Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Will wasn't all too sure how things led to this. 

And by this he meant fucking Richie Tozier over the arm of the couch in Mike's basement, the sounds of their slick skin slapping together mixing harshly with the muffled sobs Richie kept biting into Will's hand as he held his fingers over the infamous Trashmouth's trashmouth. 

Everything was hot and heady and Will was so turned on he didn't even know what his own last name was. He wasn't even completely naked unlike Richie, and his shirt stuck to his back with sweat while his pants were bunched around his knees, a testament to how desperate he had been. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuu-uuuck,” Richie cried out with each thrust, saliva dripping into the creases of Will's fingers and mixing with the graphite that stained his skin as Richie bit at Will's palm in a poor attempt to quite himself. “It's good, so good, uh, uh, uh, hah, come on, faster baby, Will, please - “ 

“Do you ever shut up?” Will hissed into his ear from behind, biting on the lobe harshly and nipping when Richie tightened around his throbbing cock, which was so hard that it was practically punching the other boy's prostate to the point Richie's legs had stopped working ages ago, leaving him completely at Will's mercy. “Be quiet, Richie, or I swear to god, you'll get us caught.” 

As if on cue, the both of them glanced back towards the stairs. If Will concentrated, he could hear the sounds of the Party entertaining Eddie, and when Mike’s muffled voice drifted through the closed doors at the top, Will groaned and shoved his hips forward, trembling, as Richie gasped. 

“Come on, stud, you don’t want us to get caught? Hm? Don’t play dumb with me.” Richie laughed breathlessly, arching his back and showing off the pale, slender line of his thin waist and sweaty back as he glanced over his shoulder towards Will. He still had his glasses on, but the black curls sticking to his forehead made him look too much like Mike, and Will swallowed. “I know who you’re thinking of, and trust me. You aren’t the only one who’s pretending right now.” 

“Shut up,” Will said, pushing Richie down some more so that his face was pressed against the seat of the couch, and he started pounding into him again, even more desperate than before, the slick sounds of their rabbit fucking filling the basement. 

“Make me,” Richie purred, and Will dug his fingertips into the boy’s waist, clicking his tongue when Richie squirmed. 

Fine, then.

“You talk a big game, but I don’t think you’re nearly as composed as you think you are,” Will murmured, leaning down and pressing biting kisses to the back of Richie’s neck, uncaring that he was leaving marks behind. “You’re hoping Eddie comes down, don’t you? You want him to see you like this, begging, dick wet, practically spreading yourself open to get fucked by another guy so that maybe he’ll see how pretty you are while you’re crying, and try to fuck you, too. Maybe he’ll go after me. I bet he wouldn’t mind getting dirty if it meant taking sloppy seconds - “ 

“Oh, god!” Richie moaned, and then he was coming, his entire body twitching underneath Will’s as he sobbed with his orgasm, and he was too tight and too hot around Will, and if he pretended, if he concentrated, then he could imagine it was Mike doing this, that it was Mike desperately squeezing around him, that it was Mike who was coming dirtily all over the fucking couch, and Will came so hard his vision went white. 

Holy shit. 

Rewinding back about twelve hours before, it was nine in the morning and Will was groggy as he grabbed the keys to the Impala that Hopper had gifted him for his twentieth birthday from the bowl that sat innocently on a dresser near the front door. 

He had only just returned from CalArts the previous night and he was sure he could have spent another ten hours completely knocked out, but he had promised Mike to pick up his cousin from the airport, so Will jammed in the key into the ignition and stifled a yawn. 

He wished he was like El, who was snoring like a freight train when Will had slipped past her door to hop into his shoes and shove a poptart into his mouth. He had stood in the kitchen for a moment, savoring the noise because at least it meant she was there, alive, and then he had glanced at the time on the stove and swore as he left.

Unfortunately, though, Will was, for the lack of better word, compromised. His botched confession some years ago (in the middle of the fucking apocalypse, no less) had led to several new dynamics within the Party. 

For one, he no longer had to tiptoe around everyone and pretend like he wasn’t checking out a cute guy or blushing because of a girl. Instead, he straight up said it when he saw someone who ticked his boxes, and though he could do without the way Max and El immediately clung to him and gushed about the same guy, it was nice to be included, especially since both girls liked to sing about how Will was too good for any normal boy anyway. 

Secondly, there was an ease now when it came to spending time with Mike. Before Vecna and before the Upside Down vanished for good, things had been awkward, tense, with the other boy, and Will had honestly worried that their friendship was done for good. It had relieved him to find out that Mike hadn’t felt at all grossed out or offended by Will’s feelings for him, and so Will had made the decision to promise that he was over Mike, and they had hugged and things had been so good. 

The only problem was that Will wasn’t over Mike. 

Oh, god, no. 

What was the word for having a crush on someone for so long and so deeply that it felt like you would throw up and die if you weren’t in the same city? What was the word for liking someone so much that if you didn’t call at least once a day, you wanted to turn to arson and burn down every building in sight?

What was the word for spending every night touching yourself, gritting your teeth, and being unable to come unless you specifically thought about your best friend of fifteen years bouncing on your cock and begging you to touch him back? 

Most people would probably call it love. 

Will called it delusion. 

Either way, it was a vice that he couldn’t escape, even once he had started going to school in California and only visited home for breaks. He and Mike called almost multiple times a day and weren’t any closer to stopping, and the more they talked, the more Will was reminded of all the reasons why he had tried to be so brave when facing the demogorgon, the Mind Flayer, Henry, all of it. 

It had been because of Mike, and by god was Will paying the price for it, because it was currently nine oh one and Will was pulling out of his driveway to make his way to the Wheeler house on account of a promise to help Mike pick up his cousin from the airport. 

Will hadn’t even known Mike had a cousin until the night before, when Mike had sheepishly asked him for the favor over their nightly phone call, because apparently Mike’s own car was in the shop and would take ages to get fixed. Something about the engine or something, and Will had all but eagerly accepted, too excited to spend time with Mike to realize how tiring this would be. 

Will stifled a yawn as he pulled up to the Wheeler’s driveway, and he barely even put the car into park before the driver seat window was being knocked on and he looked up to see Mike grinning at him through the glass, waving hesitantly. 

Will smiled, pushed open the door, and said, “were you waiting for me?” 

“I haven’t seen you in forever, of course I was waiting for you,” Mike said, totally oblivious to the way Will’s heart nearly exploded at the confession as they fiercely hugged. Mike, still taller but skinnier, fit so perfectly in Will’s arms that he wanted to keep him there forever, but he didn’t. Instead, Will took a split second to subtly inhale Mike’s natural smell of petrichor before he released him, backing away to give more appropriate space in between them. 

“It’s only been a few months, Mike,” Will said patiently, reaching up to ruffle Mike’s hair, laughing when the other boy grumbled and tried to swat his hand away. “Have you grown taller? Any more and I’ll develop a crick in my neck. This friendship is costing me a lot.” 

“Your struggles are great and known,” Mike said with a wrinkled nose, but then he smiled a bit differently. It was quite strange, a little crooked and unsure, almost shy, which made Will pause. In the one and a half decade he had known Mike, Will had never described him as shy, but there was no denying that was the expression on Mike’s pretty face as he said, “uh, what do you think?” 

Mike fiddled with his glasses with his fingers, and that was when Will realized that they were different. They were adorably round and a tad too large, so they kept slipping, leading Mike to pushing them up constantly with his fingertips. The lenses weren’t thick enough to make Mike look bug-eyed, so instead the silver frames made him that much cuter, and Will wanted to eat him. 

“You got new glasses!” Will exclaimed, taming the eager dragon in his chest that rose whenever Mike was near. It was second nature calming the beast, though Will did make sure to memorize the sight of Mike’s face, which he was sure he would use later tonight when he’d inevitably end up fucking his own fist thinking of his best friend. “It suits you, they look nice.” 

“Thanks,” Mike said, looking relieved as they both climbed into the car and Will started to make his way out of the neighborhood. “I was worried they’d make me look like a loser, you know? I didn’t want Richie to make fun of me.” 

“Who’s Richie?” Will asked. 

“My cousin. He’s the one we’re getting. Well, him and one other person,” Mike admitted, tugging on the ends of his hair anxiously. It was a habit he had picked up once he started growing the curls out again, though Will didn’t know why, because El had commented several times in the past how she preferred his hair shorter. “Sorry I didn’t tell you, I totally forgot. He has a friend with him, too.” 

“It’s okay, it’s not like I don’t have enough seats or anything,” Will was quick to assure. “I’m happy to help.”

“I know, thank you,” Mike said, and offered Will a smile as they turned onto the highway. “Anyway, if anything, I owe you more than a thank you. I need to apologize in advance, too.” 

“Well now I’m nervous.” Will laughed. “Why?” 

“My cousin is an interesting person,” Mike said slowly, his face disgruntled as he rubbed at his temple. “I love him, but he hasn’t grown since we were twelve. I think he might explode and die if he tried to be mature, actually.” 

“Reminds me of a certain someone,” Will teased. 

“Hey!” Mike’s cheeks gained a faint pink spot on them. “He’s nothing like me, what the hell? He’s all - god, he’s indescribable, and trust me, it’s not a good thing.” 

Will hummed as he flicked on the radio and slapped away Mike’s hand when he eagerly tried to mess with the station. In all honesty, Will only said that to get a rise out of Mike, because the truth was that Mike had matured. 

The apocalypse had changed them all in different, fundamental ways, and for Mike, it had manifested in a level of maturity that still continued to shock and impress Will even now. Mike had always had the instincts of a protector, but it had heightened considerably during the year Henry was at large, and with him gone, it translated to things that, frankly, made Will want to die. 

Things like Mike constantly checking up on the Party, worried about all of them since they were all scattered around the country thanks to college. Mike had even picked up on his mother’s incomparable skills when it came to cooking, and often sent care packages that were stuffed full of pastries and food that was still kept cold with ice packs and insulation. 

El was a lucky girl, because if Will was getting treated so well, he could only imagine how pampered she was by Mike. 

Will wasn’t jealous. 

He wasn’t the kind of dick to be jealous of his sister who had nearly died trying to save the world. 

Totally. 

By the time they were parking in one of the many lots near the airport, they were talking about Mike’s newest campaign that he was excited to show the rest of the Party as soon as they were all awake enough to visit the Wheeler house, and Will was so happy that he felt he could burst with it. 

“When does your cousin’s flight land?” Will asked as they closed the car doors and started towards the terminals. 

“Ten minutes from now,” Mike said, flipping his wrist to check the digital watch that Will had bought him last Christmas. It wasn’t anything special, so Will was a bit surprised to see Mike wearing it when he knew for a fact that Mike had much nicer ones, but it pleased him nonetheless. “Want me to grab us some coffee?” 

“Sure, I’ll wait outside,” Will said. 

“You’re going to smoke, aren’t you?” Mike huffed. 

Will paused. 

“No,” he finally said. 

“Don’t lie to me,” Mike said. 

“I’m not lying,” Will lied. 

Mike shook his head and muttered something about killing Hopper (“It's all his fault, Will, he put you on those death sticks and I refuse to give him the satisfaction of letting it slide.” “... You both have issues.”) as he slipped inside, and as soon as his tall figure was swallowed up by the crowd of desperate air travelers who wanted overpriced caffeine, Will slid out a half-full carton from his pocket and picked a cigarette from the bunch. 

He didn't typically try to smoke around Mike, who vehemently opposed it anytime Will smelled like tobacco, but spending an hour in the car with nobody but his best friend had been the most stressful situation Will dealt with in a while, so he figured now was an exception rather than the rule. 

He lit the end with a lighter that El had gotten him a few months back, and he felt some of the tension leave his shoulders as he did. 

Jesus, he needed to get a grip. 

While he had long since accepted that he was head over heels for Mike and wasn't capable of moving on, that didn't mean he had to spend so much of his time like a pent up tiger pacing its cage. Will would be mortified if Mike ever figured out why exactly Will liked to stare at his mouth so much, and Will, for the first time in a while, cursed coming home. 

Hawkins hardly had a gay presence, and the few others that Will had encountered in senior year of high school were too scared to do more than hasty blowjobs under the bleachers, but Will needed more than that. 

He was too antsy to accept a rushed hookup where the orgasm left him more disappointed than satisfied, and California had more than provided. It had been liberating to meet so many other boys who found him attractive, and while Will was reluctant to call himself something as derogatory as a whore, he couldn't deny that the heady rush of pleasure from fucking a dude up against a wall was something he missed quite desperately. 

All the sex would have been even more mind-blowing if it had been with Mike, of course, but that was a dangerous thought, and by the time he was almost done with his cigarette, he felt a finger tap his shoulder and a firm voice said, “those things will kill you, you know.” 

Will turned around to see Mike looking rather exasperated, a boy their age who had been the one to give the unsolicited advice, and - woah. That had to be Mike's cousin. They were nearly identical aside from the glaringly different fashion senses, and it kind of felt like bizarro world when the cousin, Richie, grinned and tossed an arm around his friend. 

“Aw, c'mon, Spagheds, leave the poor man alone! So he has a death stick, so what? I mean it's not like you can say shit, you have plenty of experience blowing smoke up Professor Callahan's ass whenever you want a bump in your exam grades,” Richie said, his words coming out in a rush as he knocked his head against the other boy's. 

“Don't call me that, dickwad, what the hell is wrong with you? And I don't blow smoke up his ass, Callahan's just an idiot who doesn't understand his own material so I have to point out his shit test questions and earn my grade back,” the boy said sharply. 

“Ooh, yeah, talk dirty to me, baby,” Richie moaned in exaggeration, causing Will to choke and the unnamed boy to sputter. “I love it when you're being a smartass, that shit's going right in the spank bank.” 

“I hate you so much right now.” The boy gritted out with red cheeks. 

“Sorry,” Mike said sheepishly to Will, handing him a warm cup of coffee and standing beside him as they eyed Richie and his friend. “They got through baggage claim quicker than I thought. Didn't mean to ambush you or anything.” 

“It's fine,” Will said with a smile, crushing the rest of the cigarette in his hand and ignoring the embers that singed slightly against his skin. He dusted off his palm and said, “I'm always happy to meet your family, Mike. Hi. I'm Will. Sorry if the smoke bothers you, it's a habit I can't shake just yet.” 

He held out a hand to the unnamed boy, who sighed and shook it once, looking less annoyed as he said, “it's fine, it's not my business, anyway. I'm Eddie. Kaspbrak. This here is - “ 

“Richie Tozier, at your service, my good man!” Richie said with a bizarre English accent, butting Eddie out of the way and ignoring his furious shouts as he also took Will's hand, though this time he shook rather enthusiastically. “Oh me, oh my. Tell me, Wilbur - “ 

“Uh, that's not my name - “ 

“Are you single? No way you're single, right? I mean, look at you, you're kind of like a California dream come true,” Richie said, his eyes gleaming as he leaned down so close that their noses almost touched. Will blinked at the close proximity and wondered if this was normal as Richie continued to speak. “You must be the one who goes to CalArts, right? Mikey's gushed enough about you and he's right, you're really - “ 

“Beep beep, Richie!” Both Eddie and Mike snapped, and Will was endlessly confused as Mike's ears turned pink and Eddie's neck turned a similar shade as they pushed at Richie at the same time. 

“Woah, careful with the merchandise!” Richie said, dramatically pin wheeling his arms through the air to steady himself. He grabbed onto Eddie to stabilize his standing, and he leaned down into the shorter boy, pouting as he did. “What would have happened if I fell and broke my leg, huh, Eds? You would've had to carry me around like the fair princess I am, so don't do that shit again.” 

“Fair princess my ass,” Eddie said impatiently, though he didn't push Richie away. “Look, stop fucking around, okay? I need to get to a decent bathroom now and wash off all the germs. Cabin air is disgusting and you need a shower, sasquatch.” 

Richie groaned and continued to cling to Eddie, who didn't shove him back but also didn't pull him closer. 

Will watched them, curious. There was a faint tingling at his nape, nothing nearly as dangerous as the feeling he got when Henry was near, but rather the soft, brushing sensation that he was on the brink of recognizing something. 

Richie's gaze was bright and endlessly fond as he stared at Eddie, and it took Will a second to realize why something seemed off. When he squinted, he could make out the gentle pink that kissed Richie's high cheekbones, and he realized with a jolt that - 

No way, Will thought slowly to himself. Is Richie…? 

“Will?” 

Will blinked and quickly shoved away his thoughts as Mike called for him. The other boy was standing a few feet away, dragging Richie's suitcase, waiting patiently for Will. 

“Sorry,” Will said, and he grabbed the handle of Eddie's suitcase as he jogged to catch up, and soon all four of them were making their way to Will's car, Richie and Eddie bickering while occasionally answering some of Will's polite questions and Mike's pointed ones. 

“Jesus, Rich, what the hell did you pack? This thing weighs a ton,” Mike said, sounding annoyed as the trunk was popped and Will swung in Eddie’s suitcase first, declining the boy’s offer to do it himself. 

“I packed Eddie’s mom into it. I just can’t bear to stay apart from Mama Kaspbrak.” Richie sighed wistfully, laughing from his belly when Eddie punched him in the arm and told him to shut the fuck up. 

Will tilted his head slightly at them, at the way Richie seemed to refuse to stay away from Eddie, and how almost everything he talked about circled around the other boy. 

Will’s nape tingled, and he grabbed the suitcase handle from Mike and said, “it’s fine, Mike. I’ve got it.” 

He tugged on it and settled it into the trunk in one heave. While it was certainly heavy, it wasn’t any heavier than Eddie’s, and Will patted his hands as he slammed the trunk, turning around to realize that all three boys were staring. 

“What?” Will said after several moments of silence. 

“Do you work out?” Richie blurted. 

“I beg your pardon?” 

“You work out, don’t you?” Richie said, his voice slightly high-pitched as he stared pointedly at Will’s arms, which were bare thanks to him only wearing a t-shirt that he had tucked into his pants. “There’s no way that you have those guns without working out at least a little, stud. I bet you could crush my head with those things.” 

Will blushed. “Uh - “ 

“Why the fuck would you say something like that, asshat? That’s not shit you can just say to a person we only met five minutes ago!” Eddie said heatedly, herding Richie towards the car, shoving him into one of the backseats and climbing in after him, their argument growing muffled once the door was slammed shut. 

“I told you he was indescribable,” Mike said, and he walked closer to Will, reaching out to grab at his elbow. It was a simple touch, but heat raced through Will anyway, and he breathed slowly so he wouldn’t be overwhelmed by the smell of petrichor as Mike’s face twisted with worry. “If he says something out of line, just let me know, okay?” 

“It’s fine, Mike, he was just asking questions,” Will said, smiling up at his friend and subtly pulling his arm away from Mike’s hand. There was no way he could handle that much physical contact today, he was too pent up already. 

“He didn’t have to stare at you like a piece of meat, though,” Mike muttered, but before Will could say anything to that, Mike was climbing into the passenger seat and Will simply chalked it up to Mike having a strenuous relationship with his cousin. 

“So what’re the plans for today, mi amigos?” Richie said from behind Will’s seat, his voice so close that it nearly made Will jump. “Are we just gonna shoot the shit? After we get Eds to a bathroom, first. He might throw up soon if he doesn’t get to wash his hands.” 

“Shut up, Rich,” Eddie muttered, though he didn’t deny it as he tucked his hands underneath his armpits. 

“We can stop by the house to drop off your stuff and pick up the rest of the Party,” Mike said, and he gave Eddie a small smile through the rearview mirror. “And for you to wash up. Then afterwards we can go to the carnival that’s set up in town, I heard that they have a clown show - “ 

“NO!” 

Both Will and Mike nearly jumped out of their skins at the vehement, desperate scream that echoed from behind them. Will whipped his head around so fast that he felt his neck crick as he gaped at the two boys, both of whom were so pale they looked on the verge of passing out, and their hands were clasped tightly in between them, like they had reached for the other without even thinking. 

“I mean, no thank you,” Eddie said, his breathing harsh and panting as he shuffled closer to Richie, who was so spooked that it was a wonder he hadn’t fainted by that point. “We, uh, we aren’t fond of clowns, so maybe something else.” 

Will exchanged a look with Mike. 

“Okay,” Will said slowly, trying to be as soothing as possible. It was like talking to a pair of trapped animals, and it was only after he nodded that they started to calm down, though their hands refused to untangle. “That’s fine, we don’t have to go. We can think of something else.” 

“Right, yeah, totally. Holy shit,” Richie muttered the last two words to Eddie, who nodded jerkingly in response. What was going on with them? “I’m starving. I heard that you guys have a killer mall, maybe we - “ 

“NO!” 

This time, Richie and Eddie were the ones to look shocked as Will spat out the word along with Mike. 

Will let out a shaky breath, and without making eye contact with Mike, he said, “sorry, that mall, it - it closed down a few years ago.” 

“Thank god,” Mike said under his breath, and Will elbowed him. 

“Oh, okay,” Richie said, stunned. 

The car was silent. 

“Let’s just get back to your place for now,” Will told Mike, turning the key in the ignition and trying to stop himself from shivering. His nerves were shot and he felt skinned and raw as goosebumps ran up and down his arms. “We can tell the Party to meet us there. They’re bound to have a good idea of what to do.” 

“Yeah,” Mike said, also sounding strained. 

Luckily, the rest of the car ride wasn’t nearly as awkward. The first ten minutes were tense and Mike kept shooting disbelieving glances at Will, but then Richie said something about how the tree they just passed looking like a penis, and Will choked on a laugh as both Mike and Eddie shouted at Richie to please shut up. 

Within the hour, they were back in Hawkins and stretching as they climbed out of the car, and Will hung back with Eddie as Karen flung open the front door and proceeded to press a flurry of kisses to Richie’s face, who seemed to have finally met his match as he flailed and tried to nervously hug her back. 

When Mike was tugged into the storm of affection, Will saw fit to slip away and give them some privacy, so he opened the trunk of his car and started to take out the luggage, smiling when he saw Eddie wander closer and say, “need some help?” 

“If you don’t mind,” Will said, and they took out all the bags on their own just fine while occasionally snickering to each other over Mike’s cries of jesus, Mom, enough! and Richie’s wow, Auntie, I should visit more often if this is the greeting I get! 

As the boys all walked around the side of the house to get to the basement door and Eddie was directed to the nearest bathroom, Will took the time to call up the Party and ask if they could meet up. Luckily, it was nearing noon by that point, and all of them were awake and well rested from their own flights getting back home from school. 

Will just wished Richie’s greeting when he saw El wasn’t woah, why the hell would someone like you date my loser of a cousin?, which caused Max to burst out laughing and nearly fall over as she clung to Lucas. 

“He is a good boyfriend,” El said, her tone more ominous than romantic as she stared hard at a gaping Mike before smiling at her brother. He gave her a kiss to the forehead as a hello and she stuck out a hand to Richie, who shook it happily. “Hello. I am El.” 

“El?” Eddie said, the next to take her hand. “Is that short for Eleanor?” 

“Yes,” El said with a completely straight face. 

“You’ve gotten better at lying,” Will muttered to his sister as Richie and Eddie went around introducing themselves to the others, all of whom seemed delighted by Richie’s raunchy humor and Eddie’s horrified reactions. 

“I am better at keeping secrets,” El corrected. “Friends don’t lie. And also Dad is mad that you did not take the twenty he left you on the counter.” 

“It’s not like we need it, we aren’t going to the carnival,” Will said, pushing back the crumbled bill that she tried to hand him. 

“What? Why not?” Dustin said, looking rather put out. “I was going to make Mike play all the games and win me prizes.” 

“Those things are rigged, though,” Eddie said. 

“Mike can do it,” the Party said, and Mike just looked contemplative. 

While it was true that most carnival games were rigged to be impossible to win, Mike’s sister was Nancy, who was the best shooter out of all of them. There was no way he couldn’t shoot every target with both eyes closed, and Will was starting to recognize the competitive gleam in them, so he said, “Richie and Eddie don’t like clowns.” 

“What? Are you serious?” Lucas said, fascinated. “They’re just dudes in makeup, though.” 

“A drag queen is a dude in makeup, a clown is an evil, child-eating entity,” Richie said. 

“Does anything this guy say make sense?” Dustin gestured to Richie. 

“We’ve had a bad experience back in our hometown,” Eddie said firmly, stepping on Richie’s foot with his heel and ignoring the way the taller boy yelped and proceeded to call him a flurry of things that had Max sputtering with laughter and Mike red out of indignation. “And I think you guys said that the mall closed down, right?” 

“Thank god,” Lucas, Dustin, and Max all said at once. 

Mike raised his eyebrows at Will in a see? They said it too motion, and Will made a rude gesture at him. 

“You guys must really hate the mall,” Richie said, and nobody acknowledged him for it. 

“Duh, let’s just go to the lake,” Max said, unceremoniously tearing off her shirt and causing all of them to shout at some varying level of shock mixed with horror. “Jesus, calm down! I’m not stripping for you losers, are you kidding me? I’m just well prepared unlike the rest of you eggs.” 

She tied her t-shirt around her hips and it took Will a second to realize that she was wearing a bikini top, the fabric dyed a simple, dark green that matched well with her hair. She lifted a duffel bag with a smirk and said, “I packed something for you boobs, too, don’t worry.” 

“Did you plan this?” Will demanded. 

“El said she wanted to have a beach day.” Max shrugged. 

Will looked at his sister, betrayed. 

“Beach day,” El repeated solemnly, and she dug through the bag to pull out a bikini set as well. 

It was an unwritten rule among the Party that whatever El wanted, she got, so the boys all exchanged suffering looks before begrudgingly looking through the bag, the only exceptions being Mike, who simply went upstairs to grab some swimtrunks from his closet, and Richie and Eddie, who unzipped their suitcases. 

“I don’t even want to ask how you know all of our sizes,” Will said warily, grimacing as he pulled out a truly atrocious pair that was decorated with sharks blowing bubblegum. “But also did you find these at a Goodwill or something? Why’re they all so ugly?” 

“I think they’re cute,” Max defended. 

“You’re kidding.” Dustin deadpanned as he took out a pair in his size that were printed with frogs drawn with an unfortunate backside. “Did you actually pay for these? I hope not, because they should have given you money for how awful these are.” 

As Max proceeded to box Dustin in the ears, Will finally found some that didn’t make his eyes want to bleed, and he and the others took turns going into the bathroom to change. 

It took another hour of preparing for an impromptu beach day, but luckily there were eight of them, so duties were split up evenly to be as efficient as possible. Will and El ran out to buy some ice for a cooler along with some sodas, Mike stayed behind to make sandwiches and other lunch items (while also forcing Richie to help, and Eddie helped simply because he wanted to), Dustin and El dug through the Wheelers’ cabinets for beach bags and sunscreen, and Max and Lucas did nothing, since Max claimed that coming up with the idea was work enough and as her boyfriend, Lucas also had a free pass. 

They decided to take Nancy’s station wagon since it was big enough for all of them, and Will was unanimously appointed as driver since the others often drove like they were drunk even while entirely sober, and they peeled out of the driveway with a heavy trunk and various conversations happening at once. 

The day was luckily perfect for the lake, and by the time Will parked and the others were scrambling out, it was so hot that he had to squint to see through the bright light of the sun as he opened the trunk and took out the cooler. 

They rolled onto the sand, somehow found a place that wasn’t too crowded, and Eddie was practically shouting at his lungs at Richie as the boy dodged Eddie’s insistent hand that held a full bottle of sunscreen. 

“You’re going to get a melanoma, you dick!” Eddie screeched, his voice shrill and pissed off as he tried to grab Richie again, who simply dodged with a laugh. “I’M SERIOUS, RICH! Haven’t you been to the seminars I’ve been talking about? Huh? UV rays are harmful and I swear to god, if you get skin cancer then I’ll kill you before it even metastasizes!” 

“Eds, you can’t talk about that in front of polite company!” Richie gasped theatrically, pressing a hand to his chest. 

“THAT’S NOT WHAT I SAID AND YOU KNOW IT!” 

“They are very loud,” El said, sitting beside Will on the blanket he had spread out. She had taken her shirt and pants off to reveal the simple bikini had on, a black pair that was as tasteful as she was, and she was rubbing the last of the sunscreen she had squirted out onto her arms. 

“They are,” Will said, accepting the bottle from her. “Does it bother you?” 

“No,” El said, looking quite fond as Richie finally allowed himself to be sat down and rubbed all over by a murderous looking Eddie. “This is what I fought Henry for. So people can be as loud as they want and as happy as they want.” 

“You’re too good for this world,” Will said to her, and she pressed a small kiss to his cheek before wandering off, presumably to Max, who was impatiently waving her over and begging her to build a sand castle with her powers. 

Will absentmindedly rubbed some sunscreen in between his hands as he eyed Richie and Eddie. The more he watched, the more he was convinced that Richie had some not so platonic feelings for his friend. It wasn’t really his place to say or even assume such a thing, but there was a look in Richie’s eyes that Will could recognize all too easily. 

It was the same look he had every morning when he stared in the mirror and thought of Mike. 

It was the look of being painfully in love.

“Get my back?” 

Speaking of pain… 

Will tried to remember all the brutal, physical training Hopper had put him through during the apocalypse, when his stepdad had been trying to hone everybody as much as possible in order to prepare for the confrontation with Henry. Part of that training had been learning to control every part of himself, and that was the only reason Will didn’t pop a fucking boner in front of all his friends and half of Hawkins’ family population to see as Mike sat down in front of him. 

Mike had abandoned his shirt almost as soon as El had, and his pale shoulders were already freckling under the bright sun. Unlike Will, he wasn’t capable of tanning easily, and Will controlled his breathing as he realized that the slimness of Mike’s waist was literally only a couple inches away from Will’s crotch. 

Forget Henry and forget the Upside Down, this was the hardest thing Will had ever dealt with in his tender twenty years of life, and his voice was slightly hoarse as he said, “yeah, alright.” 

He used the sunscreen in his hands and slowly started to spread the liquid over Mike’s pale back. His skin was smooth and warm, unlittered with moles like Will’s was, and lined with lean muscles that had never gone away with the disappearance of Henry. They were built from months of learning how to run, how to shoot, how to fight, and Will knew he was heading into dangerous territory when he dug his fingers a little too hard and Mike jolted. 

“Sorry,” Will murmured, his voice deeper than usual and encroaching too close to the territory of lustful. “Too much?” 

“No,” Mike said. He shifted slightly. “I-It’s fine. Keep going.” 

Keep going. 

What Will wouldn’t give to hear those words in a different context. 

Will spent the next five minutes in both his personal heaven and hell. He made sure that every inch of Mike’s back was covered in sunscreen, but as a result, the smooth glide was starting to get to him, especially as he went lower. There were dimples on Mike’s lower back, which flexed every time Mike flinched when Will rubbed a little too harshly, and Will wanted to bite them so badly that his teeth actually ached with it. 

He wished he could dip his fingers a little lower, slide them under the hem of Mike’s yellow swimtrunks and see just how far he could go before Mike stopped him, but he couldn’t, not without ruining everything he had so carefully built ever since Mike turned him down. 

With a hard swallow, Will finally pulled back, having stopped right above the dimples surrounding Mike’s spine, and he said, hoarsely, “done.” 

“Thanks,” Mike said, and he didn’t get up. 

They sat there, Mike so close that the air smelled of sunscreen and petrichor, and Will stared at the back of his head, at his curls that were getting so long that they were starting to kiss the top of Mike’s shoulders if he tipped his chin back, and wondered what the hell was going on before there was a loud noise and they both jumped. 

It was the Party and Eddie, all of whom had gathered to try and bury Dustin in sand as he grew drowsy in the sun, but a wave had washed away most of the grains away, leaving him sleepy and confused as the rest cried out in disbelief. 

Will blinked rapidly, and he got up, rubbing the back of his neck. “Make sure to reapply in an hour, Mike. You heard Eddie’s lecture too, right?” 

He yanked off his shirt, ready to get rid of the suffocating cloth that was making breathing a bit difficult in the warm sun, and he sighed in relief as his sweat met air and actually started to cool him down a bit. 

“Yeah,” Mike said, his voice unusually small as he buried his face into his drawn knees. “Uh, you go ahead. I’ll join you in a second.” 

“Are you okay?” Will frowned. 

“Totally cool, bro!” Mike squeaked. 

Bro? 

Will turned around, unsure of what Mike was going through but also knowing that sometimes it was best not to push, only to nearly stumble when he saw a piercing set of blue eyes behind cokebottle glasses staring at him.

Richie tilted his head. There was an unreadable expression on his face, and Will sent him a hesitant smile. 

Richie didn’t smile back. 

The rest of the day was spent mostly at the beach, which was enjoyable once Will ignored the strange behavior of both cousins. He and Max set up a rudimentary volleyball court when she revealed that she had brought a ball and a temporary net, and of course he paired up with his sister, and between the both of them, they were crushing the competition, though Eddie was surprisingly fast and he had a strength to him that meant Will often had to duck unless he wanted his head spiked off. 

By the time they packed everything up and walked back to the car, they were tired, but it was a good sort of tired, the kind that settled into the bones and left a person aching but happy, and so it was decided among them that they would do a movie night at the Wheeler house and have a sleepover before leaving the next day. 

Luckily, Karen and Ted had their own trip planned in the next town over, so the house was empty aside from Nancy and Holly. 

Holly was put to bed pretty much immediately to her disagreement, and Nancy slipped out with a ruffle to Mike’s hair, and judging by the small smirk on her face, she was leaving to hang out with Jonathan at Steve’s place, which made Will shiver to think about. 

He tried not to think about his brother’s love life whenever he could, so it kind of sucked to think that there were two people involved in it rather than just the one like before. 

“Okay,” Mike said, his hair still slightly damp from the water and curling severely at the ends as he turned to look at all of them. “We can all take turns showering while the others get snacks and dinner ready. Since Richie and Eddie are guests, and since Richie’s an ass - “ 

“Hear, hear,” Eddie said. 

“ - Eddie can take first shower,” Mike finished, smiling when Eddie thanked him, the both of them ignoring Richie’s whines. “The rest of us can rest or help prep the food.” 

Despite Eddie’s weird penchant for keeping clean, he was efficient, and was showered and smelled of body wash within ten minutes as he climbed down the stairs and said the bathroom was open. Richie went next, then Will, and by the time Lucas, the last one to shower, went upstairs, Will was droopy with sleep on the couch in Mike’s basement as the others talked to each other in low murmurs around him. 

“I should get dinner going,” Mike said softly somewhere beside him. “Will should eat before he passes out.” 

“Will can still hear you,” Will mumbled drowsily. 

There were low giggles in response. 

“I will help,” El said, and the couch dipped slightly as she stood up from where she had been sitting beside her brother. “Max?” 

“Yeah, alright. Only if Dustin does, too.” 

“I was going to come, geeze.” 

“You up for it, Eddie?” Mike asked. 

“Yeah, no worries. Uh, I think Richie’s asleep, though.” 

“That’s fine, let’s just leave him and Will here.” 

Will, now truly half-asleep by that point, could only vaguely tell that they all crept upstairs as quietly as possible, and once the door was shut, it was silent in the basement aside from the occasional sound of the cushion adjusting whenever he made a micro movement. 

“Psst.” 

Will turned his face deeper into the couch. 

“Psst. Will.” 

“Usually someone turning their back to you is a universal sign they don’t want to talk,” Will said tiredly, his voice muffled against the worn cloth. 

“Psh. I’ve talked to walls before, baby. This won’t stop me.” 

“I thought they said you were asleep,” Will said, finally giving up and sitting properly, running a hand through his hair to look at Richie. 

The other boy was sitting on the ground near him, his eyes gleaming and wide, and it suddenly had Will feeling far more awake than a second earlier. 

“I only pretended so that you and I could talk,” Richie said, tilting his head. “I have a lot to ask you, hot stuff.” 

“It couldn’t wait until after I’ve napped?” Will asked, exasperated. 

“It can’t wait.” Richie shook his head. 

“Fine,” Will said, trying not to sound irritated. “What is it?” 

“How long have you been in love with Mike?” 

Will choked. 

He bent at the waist, wheezing, as he pounded his chest with his fist while he tried to catch his breath. What the hell did Richie just say? How did he - what - how? While it was no secret that Will was gay, the Party was under the assumption that his past feelings for Mike were just that, past. 

How was it that Richie had managed to glean that information after only spending half a day with Will, and not even very closely, at that? 

“Don’t even try to deny it, stud,” Richie said, looking quite smug as he leaned back on his hands. “It won’t work on me.” 

“I didn’t even say anything yet,” Will snapped, his throat still burning and his eyes watering as he glared at the other boy. 

“Well, denial is always the first step,” Richie said, looking up at the ceiling with a thoughtful expression. “It’s all there’s no way. I don’t like him. I can’t like boys, I like girls. Then anger. What the fuck is wrong with me? This has to be a mistake! There’s no way I’m gay! Then bargaining, then depression, then acceptance. Which stage are you?” 

“Those are the stages of grief,” Will said, struggling to comprehend what was going on. 

Richie’s eyes squinted with his smile. “It works for figuring out you’re queer, too.” 

“Alright,” Will said after a beat. “Acceptance. What about you?” 

“Me?” 

“Don’t even try to deny it,” Will said, throwing back Richie’s words into his face. He crossed his arms, sighed, and said, “I’m not trying to pry, so don’t take this the wrong way, but it’s kind of obvious.” 

Richie’s lips thinned. 

For the first time since they met, there was a serious expression on his face, and he looked so much like Mike that it sent a small spark up Will’s spine. He almost licked his lips at the sight, of this Mike look-alike whose eyes narrowed and whose pink lips were frowning in displeasure, and Will wanted to groan in frustration. 

“That’s the pot calling the kettle black, buddy,” Richie said, and while he didn’t sound threatening, he did seem on edge, like he hadn’t expected Will to pick up on his feelings for Eddie. “You looked like you wanted to eat Mike when you were getting your hands all over him on the beach.” 

Will was sure that the shade of scarlet his cheeks went was unflattering as he said, “don’t say it like that, god! I just - look, he’s Mike, okay? I can’t help it.” 

“Gross.” Richie wrinkled his nose, and Will threw a pillow at him. “Have you tried, you know, telling him? Communication? All that junk that Eds keeps nagging me about when I’m trying to skip class to take a nap?” 

“Of course I have,” Will muttered, picking at a loose thread on his shirt. “But he turned me down.” 

“Oh,” Richie said. 

“Yeah.” Will breathed out. “Oh. So don’t say shit like that, you don’t know - “ 

“Eddie turned me down, too,” Richie said. 

Will stared. 

“That’s his loss, then,” Will said slowly, unable to describe the tension in the room as he realized that the reason the hairs on his arms were standing up wasn’t due to anger, but rather, something he hadn’t felt since he’d been in California. 

Richie smirked and leaned further onto his hands, his knees propped up and feet on the floor as he spread his thighs slightly, just enough that the green of his shorts stretched tight across his pale skin. “Yeah? Well, I could say the same about Mike. You’re a real catch, stud. Let me guess, you’re pent up? Frustrated? I saw the way you were looking at my cousin, how you were trying to eye fuck him.” 

“God, you need to stop talking.” Will breathed, starting to stand up. 

“Oh, baby, don’t you know? They call me Trashmouth for a reason.” Richie fluttered his lashes, and he tilted his head just enough so that black curls fell into his eyes. “Everything I say is absolute garbage, but I can talk dirty if you want me to.” 

“That’s awful, does that actually ever work on anyone?” Will said, the line fully working on him as he dropped to his knees and dug a hand into one of Richie’s knee, the other yanking on his thigh and forcing his legs to spread open. 

“You seem desperate enough to fall for it,” Richie said, his breath hitching as Will hooked his fingers into the belt loops of his shorts and pulled hard enough that it slid down to reveal sharp hip bones and the beginning of a treasure trail. “I can be as filthy as you want, hot shot.” 

“You’re awful,” Will muttered, and he leaned down, and he kissed him. 

“I can't believe we just did that,” Will said, yanking up his pants and trying to zip them up, but his hands were so shaky that he kept jerking his fingers too harshly, and the zipper refused to budge. “Oh my god, we can't do that again.” 

“Where did my shirt go?” Richie demanded, looking quite annoyed as he dug around the basement in nothing but his boxers, which meant the dim light highlighted his pale shoulders and the deep, purple marks that Will had left both on his hips and neck. Oh, jesus christ. “I swear it was over here somewhere, what the fuck?” 

“Dude,” Will said impatiently, and he chucked Richie's ugly t-shirt at his head, where it fluttered and obscured his vision as he made a noise of delight. “Did you hear me? We can't do that again.” 

“Do what again, stud?” Richie asked, yanking on his shirt and readjusting his glasses once he was done. He grinned at Will, sloppy and red in the mouth, and Will couldn't decide if he wanted to punch him or kiss him when Richie slid closer and batted his lashes. “Bend me over the couch? Make me forget my own name? Because I gotta say, you were right about being pent up, baby. I won't be able to sit for at least a - “ 

Will rushed forward and kissed him. 

It was the only way he could think of to shut him the hell up, his panic over being discovered destroying any rational thought, and then Richie whimpered and kissed him back, and Will grabbed the back of his neck to yank him down closer because like his cousin, Richie was too tall. 

When they finally broke apart, Richie's face was pink and his glasses were crooked, and he licked his lips as he looked at Will like he was his last meal and said, “well, well, well. Can't get enough of the good ol’ Tozier Trashmouth, eh, Byers?” 

“Be quiet,” Will said sternly, and a rush of heady satisfaction rushed through him when Richie shut his jaw with a small clack and wide eyes. “That can't happen again, I'm serious, Richie.” 

“Why not?” Richie actually whined, hooking his arms around Will's neck and trying to tug him close again. “You're horny and I'm horny, two plus two equals four!" 

“No, no, not two plus two equals four, it equals fish!” Will said in exasperation. “You can't be serious. Richie, you're in love with Eddie.” 

“So?” Richie muttered, looking rather cross as he glared at him. “Hey, don't just bring that shit up, man, that's unfair! You don't get to point that out when you're in love with my stupid cousin.” 

“He wants nothing to do with me, Richie, you know that,” Will said tiredly. 

“And Eds wants nothing to do with me!” Richie threw his hands up. 

“That doesn't mean I can just - that we can - “ 

“You can't even say it, can you?” Richie mocked, his bright eyes glinting behind his glasses mischievously as he smirked. “You're one confusing cookie, I'll give you that. Trust a man to fuck your brains out one minute but then he can't admit he had his dick inside your ass the next.” 

“You're impossible. I'm leaving.” Will turned around, fuming, pulling his jacket on around his shoulders and huffing when he realized how rumpled the cloth was, only to stop when long fingers wrapped around his wrist and a desperate wait! echoed behind him. 

“Wait, please,” Richie repeated, and there was something about the way he said it, vulnerable and walled at the same time, that made Will turn back around and frown at him, though that softened at the sight of the other boy. 

“What is it?” Will asked. 

“I've never felt like that before,” Richie said, his eyes downcast and his fingers nervously fiddling with the cuff of Will's sleeve. “I mean, like, obviously I'm in love with Eds. Who wouldn't, you know? But I know he doesn't feel - he's - he's not like you. Or me.” 

He's not queer, rang through the air so powerfully that Will inhaled sharply. 

“I tried to move on,” Richie said, his voice small. “At school. So many times, actually. But none of them felt as good as it was with you. And it's not just the fucking, okay? Although obviously that shit was awesome, like seriously, thought I was going to go blind - “ 

“Richie,” Will cut him off. 

“Right.” 

They both stared at each other. 

Richie swallowed. “You get it. You, out of all the other boys I've - you get it. You love him, don’t you?” 

Will looked to the side. There was no need for Richie to clarify who him was. Will had only ever loved one boy in his life, and by this point, he was now sure that it would never change. 

“It’s not that easy,” Will finally said. 

“But it could be,” Richie said. 

Will glanced at him. The marks left on the side of Richie’s neck were still visible, so painful that they had to be throbbing, but he didn’t seem to mind or care. His hair was too short and his glasses were the wrong shape, and his eyes were too bright, but the resemblance was uncanny. If Will could simply pretend, if he could take and give because that was what Richie was offering, then - then maybe - 

“Hey, guys?” 

Both Will and Richie stumbled away from each other, their breaths rapid and weighty as they stared up the stairs with wide, horrified eyes. At the top, Mike looked down with a concerned expression, and he leaned against the doorway as he crossed his arms. 

“Everything okay?” He asked. 

“Fine,” Will said, his shaky hands grabbing onto the hem of his jacket and tugging it down. “Just - fine.” 

“Nosy much, cuz?” Richie croaked. 

Mike shot Richie an unimpressed look and scoffed. “At least come upstairs, Rich. Why the hell did you bring your friend if you won’t at least entertain him?” 

“You’re the host aren’t you, Mikey?” Richie nagged, already recovering from his shock as he jogged up the stairs and stuck his tongue out at his cousin. “That’s your job, you know.” 

“Go already,” Mike said, and he shoved Richie in the shoulder. 

“Just a sec,” Richie said to him. He turned around and stared down the stairs, his blue gaze piercing Will, who hovered on the bottom step uncertainly. “You coming, Will?” 

Well? Richie’s eyes said. 

Will hesitated. 

“Yeah,” Will said, climbing slowly, offering Richie a crooked smile. 

“I’m coming, Trashmouth.”