The facetime connects.
"Hey, Smitty."
Will lips stretches automatically, without effort and he sags into the pillows, body relaxing in a way he hadn't noticed, was wound tight before.
For a moment, Will doesn't say anything. He looks at the pixels on the phone screen, of Mack's smile that takes up most of the space, flashes of unshaved chin, whiskered green eyes, and the buckle of red maple leaf cap whenever the camera shakes.
The view was ordinary, a commonplace. Yet, something slots in place inside of Will, as though the puzzle needed just two generic words, the smile with full teeth on display.
And it is not a new realization. Rather, it had been building up, unnoticeable most days, but glaringly obvious when they are apart.
How Will's body seem to not remember standing straight on its own and not unconsciously tilt left to lean against a body that is not there; how when he wakes up in the morning, he reaches his phone with a 'I will pick you up in 15' on his mind before he remembers it is off season and there is nobody to pick up; how for two whole weeks back home he ordered two different coffee by mistake and ended up finishing it anyway; how he enjoys the warm summer days, he does, but wishes there was something more, someone who would have whined about going fishing in the lake house, loudly complained about lying in the grass at night because 'there are bugs, Smittty', laughed roaringly at Gabe's attempt to kayak on skates, giggled while pushing Will into the lake but got fake angry when Will tricked him after.
How Will has the clock widget on the front of his screen set to Switzerland right now but knows himself well enough that it is going to change to Vancouver when the worlds is over. How, most of the days, it felt like he was waiting for the said clock app to hit 11:00 before retreating in his room, lying down on his bed and getting ready for his body to finally relax fully.
It should have been a little disconcerting, this build up of something missing, something incomplete whenever he is not with Mack, but somehow, it is easy all the same.
Because, it feels natural. Like from the start, it was supposed to reach here.
Because Mack makes it easy, when he has a 'Willy' all the time on his lips, when the same separation has Mack saying 'I miss you, Smitty' somewhat awkwardly because the boy is still unused to softer emotions, when Will gets a 'accept' before he can tap on the call button.
Because it is exciting when he looks at the calendar app and feels the highlighted 'Vancouver' coming closer and closer and when each day there is an added exclamation point from oceans away, he knows Mack is there with him, through it all, each and every realization, each and every impatience.
For now though, this much is enough.
After all, it is them. Will and Mack. Mack and Will.
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