Work Text:
"Ah, fuck."
“Shh.”
“Sorry. Wait, where's the-”
“Here.”
“Okay, hold on.”
“Be careful.”
“I can't see shit. Where- am I close?”
“Yeah, you're almost there. Just set it down.”
“Alright, I'm pushing through. Give me your hand.”
“Wait, watch out.”
But it's too late. He watches in horror as the book plunges towards the floor. In the last second his foot shoots forward to cushion the fall. He flinches at the pain but manages not to let a tone escape his mouth. With a dull thump the book slides off him and the room falls deadly silent. They do not dare to breathe. Every muscle is tensed in order not to move as much as a finger. The house creaks, its ugly cries echoing almost hauntingly through the darkness. A distant hoot of either an owl or a pigeon disturbs the otherwise tranquil night, startling the two of them. But there is no sign of life from within the walls. They remain unnoticed.
“Okay, bring your other leg in,” Will instructs after feeling safe enough to continue, still keeping his voice low.
With a final shove Mike falls through his window and almost knocks over the chair he's meant to use as a ladder. Before he can plummet next to the book, strong arms wrap themselves tightly around his body. They gently direct him down towards the wooden floor boards and only let go once assured he has regained balance.
“Jesus Christ,” Mike groans breathlessly.
“That was close,” the other acknowledges with a nod towards the book that got knocked off the window sill.
“Yeah, that could have gone wrong.”
“You okay?”
Mike straightens his back and turns to face him. A pensive look washes over his eyes. “I think I ripped a tendon.”
Will huffs and jokingly rolls his eyes. “Perhaps you should start stretching,” he suggests mockingly.
“Perhaps,” Mike agrees and tilts his head, grinning slyly, “You would think we’d be better at this by now, considering how often we do it.”
Will can feel himself starting to blush and break out into a smirk at the same time. “You’d think so, yeah,” he agrees absent minded and sneaks a hand around Mike's waist, eyes already trailing down towards his lips.
Without wasting another second Mike leans into the touch and closer against him. He reaches one hand up against Will's jaw, gently caressing his cheek. Big, dark eyes study his face longingly, trying to make out as many details as possible in the blue light of the moon. Tentatively, the fingers of his other hand graze against Will's neck before gliding to the back of his head to pull him in. Their lips melt against each other, soft and welcoming. Immediately a pleasant warmth rushes through their blood and the room gets swallowed by silence again. Only the faint sounds of kissing linger in the air, lulled into the safety of midnight's gloom. Will traces his thumb along Mike's jaw and sighs against his lips before pulling away just enough for them to be able to breathe. Their foreheads are pressed together, noses delicately bumping against each other. For a moment they stay like this, undecided, before opening their mouths to say something. But instead of talking Mike tilts his head up so their upper lips gently touch, and Will reacts by clashing them back together. They gasp into the kiss, not missing the opportunity to taste the flavor of cheap toothpaste on each other's tongues. Mike's fingers curl into Will's hair and tug lightly before gliding them back along his neck, down his collarbones, and finally resting at his chest. He can feel Will's heartbeat beneath his fingertips. It still drives him insane knowing it's pounding like that because of him. Lips move almost desperately against his, yearning for more. Will’s hand runs down his back and stops at the hem of his shirt, carefully moving underneath to trail his fingertips along his bare waist. Every touch feels electric as if his skin burns up beneath the tender brushes. He hungrily bites down on his bottom lip as a response. Will breaks them apart only to kiss along Mike's jaw and down to his neck. The hand on Will's chest clasps onto the shirt he's wearing to pull him along as Mike sneaks backwards until his legs hit the bedframe. He can feel Will grinning against his skin as he delicately pushes their hips together.
“Will!”
“Yes?” He shoots up straight in bed, eyes still closed.
“Will? Oh, finally, I was just about to come in. Let's go, get up sweety. Breakfast is ready,” the voice of his mother chimes through the closed door.
“Uh yeah, coming,” he mumbles through his hands that rub aggressively over his face in order to wake him up.
He's finally able to force his eyes open enough to see the room flooded in sunlight. With a groan he squeezes them shut against the brightness and flops back down on the mattress. The drowsy feeling of sleep still lingers in his head, fogging his thoughts and weighing down his body. Five more minutes, Will tells himself, then he might have gathered enough strength to get up. But before he can drift back into a slumber an arm wraps itself around his torso and a moment later Mike pulls himself on top of his chest. He rubs his face against him before burying it so deep in the cradle of his neck that Will is certain he can't breathe. A giddy smile creeps on his lips. In a swift motion he sneaks his arms around Mike and pulls him even closer, intertwining their legs. He reaches one hand around his back and the other up to his neck. A smirk tugs at his expression when it grazes over a faint, purple bruise. Carefully his fingers slide into his hair, nails scratching lightly over his head. He can feel Mike's lips on his collarbone, gently moving against his skin. With a tilt of his head Will rubs his nose along the side of Mike's face to plant soft kisses against his temple, slowly trailing up towards his forehead. Breakfast quickly drifts to the back of his mind as he's lured in deeper by the warmth of Mike's body.
“Will wake-” with a loud bang the bedroom door slams open.
The blood freezes in their veins. Their heads shoot up and both stare like deer in headlights, still clinging onto each other.
“Seriously?” El glares back and quickly shuts the door, “Again?” She gives them a challenging look, crossing her arms in front of her chest like an accusatory mother.
They slowly peek at each other, then back at the girl. Mike purses his lips and shrugs apologetically. Will wishes he could hide his face, knowing it must glow bright red, and simply offers her an awkward smile. He is just glad it’s El that barged in and not anybody else living here. Luck was on their side this morning.
“Joyce says I have to come get you and only leave once I'm sure you're up…” she starts, before her eyes wander knowingly over the couple, “But I'll wait outside if you promise to hurry,” she compromises with a faint smirk tugging at her lips.
“Yeah, promise,” Will nods with embarrassment.
“Alright,” she beams and reaches for the door handle. “Good morning, Mike,” she snickers and vanishes in the hallway.
“Morning El. Thank you, El,” he hastily throws her way, unsure if she caught the words.
For a moment nobody says anything. Their gaze loosely hangs on the now empty spot in the room, before they let their heads fall back into the pillow with an exhausted groan.
“How does she manage to always walk in on us? I swear she's doing it on purpose.”
“Now why would she do that, Mike?” Will asks, slightly amused. “I don't think she's happy about this either.”
“Maybe to fuck with me, I don't know yet,” he replies, a scheming expression taking over his face. “Your family hates me, I know it.”
“No they don't,” Will scoffs, playfully nudging his shoulder.
“They do, they have a vendetta against me!”
“You're so dramatic,” Will sighs and lets his head roll against the side of Mike's. “And I'm pretty sure my mom adores you,” he starts to argue, but Mike cuts him off.
“Yeah, that's what she wants you to believe,” he poses, index finger pointing against his temple like he's conspiring something.
“You're an idiot,” Will concludes and rips the blanket off him to get up.
“No! Wait,” Mike crawls on top of him to hold his body down. “Don't go,” he mumbles against his chest, tightly gripping onto his waist. Will rolls his eyes, but his arms wrap themselves around him automatically. He never wants to leave this moment of being so impossibly close. They always have such limited times like these, so he wants to cherish every second he gets. But his family is about to ram his door in over breakfast. He’s left with no choice but to roll them around so he is hovering over Mike. He takes a moment to gaze down at him and connects their lips for a brief kiss before peeling clingy arms off his body. Reluctantly Mike lets go, dropping them bonelessly onto the mattress, and watches with a pout as Will leaves the bed to collect his clothes from the floor. He pulls the blanket back over himself and settles for a half-sitting position with an excellent view of his boyfriend getting dressed. Shamelessly his eyes trail over his toned body, rather enjoying the sight.
“Don't take too long,” he says with a wink when Will finishes putting on socks. The boy grins and blows him a kiss before disappearing behind the door, leaving a stupidly grinning Mike alone in his bed.
“When did you go to bed last night?”
Will gulps drily, surprised at his mother's question. “Uh, I don't know, eleven? Twelve? I mean like pretty much right after our last card game so…why?” He lies, praying she doesn't notice the nervous tone in his voice.
“You don't look rested honey, did you sleep well?” She tilts her head, studying his face closely.
Sleep isn't exactly his priority whenever Mike comes over, so he probably got only four or five hours in. And if he has to take a wild guess, it is written all over him. Hopefully his hair isn't too messy and the sweater doesn't reveal any purple spots he overlooked when he passed the mirror. If anybody would see that he might die out of reflex.
“Yeah, just fine,” he replies with a nod. It isn't a complete lie. He slept wonderfully for the time he did, cuddled up against Mike, safe and secure. But he wouldn't have complained had they let him sleep through breakfast. It is about to become a very long day.
“Okay,” Joyce says slowly, not quite believing him. The concern in her eyes is evident. “If you have any nightmares you can tell me, you know that right?”
“Yes, of course mom,” he quickly interjects, not wanting to worry his mother. For the first time in forever there is truly nothing that troubles him. His friends and family are safe, alternate dimensions destroyed and the love of his life is patiently waiting for him in his room. The biggest worries now revolve around an upcoming English exam he still refuses to study for, in hopes he'll solely pass through willpower. That, and one day needing to have the conversation he never thought he'd actually pull through with. He naively believed he could simply never address why he shows zero interest in girls and live the rest of his life concealing his true feelings. Now that he has a whole boyfriend though, that isn't an option anymore. Neither he nor Mike want to sneak around their families forever. Not if they already have to hide their relationship in public anyway. They want them to know. But actually starting that conversation turns out to be a lot harder than either of them had anticipated, which is why after months El is still the only person to know about them. She was told right away. They felt guilty not doing so, scared she would be rightfully mad at them for hiding something like that. They had been scared to reveal their relationship to her in any way, but especially hadn't anticipated how supportively she ended up reacting. In the end, despite all their worries, she was fairly happy for them. Especially after witnessing first hand how they started acting around each other. It did take them a while to explain why she isn't allowed to tell anybody else, though. And they are grateful that she has no grasp of society's rules around dating, to the point she refuses to understand why people take issue with their relationship. But sometimes that mentality has the boys sweating from anxiety when she's close to saying a word too much, almost revealing what is actually going on between them.
A little bit like she's doing right now, pulling a mischievous grimace at Will as she knows the exact reason for the dark circles under his eyes. Joyce doesn't notice, and neither does Hopper who is usually half asleep and focused on his bacon. Jonathan, however, squints his eyes and peeks suspiciously back and forth between his siblings. Will quickly hides his face behind a mug of hot chocolate and settles his eyes on the scrambled eggs in front of him. As nonchalant as he tries to act he can still feel Jonathan's piercing glare on him, which makes him increasingly uneasy.
“Aren't you going to finish your food?” He asks bluntly. Will's heart stops for a second. He searches desperately for the reason behind his insinuating tone. Does he know? Did he hear anything last night?
“I'm full, actually,” he explains with a casual tone, daring to meet his brother's eyes but unable to withstand.
“You? Full?” It's apparent Jonathan isn't oblivious to Will's strange behavior this morning.
“Yeah. Why?”
“I'm just asking. You seem really tired and you're not eating. Are you sure you're alright?”
“Yes. I’ll just finish it later, what's the big deal?”
“Just- you've been eating like a hog for like the past two years.”
Affronted, Will's jaw drops open. “It's called puberty, you'll get it too one day,” he retorts sulkingly.
“Okay, alright,” Jonathan innocently puts his hands in the air and backs off, stunned by Will's sudden sting. “What's up with you this morning? Why do you act like that?”
“Nothing! Why does your face look like that?”
“Wha-” Jonathan frowns, insulted, “Teenagers,” he mumbles and shakes his head in disbelief.
“Will-” Joyce starts, immediately being met with a bewildered look from her youngest. “I didn't start it! He called me fat,” Will defends himself.
“I did not-”
“Oh come on, both of you. Jonathan, he's allowed not to finish a plate, he won't starve. And Will? It's good you're eating. You're getting really strong, your body needs the energy,” Joyce attempts to defuse their bickering.
“Yeah, just take the damn food up to your room and finish it later,” Hopper settles the debate grumpily.
“Thank you,” Will accepts gleefully. In retrospect, this couldn't have turned out better. He doesn't miss the scrutinizing look Jonathan gives him from the corner of his eye. As much as he loves his brother, he needs to learn how to mind his own business instead of bringing him in a quandary in front of his mom and Hopper.
“Oh my God, yes,” Mike moans, throwing his head back.
“Shh!” Will hisses quickly, “Jonathan's in the hallway and I think he's suspecting something. He was constantly nagging me during breakfast.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Give me that,” Mike reaches both arms out, fingers desperately grabbing the air. He eyes the scrambled eggs like it's his first meal in weeks.
“I'm starving,” he whines as he gets a grip on the plate, quickly ripping it from Will's hold. He scarves down three bites before taking the time to put the rest on top of a toast Will secretly stole for him.
“I actually had to fight Jonathan for this stupid egg. I swear that man needs his own children to worry about, he's driving me insane these days,” Will rambles while crawling back in bed next to his boyfriend. “Okay, I have good news and bad news,” he starts, turning his head to watch him finish his food in record speed. A fond smile plays on his lips as his gaze trails over Mike's face, losing himself in admiration. It still feels unreal to him that he gets to stare this bluntly without any fear or guilt. Mike still feels unreal. Will rests his hand on his shoulder and slowly runs it up along the side of his neck, as if to make sure he was really there. He stops at the faintly colored spot and gently rubs his thumb over it.
“We're gonna have to ask El for her Make-up.”
“Hm?”
Will leans over to plant a tender kiss on top of the bruise, earning a low hum from Mike.
“Anyway,” he continues and leans back, “Good news is we have the house to ourselves in about thirty minutes. That means plenty of time for a second breakfast.”
Mike's eyes light up instantly and he nods with excitement, mouth still stuffed. Will takes the empty plate from him and places it out of reach on his nightstand.
“We do have to sneak you out this afternoon before they return from their trip, though,” he warns ahead.
“Afternoon?” Mike confirms after swallowing his last bite. “That sounds like an awfully long time,” he murmurs seductively and reaches an arm around Will's body to pull him closer, “whatever will we do with that?”
It's a rhetorical question, but even if Will intended to answer, he doesn't get the chance. Warm lips press softly against his, trapping any words he could have uttered. He melts against them, eagerly returning the kiss. This day was going to be great.
It looks like the boys haven't moved an inch during the five hours they spent together. They are still sitting in bed, deeply emerged in a book. After an extended brunch, a movie, and endless cuddling, they are stuck re-reading every comic Will owns. He is snuggled in-between Mike's legs, resting his back against his chest. One arm is wrapped around him, hand resting on top of his pec. Will turns the page and drops his hand back on Mike's to interlock their fingers, who rubs his cheek absently against the side of his face while lightly bobbing his feet to the beat of Bowie’s ‘Heroes’ tape that fills the silence around them.
A sudden knock disturbs their rather intimate moment, causing both to jump out of their skin.
“It's me, can I come in?” El’s voice rings through the door.
“Sure,” Will quickly invites her in.
“Hey,” she sticks her head through the door with a broad smile plastered on her face, before squeezing her body through. “What are you up to? Still reading I see?”
“Yup,” Mike answers, sounding slightly weary, and puts the comic down. “What about you?”
El shrugs. She returned from Max's about an hour ago and had swiftly swung by to announce her presence. And because Max had kicked her out early for a date with Lucas and now there was nothing to keep her entertained.
“Not much. I'm still bored and you are going to spend some time with me,” El orders, pointing at Will specifically with a mischievous grin.
The boys open their mouths simultaneously but El continues before they stand a chance to argue. “Hop called a few minutes ago, he said they are on their way.”
Mike groans defeated and lets his head roll back so he's staring at the ceiling. “Thanks for letting us know.”
“No problem. If that's what you want…” she trails off and tilts her head, studying eyes wandering over the two as they crawl off the bed. “I still don't understand why he can't stay,” she states, questioningly eyeing Will while Mike scrambles his belongings together.
“Because,” Mike snarls, disgruntled.
“Because if they see him every time he's here they'll get suspicious really fast. Especially when they find out he's spending the night.”
“Okay?” El stares back at him, blinking owlishly. “Right, and that's bad,” she remembers, nodding slowly like it would help her understand it this time, “because you're scared they won't like that you're together.”
“Precisely,” Mike praises from the other corner of the room while pulling one of Will's sweaters over his head.
“Hey, I want that one back,” he protests, obviously noticing the attempted theft. “Also, as soon as they know they'll implement this stupid three inch rule you two had going on, and we want to preserve the limited time we have with the door closed,” he adds in El’s direction.
“That actually makes sense for once,” she agrees with a grimace.
“Alright, I'm good to go,” Mike announces.
“Okay. Let's get you out, then," Will sighs as he reaches for the door.
“Hey- see you tonight?” Mike asks hopefully.
“Of course,” he breaks into a smirk and leans in to place a little peck on his lips. “I'll be there at ten.”
“Are you seriously sneaking into his room tonight?” El asks in astonishment. “You two are impossible, I-”
Keys jangling in the front door interrupt the trio. Immediately the smile falters from their faces.
“Fuck,” Mike swears under his breath. They're back already. Will's hand that still hovers over the doorknob falls lazily to his side. They share a quick look and turn away from the exit.
El scrunches her face up in confusion. “Wait, are you going to jump through the window again?”
Mike grunts but has no choice but to nod.
“You guys are hilarious, do you know that?” She giggles while curiously watching how they slide the window open.
“Quick, mom might come in,” Will hurries.
“Bye Will. Bye El,” Mike waves before climbing everything but gracefully through the open slit. He can hear Will's voice faintly yelling something after him, but the air rushing through his ears as he falls drowns it out. With a strangled noise he slams on the ground. His ankles give in, causing him to stumble to his knees and roll to the side to cushion the impact. He winces and pushes himself to his feet, wiping his hands over his pants to get rid of the entire meadow that seems to stick to it. Trying to ignore the sharp pain stinging through his left leg, he turns around and hits his head against something. A pair of boots greet his sight. Not something. Someone. Mike tilts his face up, aware of the horrified expression on his face. Hopper towers over him, one eyebrow raised up to his hairline.
“Wheeler?” He asks, voice low and firm. His eyes leave him and wander towards the window where Will stares back at him, frozen in place, looking absolutely mortified. They dart back to Mike, squinting through bad premonitions. He opens his mouth to say something when his gaze drops down to Mike's neck, finally noticing the treacherous bruise. His head whips back up towards Will and then at Mike again. He takes a deep breath, pure rage burning behind his eyes.
“Wheeler!” He yells from deep within his heart, face inching closer. “You're dead,” he growls murderously and grabs his rifle.
“Whoa!” Mike jumps three feet backwards, “Hopper? Be cool, okay?”
“Oh, I am cool,” the old man barks and loads his weapon.
“That- you- I, uh-” he stutters, hands defensively stretched out in front of himself as he creeps backwards in the same pace Hopper stomps towards him. When they pass the porch El and Will burst through the front door and immediately paralyze at the scene playing out in front of them.
“Ah! I’m sorry, okay? It’s fine, everything is going to be…just…uh-” Every word that exists in his vocabulary leaves Mike's head as his focus shifts on his surroundings in order not to trip.
“The sound of your voice really pisses me off,” Hopper snarls, “Keep talking.”
“Please, I mean you can’t be serious. This is crazy, even for you.”
“Crazy? You wanna see crazy?” He asks with a wave of insanity washing over his expression. Then he aims his rifle somewhere above Mike’s ear and squeezes the trigger. The boy shoots up at the deafening noise. He gawks at him for a few heartbeats, wide eyed, fear trembling behind them. He turns around so quickly it almost gives him whiplash, and starts running like his life depends on it. Because at that moment he’s unsure if it might actually be.
“Stop dating my children Wheeler!” Hopper screams from the top of his lungs as he chases after him. A few seconds later they vanish behind the house. Will slowly turns his head towards his sister, who seems unsure whether to be terrified or deeply entertained.
“What happened, I heard a gunshot, are you guys alright?” Joyce appears next to them, anxiously gripping onto a large butcher knife, eyes fiercely scanning the front yard.
“Yes, we are fine,” Will confirms with a groan and nods towards the knife. “What do you want with that? Are you cooking dinner already?"
“What? No! It’s- you know, for protection.”
“Against a gun?”
Joyce shrugs unconvincingly and puts it to the side, when suddenly Mike reappears from the other end of the House.
“Oh, hello Mike. I didn't know you-” she halts when she sees Hopper with his gun chasing after him. “Uh, what are they doing?” She asks hesitantly, eyes closely following the pair zooming past them.
Will meets El’s gaze, panic starting to rise in his chest. She raises her eyebrows and nods meaningfully. This is it.
“Mom?” His voice cracks, gaze quickly dropping to his feet. “I have to tell you something,” his hands are trembling as they nervously play with the zipper of his jacket, still unable to look her in the eyes. With a deep breath in he decides to get it over with. “I’m…uh,” he swallows the word down, still unable to say it, “Mike and I, we’re together. He’s my boyfriend.”
“Oh,” his mother whispers, softly placing a hand on his shoulder. Finally Will collects the strength to meet her eyes, finding a warm, loving gleam behind them. “But that’s wonderful,” she smiles broadly at him, almost melancholic. He can’t help himself but tear up while she pulls him into a big hug.
“I’m so happy for you,” she weeps, rubbing her hand over his back reassuringly. “Nobody deserves love more than you do.”
A single tear rolls down his cheek. He wraps his arms around her and puts his head on top of hers. His heart grows light as the heavy weight begins to fade from his body. Will can't stop smiling with how free he suddenly feels. He squeezes his mother tightly and relaxes into the hug. A few seconds later Mike runs through his field of vision, closely followed by Hopper. The distance between them seems to shrink with every round they pass.
“Can you maybe tell that to your boyfriend? Because he’s currently trying to murder mine,” he asks ironically, as they both disappear behind the corner again. Joyce releases him from her grip and puts on an apologetic grimace.
“Don’t worry, he’s not actually going to kill him. He just wants to intimidate him a little bit, completely harmless,” she assures him, when simultaneously another gunshot fires from behind the house, followed by a high pitched scream from Mike.
“Alright, that’s it,” she decides with a determined expression and runs down the porch.
“Mom? What happened?” Jonathan emerges from the car, carrying grocery bags in both of his hands. As they walk towards each other Mike rushes in-between them and quickly jumps behind Joyce, trying his best to cower behind the small woman.
“No point in hiding, Wheeler,” Hopper threatens and storms in his direction.
“That’s enough,” Joyce demands and rips the rifle from his hands.
“Wha- Joyce?” Hopper complains, throwing his arms in the air.
“Can somebody please talk to me? What the hell is going on?” Jonathan asks, dropping the grocery bags at once to gather their attention.
Hopper turns towards him, arms crossed in front of his chest. “This son of a bitch right here,” he points towards Mike, “is seeing your little brother.”
Jonathan whips his head around to stare at him in utter surprise, being met with a guilty look. Then his eyes find the hickey and a shadow falls over them. He turns back at Hopper, purses his lips and nods firmly. Quickly he snatches the rifle from Joyce’s grip and throws it back in his possession.
“Oh fuck,” Mike curses and almost trips with how quickly his legs move him away from the angry old man. Jonathan watches them continue their hunt with a smile as he walks over to Will. The younger boy nervously chews on his lips while trying to maintain eye contact.
“Is it true? Is he…”
“Yeah,” Will confirms awkwardly, “we're dating.”
Jonathan looks at the ground and nods deliberately as he takes it all in. “You know, I’m happy for you,” he says finally.
“You are?” Will peeks at him, unbelieving.
He scoffs and pulls him into a side hug, playfully nudging his shoulder. “Yeah,” he sighs contently, “Really, I am. You deserve to be with the person you love, and I’m glad things worked out for you like that.”
“Thanks,” he looks up at his brother and fights a cheeky grin off his lips.
This wasn’t at all how he planned this entire conversation to go, and at first sight it does look like it ended in a complete disaster. But Will is grateful that he finally managed to tell his mother and brother, without even having to start the conversation by himself, really. And of course they support him, in the back of his head he’s kind of known that already. But it’s reassuring nonetheless to feel Jonathan's arm around his shoulder, reminding him there really isn’t a thing in the world that will change how much they mean to each other. He considers himself lucky to be able to call them his family.
“Wait, hold on, did he spend the night? Is that why you were behaving so strangely this morning? Because- ohh,” Jonathan connects the final dots.
“Yeah,” Will admits, slightly embarrassed.
“Well, I guess I prefer you hide a boy next door than start skipping meals,” he thinks aloud, though he doesn't sound entirely convinced.
“Yes, mom,” Will mocks with a grin.
Their eyes focus back ahead just in time to witness Mike shooting around the house again, breathing heavily. Hopper is still following close by, clutching the rifle like it is his lifeline.
“Come on Hop, you almost got him,” Jonathan cheers him on.
“I can really feel your happiness right now,” Will mumbles sarcastically.
“What? No, I’m joking, come on. I want what is best for you. And if he makes you laugh then I’m thrilled to welcome him to the family,” he reasons sweetly. “Stop chasing him, just aim and shoot,” he yells after Hopper, before smiling innocently at his brother.
“El, do something!” Mike begs as he passes her.
“I don't know. I'm actually enjoying myself a lot right now,” she giggles amused and waves as they continue running in their circle.
“Will! Help me!” Mike screeches from behind the house.
The boy shakes his head and steps away from Jonathan.
“I guess I’ll better go rescue him,” he jokes. “Hey mom, I'm staying at Mike's tonight. If that's okay?” He eyes his mother expectantly.
“That’s alright sweety, just be back before dinner tomorrow,” Joyce assures as he makes his way towards their bikes to push them out into the driveway. He doesn’t have to wait for long. It only takes a few moments until Mike emerges from the shadows, panting like a dog. He starts sprinting once he sees Will with the getaway bikes and practically jumps into the pedals.
“Get back here Wheeler!” Hopper yells after them, watching in defeat how they swiftly disappear behind the hedge.
“I told you,” Mike wheezes, desperate for air, as they flee down the street, “your family is conspiring against me.”
“They just want to intimidate you,” Will wisely quotes his mother.
“Well it worked. I’m never setting foot into your house again without a bulletproof vest.”
Will laughs and rolls his eyes. “I’m sure they’re over it tomorrow, don’t worry. This won’t become a regular thing, I’ll make sure of it.”
“Promise?” Mike whines, shooting him a tortured look.
“Watch out!”
But the collision is inescapable. Mike dives head first into the other bike, knocking the person right off. Another one follows from behind and crashes straight into them with an ugly noise.
“Can’t you watch where you’re going?”
“Dustin?”
“Wait, Mike?”
“Mike?”
“Lucas!”
“Hey man, what's good?”
The three boys lay on the floor, buried beneath their bikes, staring at each other dumbfounded.
“The hell are you two doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be on a date?” Mike accuses Lucas.
“Long story. What are you doing?”
Mike blinks and clicks his tongue. “Even longer story,” he mumbles, peeking up at Will who simply shakes his head in amusement before reaching out a helping hand. He pulls him up to his feet and gently pats his back. With a quick look behind his shoulder, Mike grabs his bike and inspects it for any major damages. After assuring it looks fine his gaze wanders off once again, down the street they came from.
“He’s not following us, don't worry. He’s too lazy for that,” Will soothes his mind. Knowing Hopper he is probably already sitting on their couch in front of the TV with El.
“Wait, hold on, you were followed? By who?”
“Hopper,” Mike sighs, drained, “he’s gone insane. He's been chasing me around the block for like ten minutes. With a gun. Which he fired at me twice.”
“Well what did you do this time?” Dustin asks, hardly surprised.
“What do you mean? Like anything would justify him trying to fucking shoot me.”
“I mean we all wanted to at some point, the fact Hop waited this long testifies of great self restraint,” he argues.
“Go fuck yourself.”
“Gladly.”
“Hey Will,” Lucas leans towards his other best friend, “did he actually shoot at Mike?”
“I mean not directly of course. But he did chase him around my house for ten minutes, yes.”
“While yelling very unsettling threats if I may add,” Mike chimes in.
“Why though?”
Suddenly it falls silent between the party. Mike and Will exchange questioning glances. It is the best opportunity they will get without having to bring up the subject out of the blue. Maybe they should take advantage of the ideal moment instead of chickening out again. He just had to decide how to-
“Is it because he found out you're an item?” Lucas suddenly asks flatly.
Simultaneously both their jaws fall open. What. There is no way he knows.
“Wait,” Lucas reads the silence between them and his eyes widen abnormally, “You are?” The following lack of an answer only fuels his suspicion. “For real? Like actually?” He and Dustin stare at their friends without blinking, waiting for a confirmation. Will looks around to make sure there are no people close by, before he nods once.
“Fuck yeah,” Lucas yells out and jumps into the air. “Whoo! Who’s the king? I’m the king!” He dances around his bike as if somebody just informed him about his own relationship.
Scarred, the couple avert their eyes and glare over at Dustin, who looks like he’s seen a ghost. He doesn't blink or breathe, just stares back at them, almost traumatized.
“Why are you doing this to me?” He whispers accusingly, shaking his head in a slow motion. “I owe him so much money.”
Mike’s face caves into an offended grimace. “Hold on, did you bet on us?”
Lucas throws his hands up in the air, grinning like a champion. “Not my fault, be less obvious next time.”
“We are not obvious.”
“Sure. And I’m not black.”
Mike pinches the bridge of his nose and groans.
“Listen, I was on your side,” Dustin starts, “I defended how touchy you are, and how platonic it is for you to check out Will every two seconds. I fought for you. And this is how you repay me? By robbing me?” He complains in a melodramatic tone and clutches an imaginary perl necklace.
“Of course, my apologies. We shall break up instantaneously,” Mike suggests drily.
Lucas' chuckles subside into a long sigh, as his eyes trail over the friend group.
“Good for you guys. I'm happy you- wait, for how long has this been going on?” He asks now that the first wave of excitement has washed over.
Mike and Will immediately find grand interest in the concrete beneath their feet. Their bodies sway nervously from side to side while their hands grasp desperately for something to keep them busy. They aren't exactly proud of how long they've kept this secret from them.
“Uh-”
“Well, that, uhm-”
“Pfft, you know, like- actually, like, not that long, really.”
“Yeah no, just, uh- hah, a few months, you know?”
“Jesus,” Lucas huffs cynically, “I can't keep a secret for a day and you just…wow.”
“I mean it would've been nice of you to tell us sooner, but I get it. Kinda. I think,” Dustin scratches the back of his head as he twists his face pensively.
“Sorry,” Mike and Will mumble sheepishly.
“Nah, don't sweat it,” Lucas grins and puts both his hands on their shoulders, “you told us now, didn't you? And it's not like it was a complete surprise either,” he teases and eyes Dustin meaningfully for the next part, “at least to those who have eyes. Oh, right, Max didn't even need those.”
“Wha- Max?”
“Yeah, I owe her money too,” Dustin explains dejectedly. “I'm telling you, I'm poor now.”
“Don't take on bets you obviously lose, then.”
“Awesome clue dude, I have to remember that for the next time I'm gambling. Bet on the winner, that's what I did wrong. Oh, whatever would I do without you?
“Dang,” Lucas curls his lips into a malicious grin, “somebody is feisty.”
“Worry about yourself,” Dustin counters and flips him off. Apparently they have already moved on from the fact that their best friends are dating each other. Mike and Will stand like useless decorations at the side and follow the argument with an ambivalent expression painted on their faces.
“I bet you're not as cocky when you arrive thirty minutes late at Max's front door.”
“With the news of her being right and thirty bucks richer? Yeah, I take those odds,” Lucas grins, but starts climbing onto his bike regardless.
“Thirty? You bet thirty bucks that we were just friends?” Will repeats aghast.
“Yes, yes, I made a mistake gambling with the vultures, I’m realizing that,” Dustin deflects and gets on his bike as well.
“Now I do feel kind of bad,” Will jokes, earning a throaty laugh from Lucas.
“Take it as a life lesson buddy,” he advises, finding immense joy in teasing Dustin further, “Sometimes it's the wiser thing to step away from a bet.”
Mike nudges Will's side to gain back his attention. He doesn't say a word and simply gestures ahead for them to follow their best friends. The bickering between Dustin and Lucas slowly begins to fade into the distance. All Mike and Will can focus on is each other, exchanging soft, meaningful glances every now and then. They did it. Now it is only Mike's family that's left, which still scares them the most. But perhaps they really worry too much and assume the worst when there might be no need. After those very drastic reactions they feel a lot more prepared, no matter what happens. Especially Mike fears his parents’ reaction a lot less now that he was literally held at gunpoint. Or rather chased at gunpoint.