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It’s a Saturday Night which means that it’s movie night... usually. Tonight however they decided to entertain a regular teenage pastime and went to a party. They spent a total of 45 minutes there which was good for them okay? don't judge them, the people at their school suck and there are better things they could be doing.
It wasn't very good, thankfully as expected and expertly planned for, they left early for their regular movie night.
It is normally hosted in the Wheelers basement but not tonight, tonight the party is at Lucas'. Holly had reserved the basement for a movie night with Mary, which Mike is angry about but Will is thankful to spend some time out of his makeshift bed and temporary room.
Unfortunately, everyone has fallen asleep, everyone except Will and Mike obviously.
The Lost Boys is still playing on the Tv, Dustin is snoring softly on the couch. Lucas having long since gone to bed is not present, he got drunk and barely made it home, Max helped Erica get him up the stairs and hasn’t returned, they’re pretty sure she just joined him in slumber.
Mike and Will are sitting with their knees drawn up to their chests near Dustin’s feet on the floor in front, sharing a blanket which is not unusual or new, its just a fact.
What is unusual, for Will at least is that Mike wont stop looking at him. Actively staring, thankfully he is still blinking Will thinks. He tries wiping his face to see if that does anything, wondering if there’s salt from the popcorn around his mouth or something.
There isn’t
Will is subtly looking at him out the corner of his eye, in brief bursts but its been at least 5 minutes he’s sure of it... and now he's cocking his head at him... alright what is going on...
Mike on the other hand was watching the movie, he really has been, well before the last 8 minutes or so, but he’s not counting.. he has in fact seen this movie already this week.
Which is why he is confused, he didn't realise some of the underlining tones to the movie, which has brought him back to thinking about Will and Will liking boys. How? Watch the movie alright, it’s self explanatory.
Mike has been thinking all out lasts a lot recently, but now he’s thinking about firsts. Firsts are just as important, and he wants to ask Will about one of his.
He desperately wants to know but he shouldn't, he knows he shouldn't... believe him he knows, but I mean... not knowing something important about someone you have known as long as they have known each other feels like a loss and he is absolutely not ready to lose Will, he hopes he never has to again.
He has to ask, he has to know... but how does he word it without seeming desperate to know, intruding on his boundaries or making him uncomfortable? He has to be subtle, ease into it..
Will cleared his throat and Mike took that as an invitation, wish him luck. He is going to need it.. oh boy.
"So... who was the girl you kissed?" Yes none of the above for sure.. nailed it Mike..
Of all the thoughts Will might have guessed Mike could be having, this is nowhere even close to the realm of what he imagined.. he is frightened where this is going... where is this going?
"What girl?" Will is looking at him like he suggested a rom com for the next movie, mildly amused but very clearly confused, maybe even a little irritated..
I'm not sure what the look is but I'm sure Mike would.
"Well you said you don’t like girls, I assume you figured that out when you kissed one and didn’t like it?"
"I didn’t kiss any girls Mike" Will retorts baffled
Mike is confused, you can see it in his eyebrows and the way his eyes are unfocused darting left to right, like they're trying to read Wills mind "Then how do you know you don’t like girls?" Mike is perplexed that you can know without confirmation, or experiment.
"I'm gay Mike" Will says dryly
Mike ignores it "You can like both you know, bisexual they call it" he says matter of fact
"I know I - how do you know that?" Will is squinting at Mike, now trying to read him.. somethings not sitting right but he doesn't know what and why is Mike arguing with him about his OWN sexuality, you would think Will would know.
"I researched - off topic, how do you know you wouldn’t like to kiss a girl? You could be bisexual? Try before you deny…" Mikes shrugs, not sure why he's pushing he should definitely stop but he's curious now and he wants to understand, he's new to all of this..
"I’m definitely Gay Mike, how- how do YOU know you know your straight? How do you know you wouldn’t like boys if you haven’t kissed one? Huh?"
Will refuses to say try before you deny because the phrase makes him want to gag and he might be slightly turned off with the fact Mike said it at all, but he is sure that he's just won this argument.
We’ll not argument but whatever this is, he doesn't know why it started but he’s feeling a little cocky himself and isn't thinking about it too hard.
Huh, Mike isn't making a face, his eyebrows aren't pulled in like Will thought they would be.. Wills confidence is faltering now, the smirk is dropping… why isn't he.. whats going on in his brain.. his eyebrows are raised..
"Never thought of that. That’s fair, I guess I don’t know for sure." Mike says with a shrug of his shoulders, he can never disagree with Will, after all he is always right
"I- what..?" Wills eyebrows are drawn in now and I would think he was angry but the rose on his cheeks give him away, he is more... flustered?
"No you’re right, maybe I should test it.." Mike continues with a strong nod. Yes Will is definitely flustered.
"You.. what?- I was joking Mike"
Cute is all that Mike can think looking at Will with his flushed cheeks, he finds it endearing and almost comical the way he is now stammering through his words.
He has forgotten all about what he was trying to find out and is locked into figuring out how flustered he can make Will and how to make Wills face brighter red.
One thing he knows works is using his full name.
"I figured that out William, but you make a valid point. College is for experimenting after all, right?"
He genuinely thinks he will explore in college, he's thought about it before which is probably why he asked what he did, but Will doesn't need to know that.
If that exploring leads to something, Will would absolutely be the first person he tells anyway obviously. They’re going to college close together but irregardless he intends on calling and writing all the time, no Joyce taking up the line this time. He wont loose him again, he said that already but he wants to be clear. He should probably tell Will that too but he’s pretty sure he knows.
"You’re actually just going to kiss some random guy Michael?" Will saw straight through the use of his full name and two can play at that game he thinks.
"Another excellent point, who should I Kiss?” Mike gives it a brief pause to let the red flush brighter. Mike is pretty sure he can’t get any redder and has decided he has won.
Decides to continue with the experiment suggested “I’ve got to be careful with how I approach testing this theory. How can you tell someone is g..-actually.."
Mike has just realised that he knows a boy who in fact likes kissing boys, well at least claims to.. he cant stop the smile widening on his face, its almost comical the way its almost reaching his ears.
"…Why are you looking at me like that"
Will looks scared but in a curious way, not the regularly scheduled frightened way and that makes Mike giggle- like actually GIGGLE
Will doesn't know how he is going to handle keeping eye contact if Mike is going to continue doing things that make his stomach flip.. like Mike, oh I don't know, GIGGLING THINKING ABOUT KISSING BOYS…
There's a brief moment where they do nothing but look at each other, Will is trying to regulate his breathing and convince himself this isn't happening and the implication isn't there..
That falls short with the next word out of Mikes mouth, not because of what he says but the way he says it... the smile has fallen off a little and his tone is more serious
"Will"
"Mike.."
Will has stopped breathing, he swears there is a twinkle in Mikes eyes and I can in fact confirm it is, but its been there for a little while, Will is only now acknowledging it or seeing it
"..come on, that’s a horrible idea" Will doesn't want to say it but he knows it to be true
"I didn’t say anything yet Will" he says innocently raising palms up slightly
"I can see it in your eyes Mike, I KNOW you, I can see that glint flicker I know what you’re thinking. That’s a horrible idea"
Will deadpans because Mike KNOWS Will can read him.. which come to think of it Mike can read Will just as well, so he can probably see he wants to...
oh
OH..
no...
hopefully not,
SURELY not right?
right...?
Mike doesn't mean to use it but Will brings it out in him alright, his eyes go comically big, eyebrows drawn in and up, soft and pleading.
This face would work on anyone but for Will? Its Kryptonite, its torture. It’s actual torture.
"Come on just a little one and I’ll know.."
Will hasn't moved so Mike decides to continue, he drops out of the face to a more playful tactic, with a smile he asks "Would you rather let your best friend kiss a stranger William.."
The full name again, twice in one night. Poor Will
"Are you going to make this weird.." Will comments, half to himself
Its rhetorical and clearly resolved.. he finally speaks up because Mike is right, would he rather let Mike experiment with a stranger? No. He's wanted to for years, there will be no wondering left and no room for what if's.
He has to just hope that he is a horrible kisser, it has been alluded to be the case anyway, but then again Will hasn’t even had his first kiss so would he know if it’s bad?
Mike has noticed that Will is quiet and blinking at him blankly, clearly deep in thought. He had resolved himself to the fact that it should be Will he kisses, if he was to like a boy, surely it would be Will. They have chemistry, after all they are best friends and they know each other well.
Sure it might be awkward but he would still know if he enjoyed it because it’s a boy rather than just because it’s Will Right?
Experimenting before college might be safer too, Will would never hate him or get angry or violent.
There would be no What if's, and future boyfriends of Will would know he wasn't a threat, that they kissed to check but there was nothing there. So that’s good right? No reason to try to seperate them or force space or distance.
Everyone seems to have an opinion on Mike and Wills friendship too so it would be nice to silence them, so they can both rule out why they are different with each other to just the fact they are extremely close, just best friends. As they both always knew it was.
This will change nothing. Nothing can possibly change between them and hey, It might be that Will was right and he might like boys.
Doubtful he thinks.
So maybe he should just drop it, make a joke and move on-
"Is it because you don’t think I’m handsome enough? Do I not meet your high standards Will?" he laughs fondly bumping Wills shoulder lightly, aiming for endearingly, a small pause for effect and "Fine! Just help me pick someone then?" the 'when we go out' or 'In college' is implied well enough he thinks.
"That’s not- you’re- you’re serious?" the bump has woken Will up from his daze, he looks at him again serious tone. He just wants to be sure before he does this, no regrets, no changes to their friendship because it’s one of the most important things in his life and nothing is worth losing Mike, nothing, not again.
Will looks away for a moment closing his eyes to breath in after feeling so unbelievably vulnerable.
"Absolutely serious, it’s your theory. Maybe it’ll surprise us both. Better to know right?" Mike says back softer now and also sincere. He is way less confident than he had been earlier. No motives, no jokes, no convincing, just fact.
"I can’t believe this is happening right now.." Will says shaking his head bewildered still not looking over at Mike and then when he does he catches it,
He actively looks at Mike, really truely looks unfiltered. The nerves are clear enough on their own with the faltering eye contact, and that’s without including the fiddling with the hem of his pants.
Mikes gaze is searching, he looks worried he pushed too hard, he didn't mean to, he didn't even know he wanted to do this 5 minutes ago and now he doesn't know what he will do if Will says no.
Will is so fucked..
"Screw it.. FINE I’ll do it, don’t you DARE be weird about it though"
Mike smiles softly and sweetly like he used to look at Rory his dinosaur that Will gave him for his 6th birthday,
Come to think of it, its the same face he made after receiving every drawing Will has ever given him. That's weird, he wonders wha-
"Pinkie promise" Mike whispers
He is holding out his pinkie, derailing every thought in Wills head.
This is happening.
This is actually happening.
They both think in unison
Will tilts his head down to look at their hands as he locks his pinkie around Mikes, letting out a breath at the contact.
Their is a slight shake to them both, breaths are slightly heavy and Will needs a moment to gather his thoughts, he is about to have his first kiss after all. It would be unnerving on its own but this is Mike... Mike Mike, like Mike Wheeler, long term best friend, unrequited love of his life MIKE.
Is it normal to want to pass out, throw up and levitate all at once? Will assumes so but he couldn't think straight if he wanted to..
One: because by definition he never thinks straight, because well, he is gay
and
Two: because he might be going into cardiac arrest because he can feel his heart beating in his ears and did he mention the thumping in his chest?
He is allowed to panic and be dramatic, please see the above points 1 and 2 again and add in an extra large spoon of HE IS ABOUT TO KISS MIKE.
Mike watches as Will looks at their hands for a moment before slowly his head and gaze lift, he looks through his lashes and Mike feels lightheaded at the way Wills eyes draw up his body to his face, stopping briefly at his lips before continuing agonisingly slow until he meets his eyes.
Mike is closer than Will thought he was, he is met with fluttering eyes that are more caramel than he thought they were.
Even in this light they are bright,
Even with his blown pupils, they are bright, They are inviting like morning coffee, waking you up, warm enough to burn.
Hot enough to catch fire.
He wants to draw them.
He will be for months but he wants to live in them and breath them in, swim around, get lost, get found.
It’s killing him how they sparkle. He wants to stay like this forever.
He wonders if Mike knows how beautiful they are, how he would write them if asked to. The delicate lines, the colour of them burned in his memory, he thinks maybe he could try to capture them in a drawing, he would take years to perfect it, to show Mike, in case he ever questions their beauty.
Surely he knows. He has to know.
Will has hazel eyes, Mike is aware of this but he has never seen them this close before, this glassy, this colour.
They were brown during his possession, it was one of the things Mike used to deduce it, and something that made it hard to look at him when he was screaming at his family, it was distinctly not Will, he missed the green, the light, he missed his Will.
He is distracted and off topic.
What he didn't know, was this close there is yellow in his iris too, it’s more subtle and hidden but so beautiful like a sunflower.
How he can still learn something so largely Will, something as simple as his eye colour is a gift, though it hurts because he should have known it was there already.
He wonders if Will knows.
Light has always cascaded around him, drenching him in a warm glow.
How would he paint it?
How does he see them? See him?
How does he look in the mirror without getting lost in them..
No words seem enough, no sentences can describe what he can see. He will have to spend time to think about it, find a way to try to articulate it for Will, something so devastatingly beautiful needs to be captured and appreciated.
Will needs to know, he deserves to know what he has is special.
Will leans slightly closer from the pull of Mikes eyes
Mike does the same instinctively
Their lips stay apart as their heads push forward steadily, deliberate.
They rest their foreheads together for a moment, letting their breaths mingle between them as they attempt to regulate their breathing.
They have both forgotten everyone else in the room.
Just like I'm sure you did.
Wills gaze lifts back to Mikes eyes in an almost plea, looking between them, begging to tell him it’s okay, to confirm or call it off.
Save them.
Does he want to be saved? He doesn’t.
He goes to open his mouth to ask if Mike still wants to do this. If he can kiss him.
Mikes eyes are half lidded now and he whispers "yes" looking between wills eyes, his lashes stuttering. He can't manage anything else and it’s so breathy that it’s almost absent, Will hears it, and he sees it.
Mikes hand moves slowly enough not to spook Will, he turns their pinkie hold into a full hand hold, palms apart resting on Wills knee, fingers intertwining loosely, slowly. a small rub of his own thumb across Wills. It’s a reassuring gesture.
Will lifts his free hand, his fingers graze Mike’s shoulder briefly for a moment before lifting and light as a feather he touches his finger tips to mikes cheek, he slowly lets them rest down on his face. They move down his cheek slowly to his jaw where his palm follows this time pressing down in a moderate grip. Its not demanding, but not light, its solid, steady.
His thumb lingers on the side of Mike’s cheek in front of his ear and his fingers are slightly in his hair as he ever so gently tilts Mikes face and pulls it in towards his own.
Both their eyes are fluttering until they close, trying to imprint the memory in their mind.
Their lips touch gently, a barely there touch. Its charged but not tense, subtle and soft.
Will kisses him gently. They let their mouths fall slightly open to give each other space, Will rocks his face slightly forward to push his top lip between Mikes, letting their lips fall together with more pressure closing them on each other.
In complete control, Will pulls his lower lip slowly up over Mikes bottom lip, placing another little kiss to his upper lip to switch their positions.
They both tilt their heads more to the side for a better angle for a slightly harder kiss. They both struggle to pull back, eyebrows drawn together.
They both desperately hold it steady for a few moments trying not to let it continue.
The other completely unaware of the fact.
Their foreheads falling back together, eyebrows settling back neutral. They are silent for a moment like that before Will removes his hand and pulls back, actively keeping his eyes closed as he turns his head to face back forward and away from Mike. Mike mirrors this, unaware until their eyes are open.
After a minute that stretches a lifetime, Mike is the first to speak, if you can call the sound a word "Huh"
Will is torn out of his racing mind "Huh? That’s all you got?"
"Yeah. Huh." Mike is just as perplexed as Will is with what he just felt.
"Anything to say other than huh?" Wills voice is surprisingly steady, he hasn't looked at Mike once.
"No. You?" Mike hasn’t looked at Will and refuses to.
"Nope"
There's another beat of silence, this time its Will who speaks first
"We good? Not weird?" before he gets an answer he isn't ready to hear he adds "Was it okay?" He glances to the side towards Mike but not in a way he will catch his eye just yet.
Mike isn't sure how to answer all of those questions right now.
He just kissed Will.
Best Friend Will,
Will Will,
His Will.
William Byers the boy he has known since he was 5 years old that Will.
How does one put that into words?
Maybe Will was right and this was a bad idea. Least he knows now if he likes kissing boys.
I mean it wasn't like a proper kiss, it was just a peck? Maybe they should kiss properly to be sure. Should he ask?
"It was just a peck Will" maybe he shouldn't ask that would be weird. he adds "We are good, not weird."
"Cool"
"Cool"
Dustin stirs from the couch suddenly with a big breath in, voice full of sleep, deeper than normal "Did the movie finish already?"
"Yeah about 20 minutes ago Dustin" Will says laughing now the bubble has burst
Mike laughs for a moment before adding "We should head home" now that the spell has been broken
Mike walks out with Dustin and stays his goodbyes before heading across the road.
Will talks to Erica briefly about her DnD character he is drawing on commission, asking her to tell Max and Lucas goodbye for him before heading out the door, and back across the road to Mikes.
When Mike enters the house before he even gets his shoes off his mother greats him from the kitchen. Nancy is at the table with Jonathan studying and Ted is asleep on the couch with the Tv on.
Nothing out of the ordinary.
"Hey honey how was the party?"
"It was alright, Dustin wouldn’t stop talking about some experiment he was working on to anyone who would listen, Lucas threw up in a bush and we had to carry him home, I kissed Will to prove I didn’t like boys but I was wrong, Max was dancing pretty horrendously but it was nice to see her on her feet again, the music was okay too I guess."
"That’s nice dear' his mum says absentmindedly
"I’m going to bed, night" Mike says taking off the last of his winter clothes before heading up the stairs two at a time.
After a few fleeting seconds pass Nancy shots her face up from her notes to look toward Mike as his foot hits the first stair. Comically fast.
She looks to Johnathan who is already looking at her in confusion
Ted is heard snoring from his couch
Suddenly a glass shatters in the kitchen, Nancy and Jonathan's gaze moves fast towards the sound of the noise
Karen had dropped her coffee mug, she was frozen looking toward the stairs where mike disappeared moments ago.
Teds snore got loud for a second as he woke up briefly, voice full of sleep asking befudled "What was that, whats happening?"
Nancy got up to help her mom with the shattered cup,
Karen still frozen and unmoving, unbreathing? not sure that's a word but she was.
Nancy sprung into action “Nothing dad, just dropped a cup”
A gruff huff was heard before Ted fell back to sleep almost immediately
As Nancy was picking up the shards of coffee mug on the floor Will walked in the door with pink cheeks, Nancy and Jonathan looked up from where they were
Without even looking “Sorry I’m late, I’m just going to head straight to bed. Goodnight!” Will said as he kicked off his shoes and headed to bed
Once the shards were placed on the bench, Nancy stands up to speak first “Mum, you okay?”
Suddenly Karen snapped out of it “I knew it” is all she said under her breath smiling.
She grabbed her wine bottle and glass leaving Nancy standing there in the kitchen with coffee all over the floor and broken mug pieces on the bench.
Jonathan was now the one staring at the stairs when Nancy looked over. She follows his gaze even though she knows there’s nobody there.
“W-what.. what just happened..” they said in unison, stutter and all.
Upstairs in his bed staring at the ceiling Mike whispered "So.. that just happened..",
Down the hallway in the bathroom Will looks at his reflection in the mirror letting out a light giggle saying the same thing.