into is Mike’s family. His biological family, the same one that must have thrown him out for a reason unknown and yet still incomprehensible to Will. He can’t imagine what a ten year old Mike could’ve done to garner such animosity from his own blood. Will’s case is different. He understands why his father hated him. There’s a part of Will that was intrinsically broken from the moment he was born. It couldn’t be the same for Mike, Will reasons, but he can’t form any counter arguments other than ‘it’s really unlikely,’ so he shelves that line of thought for later.  No girls. Not-a-one.With each passing day, Will’s learning more about the boy who’s captured his heart. It feels like a privilege to have Mike’s trust in this way. Despite the rational part of Will screeching at him to step back and avoid getting more attached than he already is, and reminding him of the fact that Mike has flat-out lied to him before, Will can’t help himself. He’s swimming neck deep in the sensation of Mike’s attention and care, his sweet smiles and silly words, his choked-up admissions and his bitter, brooding scowls. Will loves it all so much. It’s overwhelming. It’s all he can think about. Maybe  he needs space.And so, naturally, Will begins taking the whole ‘pulling away’ thing more seriously. He thinks it’ll help him emotionally prepare, and it’s beneficial for the both of them in the long run. He starts by actually turning down Mike’s proposals to spend time outside of Will’s working hours. It’s hard enough as it is to reject Mike in any sense of the word, but even more so because he basically has no excuses to fall back on. Work is out of the question, since Mike knows his schedule by now and drops in at least once a day for a chat. Cliff even mentioned how often he visits, citing how that first night they met (and Will valiantly ‘protected’ Mike, as far as his boss is concerned) must’ve left quite the impression, as he’s easily spent over a hundred dollars on drinks alone in the past months. Will’s taken to using sickness as a justification.  I’m feeling under the weather today. Or maybe,  Sorry, Mike, I’m too tired. Will’s not exactly lying about that, he does feel exhausted half the time. With the combined stress of working on his feet all day and the emotional turmoil constantly burning within him over everything to do with Mike Wheeler, he’s barely got the energy to hold a substantive conversation after he clocks out. Mike sure as hell notices the shift in Will’s demeanor. Will’s a god awful liar, for one thing, and most of the time his excuses sound stilted and flimsy. He can see the way Mike’s eyes drop and his mouth twists into something suspicious whenever he shrugs off another horse ride or walks through the forest. It hurts to see, but despite his reactions, Mike has yet to call him out on it. Will’s not sure how he feels about that. The Mike of a couple weeks ago would’ve stood his ground and told Will that he’s being unnecessarily cold. He wonders what changed. His answer comes on a remarkably warm night in late August. Will’s finishing up a busy shift, probably the worst since June. He’s been sweating bullets, what with the heat outside and the packed bodies throughout the saloon as he weaves through the crowd to clear tables. LLoyd and Cliff are both working the bar, so Will’s relegated back to clean-up duty. He’s ecstatic, in spite of the sheer number of patrons clogging nearly every inch of the main floor. Nothing beats a break from bartending on late shifts. He prefers tending during the days, but that’s mostly because he gets to talk to Mike as much as he pleases without it feeling like he’s hindering the boy’s progress on getting out of town.Around eleven, Will slips away to the restroom for a quick break. There’s a couple men loitering, but Will pays them no mind as he makes to wash his face at the sink. The door opens while he’s leaned over, splashing water to help wake him up, and he doesn’t notice the sound of boots clacking against hardwood until he lifts his head. In the mirror, his eyes flit to meet Mike’s, who’s backed against the wall behind Will. The look on his face is similar to that of the first time he spotted Mike - a sharp grimace, directed towards none other than Will. “You know, back when we met?” Will asks, still only staring at Mike through his reflection in the mirror. “You looked real mad at me, before we even spoke.”“I wasn’t mad,” Mike’s quick to defend, kicking back on the wall and inching closer to Will a couple feet. The only other patron left in the bathroom leaves, and at once, they’re alone. “I was just. Thinking.” Mike shrugs.“Thinking about what?” Will asks. “To be honest, I thought you were gonna be a d@ck to me. Like some of the other guys that pass through. Get their kicks out of messing with me, for some reason.” He realizes that for the past weeks, he’s rarely had to deal with the usual, expected abuse from patrons. “I’m glad I was wrong,” Will adds quietly. Mike’s face softens at this sentiment. “I was thinking,” Mike starts, crossing his arms. He’s still on guard, Will notices. “That I saw myself in you. I don’t know, it felt– innate? That’s partly why I stepped in, when you were getting harassed and all.” Mike sees himself in me?  It doesn’t make sense to Will’s ears at first, but the more he considers it, he agrees. They do have this strange, unprecedented  thing tying them together. He’s definitely felt it, the physical sway towards Mike that he can hardly resist. There’s something at his core that feels familiar, that feels right. His words light up Will from the inside, but he’s just as soon found a way to shut down the feeling.That unnamed thing can only last so long without being voiced. He doesn’t know where he stands with Mike, and each day is a reminder that this overwhelming happiness is swiftly coming to a close. Will deserves answers. He needs to prepare, needs to know how and when he’ll have to mend his heart come Mike’s departure. “Mike,” Will says weakly, finally turning to face him head-on. “When are you planning on leaving Valentine?”The question stuns Mike. He’s gaping at Will, brows lowered in confusion as he blinks fast and hard. It’s certainly not what he was expecting to hear. To be fair, it came out more exasperated than he had wanted. Will’s reaching a tipping point. He’s wholly drained by the worries consuming him– Mike’s future, his safety and wellbeing are important to him. But at the moment, all Will wants is to rip it to shreds, this careful, hesitant silence they’ve cultivated over time by ignoring the obvious, glaring, red-hot issue waiting down the line. “We have to talk,” Mike says bluntly, no nonsense, which is saying a lot. Mike usually loves dressing up these serious conversations with little garnishes of nonsense. “We’re talking now, aren’t we?” Will responds. He’s being difficult on purpose, pressing into Mike, hoping for some sort of reaction. He needs to know if Mike’s feeling all of this, too.Mike rolls his eyes, then steels his expression into something more neutral. “Meet me out front when your shift ends in an hour,” he nods to Will, then turns and walks out of the door before Will can reply.  Jesus. This must be it, Will thinks. The talk he’s been praying for and dreading ever since he realized how much he needs Mike by his side. He’d rather they get it over quickly. Maybe Mike will do him a favor and be gone by daybreak the next morning. He wonders how long it’ll take to heal from this, and splashes his face once more for good measure.Will spends the remainder of his shift valiantly acting like he’s not on the verge of tears. He wipes the tables and countertop with sluggish motions, but it won’t delay the inevitable. He goes around the entire saloon once more just to be sure, checking for nonexistent cobwebs in corners he’d swept earlier in the day. At seven minutes past his shift, Cliff tells him to get out, because he’s not paying him overtime. Will accepts defeat, sighing with his full chest, then saunters over to the main doors. Sure as day, Mike is standing against the outside wall waiting for him. He’s got his head tucked down, a lit cigarette between his fingers as he takes a slow drag. His hair rests against his neck, no ponytail or hat to keep it neat and tidy. “Hey,” Will squeaks out. He’s nervous as all hell, but the sight of Mike somehow still relaxes him. Mike tosses the rest of his cigarette and, without a word, casts his arm out to reach for Will’s hand. Will takes a moment to look around, making sure no one was eyeing them too closely, but he’s being pulled off the front steps and into the dirt road. Mike makes no effort to tell him where they’re off to, but he has a feeling it’s somewhere secluded. Arm straight and taut, Mike’s practically dragging him as Will fails to match his pace.“Slow down,” Will tries to shake off his tight grip, to no avail. “I’m not going to run if you loosen up, you know?” Mike turns and eyes him suspiciously, then drops their hands like he’s been burnt, choosing to cross his arms over his chest instead. His brows are wobbling around all weird, lips tightened and curled to the side of his mouth, and he’s quieter than Will has ever witnessed. On any other day, Mike would be talking his ear off. He could probably talk for three hours straight without stopping for a breath. Must have a lot on his mind to be this mum. Will trails behind him the rest of the walk, partly because he wants to give Mike some space to cool down, and partly because he has no idea where they’re heading. They’ve passed the barns at the front of town and are parallel to the train tracks now. Mike turns towards a trail off the main road, one leading to Caliban’s Seat. It’s quite a view, the way the stone protrudes from the ground in tall, thin spires like they were handcrafted by giants with a hammer and chisel. They keep walking down the slope and to the banks of the Dakota River in silence. Moonlight shimmers off the surface of the water as it flows southward. The sound reminds him of his fishing trips with Jonathan. Whatever’s in the air has him more sentimental, more nostalgic than he’s felt in some time. Mike kicks a couple rocks into the water as they amble by, now side by side. He waits until Will’s taken a seat to speak up. “Did I do something wrong?” Mike asks, then amends, “like, recently?”“No, no it’s nothing you did,” more accurately, what he’s  going  to do.“Are you still mad at me for lying?” Mike says, and it comes out so fragile, Will feels his heart pound in response. “Is that why you’ve been avoiding me? I thought things between us were going better since I told you the truth.” He’s still standing a few feet from where Will’s sat, staring out at the water. In the darkness, he can see the tips of his profile lit up from reflections in the river. Strong nose. contemplative brow. But those eyes seem far away, too far for Will to reach. “What can I do to make things right?”For the second time that night, their hands meet as Will yanks Mike to meet his level. Mike lets himself be pulled down without a fight, like all the pent up energy from before has seeped out of him and into the water at their feet. “You said you were going to leave. You said so, when we talked at the falls,” Will answers, pace slow, meeting those eyes now only a foot away. Easier to reach. “I’m not mad, just. I just care about you, and I know getting out would be good for you. Really, really good.”Mike gives him this pained, dumbstruck look as he searches for a response. “I know, I know that, and I’m going to. It’s just that I’m scared, is all,” he whispers, eyes flitting back and forth between Will’s own.Scared. He hadn’t considered that before. Hesitant, of course, but scared? Mike’s the most accomplished guy he’s ever met. He’s done leagues more than Will has, even if that was mostly due to his personal circumstances. What’s there to be scared of, if you’ve already seen everything from the border of Mexico to the highest tips of Ambarino. “You’re the bravest person I know. You’ll do fine on your own, you  know  that,” Will offers in comfort. He means every word, and hopes Mike can feel his confidence in him.  The feeling certainly did not translate well. “Brave?” Mike yelps, astounded. He says it like the word is coated in sharpened metal barbs. “The hell did you get that idea from?”Will looks at him like he’s speaking gibberish. “Are you joking? The first time we met you dragged a man two seconds away from choking me. That’s an objectively brave thing to do, especially for someone you didn’t know.”Mike scowls at the memory, shaking his head. “I was being reckless. There’s a difference.”“Not much of a difference for me. I’m scared of everything,” Will admits sheepishly. “And you think I’m not?” Mike asks, body now twisted towards Will. He’s staring at Will like he’s waiting for an explanation. How does he not see it? Why can’t he see how incredible Will thinks he is?“I don’t know,” he shrugs, “you just always seem so sure of yourself and everything you do. I’m always worried about how others’ perceive me, so.” Will wishes he were more confident. He looks at Mike and he sees someone who lives to the fullest, free of the burdens of shame that have confined him to this town and this job. But now, he looks to Mike, and the other looks back to him, and all he sees is shame.“It’s all fake. I just walk around and act like I know what I’m doing, like I even know who I  am.” Mike’s voice falters as he wades into this vulnerability. “Spent half of my life lying for a job. I go from place to place and I lie to everyone I meet. I lie for fun, and for survival, and because it’s easy as breathing at this point. I’m not tied to anyone or anything. I’m nobody. I’m  nothing,” he chokes out, almost angry at himself.Will gapes at him, shocked at the outburst of emotion. He hadn’t realized Mike thought of himself so lowly. Will wonders how much of what Mike had told him was lies, but he banishes the thought. Before he can find the words to respond, Mike’s already continuing on.“You know this thing?” he picks Will’s hand up, placing his fingers near his right temple. The scarred skin is ridged yet feels taut and firm, like it was drawn tight over the healing process. “I lied about that, too.”“What happened?” Will asks carefully, his hand lingering on the side of Mike’s face, not wanting to pull back just yet. He’s curious, of course, but he won’t pressure Mike into sharing the gorey details.Mike shakes his head, words caught and clamped shut in his mouth. “My dad was a very mean man,” is all he says, and he grips tighter on his hold around Will’s wrist.  Oh. Whatever caused the scar must’ve happened before his days on the road. He was just a boy, then. Ten or eleven at most. Defenseless. Will feels his heart break at the thought. All the people that have failed Mike over the course of his life. He notices the edge of his palm dampens, and lets Mike cry without intervention.Will has more than a few scars from his own father, but at least he lives with the comfort knowing the man is dead. He’s not sure if it’s the same for Mike. Either way, moving on with the memories is torment enough as is. “I’m sorry,” Will says. He’s not sure what Mike wants to hear from him in the moment. That he’s been through the same? That he knows how it feels to be treated as an enemy in his own home? To escape from that, whether it be by force or his own will? Had he been younger when he left Blackwater, Will very well could’ve ended up exactly where Mike is now. Drifting through the countryside with people whose love is conditional on how much he can line their pockets. “You’ve survived through a lot, and you’re still standing. I think that’s worth something, don’t you?”“Yeah, I mean, maybe,” he replies halfheartedly, then Will drops his hand from Mike’s face, tapping his thumb twice before he goes. “I still think I’m a f@ck@ng mess, though. I have no clue who I am. Not sure if I’ve lied so much I’ve forgotten, or if I was never anybody to begin with.” It’s a depressing thought, Will thinks, to have no concept of one’s identity. His life feels so empty at times that he can’t find any meaning. Will’s so replaceable, sometimes he imagines that the body crossing the saloon floors everyday is simply a placeholder. Will Byers, the person, is elsewhere. Surely not here, barked orders at half the time, his body useful for manual labor and nothing more.“But  you,” Mike starts, his gaze now fixed to the lower half of Will’s face. “You’re somebody, alright.”“Me?” Will asks, his nose flaring in confusion. What does Will have that Mike doesn’t? How could he possibly be someone in a world where Mike Wheeler deems himself no one. “You’ve got all these dreams and ideas, and you can  create. Those sketches you showed me were incredible. And you make a pretty solid doctor, too,” Mike explains. Will feels like he’s under a magnifying glass with so many compliments. The directness of it all. “That’s to say, you’ve got options.” The way Mike speaks, it’s obvious he means to add  and I don’t. They have such mirrored views of each other.“So do you. Between the horse and your money, you’re free to go anywhere.” Mike sniffs, and Will can see the tears drying on his cheeks. “Except Florida,” he adds quietly, voice still thick. “Oh my god,” Will whispers, a mix of annoyance and fondness washing over him. Mike laughs at the reaction, and Will's beginning to feel a bit hysterical himself. “You know I was giving you all that tip money ‘cause you seemed like someone looking for an escape.”He manages to swing them back to a serious tone so fast. “What?”“Figured you’d make better use of it than me.”“Why?” Will feels like all he does these days is ask questions. Mike confuses the hell out of him. He sighs like it should be more than obvious, then fixes Will with a determined stare. The way Mike’s looking at him, Will thinks he may have jumped to conclusions too early on the  no girls  topic. “Because you’re good, Will. You’re so good, and you’re deserving of more than what you have now.” All Will’s one-word answers have caught up to him. He’s been struggling to find a way to properly express himself throughout this conversation, more so than usual. Words don’t feel like enough. They’re too weak and flimsy, snapping under the weight of discernment. He needs something stronger to convey the message.Will slowly lifts his hands from where they were resting in his lap, twitching with potential energy. He presses them flat against the front Mike’s shoulders, leaning into his space. There, he waits for Mike to react, to push Will away and tell him he’s read everything wrong for the past ten minutes. For the past two months, if he’s honest with himself.Will waits, but Mike is holding still. The look in his eyes only deepens, Will notices now that he has a closer view. Mike’s breathing has paused. He’s waiting, too.He’s going to ruin everything. He’s cursing Mike to a life that’s bound to fail. There’s no good ending to this, no way of knowing how or when it’ll all come crumbling down, but he’s sure Mike would be much safer without a man by his side. Safety or happiness, it’s what he can never decide between. It’s becoming much harder to care the longer that Mike’s eyes are locked to his, lips parted like he makes to say something, do something.Will surges forwards to meet those lips mere inches away, and at once, things are starting to make sense. He doesn’t need to know everything about Mike to know that this feels right. He presses closer, wrapping his hands up Mike’s neck and through his hair. All Will can think is  finally. Took him long enough to find this, to give himself permission to want this. He’s still struggling with that, taking risks and allowing himself to sit with the uncertainties. But Mike’s right there with him, kissing him  back, like nothing else matters. Before and after don’t exist. This makes sense.Will pulls away for a breath, and Mike’s practically cradling him, arms wrapped around his waist and shoulder. And his face– red cheeks, eyes blown wide, and he’s blinking rapidly. He momentarily remembers where they are and looks around, only comforted by the reminder that they’re covered in darkness. Anyone roaming the river banks at this hour wouldn’t see them. He looks back to Mike, who seems very pleased with himself, a small grin replacing the earlier confusion.“I’m sorry for avoiding you,” Will starts in a whisper, “I was beginning to realize what you mean to me, and you mentioned leaving, and it’s all I’ve been dreading. Since before I knew I wanted you, even.” “You’re so brave, Will,” Mike whispers back, his expression full of admiration. Reverence, almost. Honesty.“So are you,” he laughs softly, petting the sides of Mike’s face with his thumbs. He can’t believe this is happening. He can’t believe he’s allowed to do this, that Mike’s letting Will hold him in his hands. Mike dives back in, pecking his lips once, then twice, then moving on to pepper kisses on his cheeks. Will’s ticklish, giggling at the contact until he can’t take it anymore and pulls Mike away by his hair. He’s surprisingly easy to guide like this, tugging his hair, and it reminds Will of learning to direct Atlas by the reins. He’s thinking more like his cowboy every day.  His  has a nice ring to it. Will must have some claim to Mike at this point. They’re both tied to this secret now, a shared sin to bear together. Even when Mike leaves, he’ll never be freed from the memories. The knowledge vindicates him- he couldn’t be wrong for loving Mike if Mike feels even an ounce of what Will does.“You thought I was going to leave without you?” Mike asks, genuinely baffled. It would’ve been presumptuous for Will to think otherwise, you can’t blame him for that.“Yes. I mean, I couldn’t just ask you to bring me with you,” Will says. He’s thought about this for so long, it feels stale to even speak on. It would be impolite to impose himself onto Mike’s life, even though it’s what he wants more than anything. “I basically already asked you though,” Mike says, humor lacing his voice. “You know, with all the times I propositioned you for a trip?”“Those were clearly jokes!” “Not to me, they’re not,” Mike retorts. “And I’ll wait for you, if you’re not ready yet.”Will feels like throwing up and crying and slapping himself in the face all at once. Mike’s too g@dd@mn sweet. After taking a couple moments to calm himself, Will replies, “I won’t ask that of you.”“Good thing you don’t have to. I’ve been stalling the gang for weeks to stay in Valentine a little longer. We’d usually be long gone by now,” Mike admits like it’s not a life altering piece of news for Will. “Jesus Christ,” is all he manages. Just when he thinks Mike’s done all he can to flip Will’s world upside down, he goes and says something like that.“I’m sorta crazy about you,” Mike laughs, and Will feels it where his hands are cupping his face. He leans in for a kiss of his own, because there’s nothing else to do but revel in this feeling. “Give me some time to think about it, okay?” Will asks, hoping that Mike’s patience isn’t running too thin. He needs time to process everything and figure out where to go next. He’ll have to save up more money just in case. It wouldn’t be smart to rely solely on Mike’s stash.“Of course,” Mike answers, then cuts the discussion short with another kiss.'
User: Summarize the chapter based on the content provided, ensuring to follow the set format and emphasize key aspects within the specified length.
User: Summarize the chapter based on the content provided, ensuring to follow the set format and emphasize key aspects within the specified length.
Assistant: