never felt quite alive, now I'm living.
[ will byers x original character ]
[ book one in the lights up duology ]
[ stranger things three ]
STATUS: COMPLETED
[ STARTED: may 2nd, 2020 ]
[ FINISHED: august 22nd, 2020 ]
[ 100k reads - 4/29/22 ]
cover b...
MACKENZIE STAYED COMPLETELY still on the ground behind the red car. Dustin's frantic voice on Mike's walkie rang out, asking them if they copied, but nobody answered due to the fact that they were literally hiding from a monster. If Mackenzie thought she was going to die back at the cabin, she definitely thought she was going to die in this mall. She wondered how devastated her mom would be when she found out . . . no. Mackenzie Tate was going to live. She would not let the Upside Down take anything else from her. In order to do that, they had to escape.
The brunette glanced over at the rest to try and ask what they were going to do, but her eyes locked on the boy sitting next to her. Will had wide eyes and was taking short, shallow breaths.
"Mack," he whispered. "I can't breathe."
She shook her head. "It's gonna be okay, Bubs. Just listen to my voice, okay?"
"Mack," he whimpered. "I-I . . . I'm scared."
"I am too," she breathed out. "But I will not let it hurt you."
He looked at her with his eyes shining with tears. "Do you promise?"
Mackenzie decided she was insane. She was absolutely out of her goddamn mind, but she didn't care. None of that mattered right now. If anything bad was to happen in this mall, she thought she might as well make it memorable by having at least one spark of happiness. It was now or never. Adrenaline and courage flowed through her veins as she grabbed the boy's face and pressed her lips to his.
Will made a small noise of surprise. She wondered if she had just fucked everything up for the worst, but Will ultimately kissed her back and placed his hands gently on her waist. It was urgent, a little messy, and had a whole ton of passion. To Mackenzie, it was absolutely perfect. She never thought her first kiss would be with Will Byers (even though she always wished he would be the one to capture it from her), but here it was.
She pulled away reluctantly, but kept her hands on his face. Will was staring at her with eyes swimming with emotions and rosy cheeks, but he was taking normal breaths now. It took all of their willpower to not surge forward again and keep kissing. They were almost . . . intoxicating.
The world seemed to stop spinning as they looked into each other's eyes, the shrieks and footsteps of the Mind Flayer fading to a dull noise in the background. A horrible monster from the Upside Down wrecking havoc behind them was temporarily forgotten. It was just Mackenzie and Will, like it always had been, but so much more.
