Mike looked down at the shaking boy and wrapped his arms tightly around him, burying his freckled face in the smaller boy's soft brown hair whilst whispering into his ear: "I'll surround you and keep you safe... everyday. Everyday. I know you never like to be alone, and now you don't have to." And for the first time in a long time, Will felt whole.

promises aren't meant to be broken, right? [slightly triggering]

ᴏɴ ɴᴏᴠᴇᴍʙᴇʀ 6ᴛʜ, 1985, ᴡɪʟʟ ʙʏᴇʀs ᴄʀᴀsʜᴇᴅ ʜɪs ʙɪᴄʏᴄʟᴇ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ʀɪᴅɪɴɢ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʜᴇᴇʟᴇʀ ʜᴏᴜsᴇʜᴏʟᴅ, ᴅᴀᴍᴀɢɪɴɢ ʜɪs ʜᴇᴀᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴜᴘ 2 ᴅᴀʏs ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɴᴏ ʀᴇᴄᴏʟʟᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴡʜᴏ ʜᴇ ᴡᴀs. ᴘʟᴀɢᴜᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʙsᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴏғ ʜɪs ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀɪᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ᴅᴀʀᴋ ʜᴀɪʀᴇᴅ ʙᴏʏ ᴡʜᴏ ʀᴇғᴜsᴇs ᴛᴏ ᴛᴇʟʟ ᴡɪʟʟ ʜɪs ɴᴀᴍᴇ, ᴀʟʟ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙʏᴇʀs ʜᴀs ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ɪs ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ. ᴛʜᴀᴛ's ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴀʀᴅ ᴘᴀʀᴛ.