Chapter Text
That week, everything had been off. Since that incident in the hall with the wasteoid that is Reggie, Lucas had avoided Will. It was hard. They'd gone from being best friends to virtually strangers. At lunch times, Lucas would sit next to Dustin, but he didn't do any more than exchange a smile to Will.
I've blown it, he knows and now he's freaked out. He hates me. Will would think but tried to act as if nothing was bothering him. El knew though, she always did. He saw her exchange a look with Mike at lunch and he felt his heart drop. She probably told Mike, which he couldn't blame her for, he shouldn't force her to keep secrets from her boyfriend.
"Will? Where're you going?" Max said when he suddenly stood up. He couldn't take the silence between him and Lucas anymore.
"Oh I, uh, forgot I said I'd help paint the sets for the school play." It was true he helped paint the sets, but he wasn't due to start this year until next week.
"Oh, ok cool. See ya!" Max punctuated her sentence with a salute, causing a small round of laughter from the table.
Will dumped his food tray in the bin, he was suddenly not hungry anymore, and made his way to the boys' toilets. He looked at himself in the mirror and splashed his face with the cool water. Taking a deep breath stepped back and lent against the wall. The whole thing with Lucas hurt more than he thought it would. He couldn't understand what caused this change, it must have been that comment Reggie made. Thinking back to last week, he could have sworn they were having a moment. Lucas hadn't looked at him like that before. And it was all ruined because of that mouth-breather Reggie.
"Will?"
He turned around to see Mike enter the toilets. El must have sent him.
"Will, are you ok?" he stepped forward, concern evident in his eyes.
"How did you know I was here?" Will knew that no one had bought the lie, but he hoped they would get the message that he wanted to be alone.
"El..." Mike shrugged his shoulders, a little smile played at his lips. Will's stomach dropped seeing how even just her name got Mike smiling- Will knew he felt that way for Lucas.
"I'm fine, really Mike."
Mike shook his head. "No, you're not. You're acting like I did when I thought El was..." he trailed off, not liking to think of El in the Upside Down- alone. "But you're hurting. It's ok Will, we understand. You can talk to me, you know that."
"It just...hurts so bad." A tear rolled down his cheek. Mike went into a stall and came back with some toilet roll for Will to wipe his eyes on. "Thanks," he whispered.
"I know what you're feeling." Mike tried to empathise but it wasn't quite the same. At least he knew El wanted to talk to him but couldn't, not she was just ignoring him.
"I thought everything was fine. I'd go on acting like I didn't feel this way but then...in the hall" Will smiled at the memory. "It felt like, like he was seeing me differently. He looked at me, like he hadn't before." Will's smile faded. "But then Reggie made a joke and it ruined everything. Ugh, I'm so stupid for thinking anything could happen."
"No Will, you're not. We can't help who we fall for."
"Promise you won't tell Dustin or Max?" Will held out his pinky finger.
"If that's what you want then sure. Promise." Mike linked his own pinky finger with Will's, causing a weak laugh from the boy.
The rest of the week continued without Lucas really saying anything to Will except an odd "hey,". He offered to drive everyone home still, but luckily Mike and El tagged along so it wasn't weird when Max and Dustin weren't there. Will had noticed how Max and Dustin seemed extra giggly these days - since their "tutoring" sessions. He wasn't dumb, he knew what they were really doing. It only made him feel worse, as if everyone else was paired up and he was stood on the outside looking in on something he'd never be a part of.
When Friday finally came to signal the end of what was possibly the longest week of Will's life - if you don't count that week in 1983, sky had turned cloudy which was not a good omen for Lucas' upcoming football game that night. El, Mike, Dustin, Max, and Will always went to cheer on their friend. Even though they weren't exactly talking right now, Will couldn't miss the game.
The bustling stands of the football pitch were alive with cheering, the crowd being riled up by the cheerleaders. Dustin was snacking on a large bag of popcorn, even letting Max have a few pieces. She was wearing the school colours, her cap on backwards, she was a huge fan of football. Unlike her friends who were literally only there for Lucas. Sure they knew the basic rules but it just wasn't that appealing and El was still completely clueless when it came to football but she cheered whenever Mike did but she was content with just watching Lucas.
"Tonight's a big game isn't it?." Dustin shouted over the noise of the crowd, his mouth still stuffed with popcorn. "Is it the final? I don't know how these things work."
Max playfully hit him on the arm. "Dude it's the biggest game of the year, but those clouds are not looking promising." They all looked up.
"Yeah! Lucas! Let's go!" Max shouted, standing up slightly and almost knocking the popcorn out of Dustin's hand.
The players began to run on to the pitch. Lucas was wearing his no.11 jersey. He looked out into the crowd and saw all his friends, eyes focusing on Will. His heart sank. It was Will who had suggested he use the number 11, as a kind of inside joke between them all. There was still a weird feeling in his gut whenever he looked at Will. He shook it off and decided he needed to focus on this game. Scouts were rumoured to be in the audience and it could mean a scholarship to university if he played well tonight.
The first half went ok, but Lucas was distracted. Even the coach had noticed he wasn't playing his best.
"Sinclair? What's wrong with you tonight?" he shouted, waving his clipboard around as he spoke. "You've got to get your head in the game if you want this scholarship. You do want it don't you?" he pointed a meaty finger at Lucas.
"Yes coach. Sorry coach." Lucas couldn't help but glance up at Will in the stands.
"This is the championship game and we can't afford to lose. So step it up." He patted Lucas on the back as he ran out again to join the team.
"What's going on with Lucas tonight?" Max nudged Dustin who shrugged.
"Beats me." he shovelled another handful of popcorn into his mouth.
Will felt guilty. It was his fault. He was making Lucas feel weird and now he was going to lose his chance at a scholarship. He should just go home.
"I think I might go, I'm uh...not feeling too good." Will stood up and met with El's wide eyes. She could read him like a book and knew the real reason for his departure.
"Are you sure? You'll miss the game?" Mike pointed back to the pitch.
"Tell me how it ends?" Will gave him a sad smile and Mike understood.
From the pitch Lucas noticed Will standing up and it caused him to miss the ball. Gasps were heard from the crowd and Will looked back to see Lucas frozen in place. He continued walking down the metal steps, wanting to distance himself. Lucas looked between Will and the pitch. If he threw away his chance, who knows what could happen to his future. On the other hand...he couldn't let Will get away.
It was like everything was in slow motion. "SINCLAIR! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" the coach shouted, his face almost purple with anger.
The crowd had gone silent and even Will stopped in his tracks. Spots of rain began to land on the ground but a football game stopped for nothing.
Without saying a word, Lucas took off his helmet and wiped a hand across his forehead, drying a mixture of sweat and rain. He dropped the hard plastic to the ground and bolted from the pitch. The rain was getting heavier but Lucas knew if he didn't do this now, he never would.
"Will!" he shouted.
Will's heart stopped. No, he wasn't doing this. He couldn't be.
"Will Byers!" he began to climb the bleachers. His foot almost slipped where the metal had become slippery from the rain.
"Lucas? What are you doing? You're going to ruin the game. You're going to lose your chance at a scholarship!" Will shouted, his hair dripping water into his eyes.
"I don't care anymore. Look, I was an asshole. I don't know why I've been ignoring you. I hate that I did it. I guess I didn't want to admit it to myself..." Lucas stopped just in front of Will. The crowd was no longer paying attention to the game, but rather all attention was on the two teens.
"Admit...what?" Will hesitated. He didn't want to get his hopes up at the answer but his heart had other plans.
Lucas laughed. "You really haven't realised?"
"Lucas...I don't, you're not making sense."
"Will Byers, you don't realise how crazy you make me."
He leaned in and the crowd went wild with cheers.
Will pulled back first, "Wait does this mean..?" he asked with a grin. His hands were still holding on to Lucas' jersey.
"Shut up," Lucas smiled against his mouth.
"This is honestly great news!" Max pulled Will and Lucas into a big hug. "Now we can all go on group dates- oh." She clapped her hands over her mouth and Dustin nudged her.
"Way to go, we hadn't agreed on telling them yet."
Mike laughed, "Are you serious? Everyone knows what "tutoring" means." he made air quotes with his hands.
"Either way we're gonna be the cutest couple at prom, right Dustin?"
"I don't know, me and El are pretty cute." Mike wrapped an arm around her.
"Um... hate to burst your bubble but - " Lucas waved his finger between him and Will - who was wearing his over sized letterman jacket.
"Ok, we're not getting into this now." El tried to break up the competition. It was nice, everyone was laughing again. They were happier than they'd ever been before.
"What about your scholarship?" Dustin changed the subject.
Lucas shrugged but he didn't care. "There'll be other opportunities, but I'm happy with the choice I made."