Chapter Text
July 18th 1992
It was the same as any other Saturday really. It had been this way for nearly the last decade if he was being honest. Holed up in Michael Wheeler's basement, a movie they’ve all seen way too many times playing on the screen.
Well, not every Saturday. But minus those spent fighting inter-dimensional monsters- or an equally monstrous possessed and corrupted human thing - they had never really figured out what exactly Vecna -Henry- was. And minus those spent alone or annoyed or hurt because all the party cared about at the time was their girlfriends. This was pretty much the only other option.
Will figured after that horrible night in Mike’s garage, the destruction of Castle Byers -the fight- that they would have grown out of this. Grown out of dnd. Out of each other. Especially now that they were all adults. Grown ups. (Though none of them acted like it.)
Even after they all started at the local community college (paid for via the government with the smallest amount of hush money known to man) and majored in different things, they were all still… together.
Will couldn’t have been happier that he had been wrong.
Max and Lucas had their own place together now. A small studio apartment on the other side of town. First floor and everything. It was nice- just not big enough for them all to get together like this.
Dustin still lived with his mom, something about feeling guilty about leaving her all alone. El still lived at the cabin with Will’s mom and Hopper, but he had actually taken her out looking for a place recently after she threatened to separate her room from the house if he didn’t.
Nancy and Jonathan were both away at fancier colleges with their, substantially larger, government hush money. While Mike still lived at home, opting to help with Holly and keep his mom company since, as they all knew, Ted sucked. Will was surprised they hadn’t gotten a divorce yet. They all were, really. But he figured Mrs. Wheeler was waiting till Holly was out of the house. Something about giving her a ‘less traumatic childhood’ as if that was possible.
And Will? Well… he just kind of… floated. It seemed more often than not he spent the night on the exact couch he was sitting on now. Sometimes going home to see his mom and get a change of clothes. Sometimes spending the night there instead.
His mail suggested he lived at Hopper’s cabin. But if you asked him? Will wouldn’t know what to say. It wasn’t home to him. The closest thing to home is just this. In the basement of the Wheeler house with his friends. His sister. His party.
So there he was, on a Saturday night like any other. Surrounded by his closest friends and one Mike Wheeler who Will was pretty sure was burning a hole in his ankle where he gripped it. Two fingers tucked beneath the hem of Will’s sock. His thumb idly rubbing circles on the curve of his Achilles.
Will pulled his eyes away from where they had been glued, watching where his foot laid on Mike’s lap like the taller boy’s thumb would somehow let him know if this meant anything or not. But such was Will’s life nowadays.
It seemed like more and more Mike was ‘snowballing’ in Will’s direction. Whether it be in his tone, the soft, almost gentle way he spoke to Will in comparison to their other friends. Or the way he always seemed to be touching him, and if he wasn’t, then he was trying to. Or the scoff Mike let out at the movies a month ago when Max was teasing Will for the way the ticket salesman checked him out. (Will still denies that even happened, the guy probably just liked his shirt or something.) Will was still waiting on the ‘avalanche’ though.
But there were also the things that happened when they were alone. The disappointment written clear in the dip of Mike’s head when Will would elect to return to the basement when “there’s a bed right here, Will,” or when, in the event Will caved (he has a very hard time saying no to Mike) their hands would find each other in the dark. Will had lost count of all the times he woke up with arms around him and a warm body pressed against his back. Not to mention how many times he fell asleep in that exact position. But he still didn’t know if it meant something. Because coming out was scary enough. And he was happy to not have lost anyone in the process. But telling Michael Wheeler, his best friend, his sister’s ex, the heart of the party, and his paladin that he’s been in love with him for nearly 15 years? That was petrifying.
Will would rather continue in his constant state of yearning and confusion. At least he was used to it.
Max thinks he’s dumb for being in love with Mike. Lucas thinks it’s obvious Mike feels the same. El just wants him to be happy and Dustin is tired Mike telling him to move when he sits next to Will.
He knows how everyone feels about the situation except the one person that matters.
“Hey, Will- Will!”
His eyes move back to the source of the noise to find Mike, staring straight at him. Dark brows knitted up in what seemed to be concern. When Will glances down between them as he notices a new sensation, he finds that Mike’s hand had moved as well. Actually, he had swapped hands, and it was now wrapped around the bottom of his calf- well he didn’t see that, he felt it. Considering he had slid his hand up Will’s pant leg.
“You okay?” Mike spoke again, voice barely a whisper. The hand -Will really needed to stop focusing on Michael Wheeler’s fucking hands- that had been on his ankle was now reaching out, fingertips brushing Will’s arm so light he barely noticed.
“Yeah, sorry…” Will directed his attention back to Mike’s face. “Must’ve zoned out or something, I’m good,” he nodded, offering a small smile he hoped would knock away any worry.
It took Mike a few seconds to react, like he wasn’t sure if he believed him or not. But soon a smirk pulled at his lips and he nodded in the direction of the others.
”Those losers fell asleep.”
Will glanced over at said ‘losers,’ and well, Mike wasn’t lying. They were all pretty much out cold.
El and Dustin were asleep in their separate armchairs. El curled up under a blanket, looking sweet and peaceful. While Dustin was practically half hanging out of his, his mouth wide open. With the right flash of light from the tv, Will was pretty sure he could see the glint of some drool on the corner of his mouth.
Glancing down, his lonely heart ached. A tinge of jealousy he felt whenever he saw them, or any couple really, do anything remotely romantic, tore at his insides. Lucas was leaning back against El’s chair, Max asleep with her back against his chest and between his legs, while his cheek rested against her hair. His arms were wrapped around her, one hand laced with hers where it rested right over her heart.
God they were so cute it made him sick.
He looked back over at Mike, then at the clock- shit, it was almost two in the morning.
“Oh, sorry did you-“ Will pulled his legs off Mike’s lap, trying to ignore the way his hand had tightened on his calf before he let him go. Like he was trying to stop him.
”Did you want to go to bed?” Will asked, sitting up so his feet could return to the floor, the too small blanket that had been doing its best to keep him warm now falling to pool on his lap. This, while simultaneously fortunate and unfortunate, brought him much closer to Mike, who was still leaning towards him. Their shoulders brushing before Mike sat straight again.
“And be like those losers? No way.” Mike smiled his stupidly cute crooked smile that had Will’s heart skipping a beat. Will huffed out a quiet laugh.
“Then watch the movie, dingus.” Will nudged him gently with his elbow and smiled back, scooting over ever so slightly to try and give Mike some space. And also to try and minimize the red hot burn that was growing on the right side of his body where Mike was pressed against him.
That endeavor proved useless however, as Mike immediately, and dramatically, leaned into his space.
“Noooo, Will, I’m bored, we’ve seen this like 7 times.” Mike whined, his arm going back behind Will’s head to rest against the back of the couch as rested his head on Will’s shoulder, turning towards him more and leaning his weight against him. The force of it all on the old couch caused Will to lean towards him again. Mike’s breath was hot on his neck and ear as his sharp chin pressed into his shoulder as Mike shifted again to look at him. “I think I’m gonna go crazy if I give it any more attention.”
“You picked it.” Will wasn’t sure if his voice came out as any more than a breath. His hands clenching on the blanket as he kept his eyes glued to the screen. Refusing to look at Mike till he backed up. If Will so much as turned his head right now their noses were sure to brush and Will didn’t think he was able to handle the thought of that, let alone if the action actually occurred.
Will gulped.
“Also it’s like two in the morning. Shouldn’t we just go to bed?” Will tried, and was pretty sure he failed, to keep his voice steady.
“Yeah, I picked it cause everyone else’s picks were lame, not cause I wanted to watch it again. Also I’m not tired. Let’s like… play a game or something.” Mike finally sat back, giving Will the much needed room to breathe, though his arm stayed behind his head. If he listened close enough he could hear the way Mike’s fingers picked at the loose threads.
Will raised an eyebrow and made a point of looking in the direction of their friends before turning his attention back to Mike.
“No, not with- “ Mike huffed and shook his head. “Just us.” Like it was obvious.
Will nodded, slow and a bit hesitant. “Just us?”
“Just us.”
He took a breath and raised a hand to rub his eyes in exasperation. This man. “Elaborate, Mike.”
“You and me, playing a game, just two of us.” Will could hear the grin on his lips. Like Mike knew he was being difficult.
“Okay, now you’re doing it on purpose. What game, Wheeler?” Will tried his hardest to sound annoyed. He wasn’t sure it worked.
“Chicken.”
Will’s jaw dropped before he had the chance to stop it. His heart raced, hands tightening in the blanket on his lap. Why would Mike want to play that? Right now? With him? Will looked back over at the sleeping party, as if it would do something to cool the heat settling on his face. “Chicken?”
“Yup, chicken.”
“Chicken.”
Mike snorted. “Yeah, chicken. Now, what do you say? Are you in? Or are you too-“ Mike tucked his fists into his armpits like he was literally about to start clucking like a chicken before Will shook his head and put a hand up to stop him.
“What do you mean chicken? Like…” The only ‘chicken’ Will knew was the one kids would play at school growing up. Where someone would put their hand on your knee and slowly slid it up till you ‘chickened out’ cause their hand was almost on your crotch. Not that he ever played it- but that couldn’t be what Mike was suggesting? Right?
Mike pursed his lips and thought for a moment, looking away and toward the tv till he settled on a response. “Like truth or dare without the truth part, I guess.”
“And how are we gonna do that without waking them up?” Did Mike just look at his lips? Was Mike staring at his lips right now? Will could feel his pulse in his throat.
Their eyes locked again when Mike spoke next, Will’s breath catching at the smile that played on in his lips. “Guess you’ll just have to stay quiet, Byers.”