Title: Punch

Pairing: Warren/Will

Warnings: language, mild violence

Notes: First Sky High fic. Constructive criticism/feedback is much loved. This is a fun paring. For/b Contrelamontre over on LJ' physical fight challenge (written in 50 minutes), which means I wrote it of a challenge, and it's not betaed. It was more an exercise more than anything else.

As far as fights go, Warren didn't think it was that great of one. In fact, he'd give it a two out of ten. The only redeeming quality it had, fight wise, was that someone had to got to the hospital afterwards. There was far more against it. It was short. It was an angry man facing off against a confused one (the confused one of course became angry very quickly, being the definition of a short temper). And, most importantly, it ended with him in the ER, not fucking Super Boy Will. That part was not fun.

There is a danger in fighting with friends. A bigger one lies in fighting with a friend that had super strength, one that is seemingly invincible at that. Warren wasn't sure if Will is or was still his friend. The ache in his jaw, well, that said to end it, but there was still an anxious twist in his gut, telling him he needed to know why Will had been so angry, so quickly, before he cut Stronghold out of his life forever.

He was close to making that decision (in favor of never speaking to Will again, when he could) as his mother helped him to the car. Warren was floating on painkillers, to the point that leaning on his Mom isn't so embarrassing (but the back of his mind couldn't help but reflect on how pathetic it was, that mommy had to help him 'cause he was dizzy and hurting). The way she doted, patting him on the knee, buckling him in was kind of nice, his drugged up mind thought.

Hitting every bump on the way home was not so nice. He could only grunt between wired together teeth. His mother kept patting his leg, his shoulder, as if that made up for the fact that she has to be aiming for them, the way she keeps hitting them.

Home came soon enough, after his Mom ran into a CVS leaving him drooling in the car, eyes closed. The purpose of the detour was to fill the prescription from the doctor, and to buy the old people drink, so he doesn't fall over and die of malnutrition because he can't move his jaw to talk. After that, Warren laid down at remembered, even though he didn't want to.

"Hey, Stronghold, what did you do to Layla now? Kill her hamster?" He teased, sitting at the lunch table earlier that day. Layla was absent from the crew, having told Magenta on the lunch line that she was going outside, she just couldn't be around 'him' right now. Warren took the 'him' to be Will, that Layla was angry with Will for being the world's thickest human being, yet again. Did he flirt with another freshman again? Or did he stand her up? Forget that it was her mother's birthday? Anything was possible with Captain Oblivious.

Will narrowed his eyes at Warren, but wouldn't look him in the eye. "I don't want to talk about it." Will said, and in hindsight, Warren should have let it go then and there. He should've heard it in Will's voice.

"Come on. What stupid thing did you do this time?" He pressed. Will's screw ups with Layla were always entertaining.

That was when Will hit him. Hard. So hard Warren felt his jaw snap to the side, and terrible pain flair through his jaw, down his spine, to the tips of his toes. And Warren was pissed, because Will, his supposed best friend, just hit him. Because Will used his at least some of his strength. Because it was embarrassing to take a punch to the face in a room full of people. Because Will could have snapped his neck, if he wanted to, or if he didn't pull the punch enough. Because it hurt, and not just the hurt in his face.

It was a good thing Will was damn near invincible, because the boy lost most of his clothes, but didn't look anything more than slightly pinker than usual before Principal Powers broke it up, before anyone else got hurt. Will went to detention, which Warren was promised was coming to him too. Then he was sent to the hospital.

And he was still hurt, even as he drifted off into a drug induced sleep. Will hit him.

Sometime in the night, he woke up, in pain, but sure that wasn't what woke him. He sat up so quick he nearly fell back down, looking around the room, eyes stopped when he saw the outline of someone sitting on his desk chair. His bedroom window was open, a fact he became aware of when he felt a chilling draft that made his jaw ache more. He knew the shape sitting there.

Warren grunted something which was a warning or a hello or a curse. He wasn't even sure what it came out as. Slowly, he stood and turned on the light by his bed. Mom, bless her, had laid out his pain medication (thankfully they make liquid pain killers) sometime after he fell asleep. Warren focused on that, the bottle, and read the instructions (twice, English was not his friend at the moment), before taking the instructed dose. He made a face, it didn't taste good, then looked at his visitor.

Stronghold looked back, not saying a word, but Warren watched him for a long time. He realized Will was drunk. That took him by surprise -- Will never drank at parties (even when he and Zach tried and failed at peer pressure). Warren didn't even think the kid took aspirin when he was sore. And now he was drunk, after breaking Warren's jaw. Interesting, Warren decided, picking up the pad and paper his mother had also set out for him (he'd have to remember to thank her for all that).

On the pad he wrote: i 'What the fuck?' /i It was as good a question as any. It encompassed all of it, he hoped. Why'd you punch me? Why'd you hit me so hard? Why are you here now?, was all too much to write out. The next few weeks were going to suck. Unless he got that telepathy chick to follow him around (actually nix that, who knows what she'd hear and be traumatized by).

Will looked at the bad, opened his mouth and closed it. After the third time of him doing that, Warren impatiently wiggled the pad. His jaw hurt, bad. His head did too, he just wanted to go back to sleep.

"I, uh," Commander Smooth started and stopped. Warren glared at him, until he looked down and just talked, words tumbling and stumbling over themselves. "Me, and Layla were gonna…" Will looked at him and Warren nodded, he got the hint. "I sorta said someone else's name. That's why we broke up."

Warren wrote on the paper i 'So you punched me?' /i and there was hurt in him, that he couldn't convey on paper. Except for the angry dark, traced over, question mark. He hoped Will understood that.

"No…I mean, yeah I did…I just -- I told you to drop it." Before Warren could write something else, Will held up his hands in a defensive gesture. "I know, I know, it wasn't right…" Yet again, Stronghold stalled. Warren sighed through his nose, losing his patience. "I guess I'll tell you. I don't think you can hate me any more…." Will took a deep breath, and in one rush, said: "It was your name and she was really pissed but kinda not surprised and I think she hates me too, for lying to her and leading her on and you just kept asking and asking and I didn't want to tell you at all, especially with everyone watching and…" Will breathed in, a short quick gasp, like he had forgotten that even the super strong had to breathe.

Again, Warren sighed though his nose, and closed his eyes. Panic, fear, shock, relief…and so many other emotions flashed through him. For some reason, none of them were anger or disgust. Before Warren could pick one thing to feel, to think, Will's lips pressed against his, and tipped the scales. He was leaning towards happy that Will swung in his direction, as they kissed.

The kiss was chaste, but what else could it be, when one of them couldn't open their mouth. Will pulled back and looked at Warren. His eyes were open, vulnerable, and suddenly more sober looking than before.

Warren's fist landed higher than he meant, catching Will in the cheek. Will dropped to the floor, looking at Warren was real fear in his eyes. Warren wrote on the paper: 'I owed you that. You know it.' Will read the words, but wouldn't look at his face, and he missed Warren's smile. It took a lot, to get his sore mouth to stretch into a smile.

'You owe me a better kiss too.' He added under it.

This time, Will smiled back.

Warren wasn't sure if he forgave Will (there was the underlying notion that Will could've really hurt him), but he was certain he didn't want to cut Stronghold out of his life either. He'd just have to make sure Will made it all up to him.

End