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Chapter Text

Will wasn’t entirely sure why he agreed when Pheobe Peters had “personally invited him and his friends” to her party that weekend- whatever the hell that meant- but god did he regret it now.

-

“Hey Zombie Boy,” the brunette girl had called out to him while he was putting his lunch tray away by the cafeteria’s main doors. He sighed at the remark of the name tease and turned to look over his shoulder only to be met directly with a shining set of blue eyes. Will wasn’t even going to deny it, Pheobe was really cute. Hell, she might even have been the cutest girl in his grade with all the guys trailing behind her like a pack of hounds with a blood-thirsty desire for a certain scent. But it wasn’t the sparkling blue eyes he wanted, it was the warm, rich pools of chocolate that occupied the face of his best friend, the one and only Mike Wheeler. If Will was being honest, he didn’t even know why a girl like Pheobe was so hung up on him considering the fact that, not only was he a major nerd, he’d never actually shown or returned that interest.

“Hey.” He replied, already wanting the conversation to be over. Her body smelled of thick perfume and it was really starting to cloud Will’s head, feeling a slight headache forming. She was twirling a string of hair that fell loose from the fluffy bangs and across her dark eyebrows.

“So I was actually hosting a party at my house on Saturday! It’s not that big of a deal, just a couple people from school and stuff. I wanted to like personally invite you.. and your friends could come over too if they wanted. ” She was gesturing with her hands as she spoke, a bright smile plastered on her face. If there was one thing Will Byers hated more than anything in the world (well other than the Upside Down of course), it had to have been school parties. They were always filled up with loud, drunk teenagers who really didn’t give a shit about anything and engaging themselves in useless conversations. But she was nice about it, he thought, aside from the fact that she addressed him by Zombie Boy. Will looked down at his watch, the numbers reading 12:41. 4 minutes left of lunch. He looked back up to meet Pheobe’s hopeful gaze.

“I’ll think about it.” He answered with a smile, hoping that it would be enough for her to take a hint and leave him alone.

“I- Great! Think about it!” And with that, she reached out to touch Will’s shoulder before skipping off and back to her loud group of friends across the room. He was totally, 100%, not going to “think about it.” Will had already come to the conclusion that he wasn’t going, but apparently his friends had other plans.

“Dude! Was that Pheobe you were just talking to?” Dustin exclaimed excitedly, curls bouncing, almost the second Will had made his way back to their lunch table.

“Uh, yeah.” He replied, clearly not interested in the conversation that he could already tell would begin.

“Well?”

“Well what?”

“Dude! What’d she want?” Lucas, whose arm was once wrapped around Max’s shoulder, brought them both down to perch himself against the table.

“What’d who want?”

“Will was just totally flirting with Pheobe Peters over there and now this asshole won’t tell us what she said.” Dustin replied, rolling his eyes with a groan lining against his words.

“We were not flirting.”

“Uh huh. I saw her giggling and putting her hands all over your shoulder.”

“First of all, that is so incredibly exaggerated Dustin. Second, she was just inviting us to a party this weekend, which before you ask, I’ve already decided on not going.” The party seemed to have taken this to heart as the table erupted into a fit of complaints. Well, except for one specific dark-haired boy who sat beside him picking at his food, not having uttered a word yet.

“Damn Byers, every boy at the school and Peters wants you.”

“We have to go! You’re our only shot at being invited to another party!”

“You guys think they’ll have booze?”

“Probably.”

“All the more reason to go.”

Will cleared his throat before rolling his eyes. “All the more reason not to go.”

“Cmon! Our party is a democracy and majority vote wins.” Lucas declared, now standing up to put his own tray away. Max scoffed, elbowing his side playfully.

“I think it’s up to Will to decide.”

“Thank you Max.”

“Cmon Byers, when’s the next time we’re all going to get invited to something like this?” Dustin pleaded. “Back me up here Mike.” Will, for once, actually fully tuned back into the conversation, quite interested in what Mike had to say about this, given he hadn’t really said a word about his opinion yet. He turned his head in the opposite direction, his gaze immediately catching onto Mike’s who seemed to have been already staring at him. Will furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head sightly as if trying to communicate through his eyes towards the silent boy.

Everything okay?

Mike broke eye contact first, a glimpse of frustration evident within the gaze. If Will blinked, he would’ve definitely just thought he imagined it. Was Mike mad at him? Will let his mind wander to every conversation they’d had earlier that day, which surprisingly wasn’t much. He heard Mike clear his throat quickly before grabbing his backpack from underneath the table.

“Yeah, sure whatever.” He mumbled out, the words meshing together as if they were one whole phrase: yeahsurewhatever. Before Will could react, Mike pushed himself up from the lunch bench and headed away from the group. His backpack slung over one shoulder as he pushed his half-eaten from lunch tray towards the drop off before slipping out of the cafeteria amongst the hoard of students.

“What’s up with him?” Max called out, finally breaking the silent tension he had left at the table.

“Woke up on the wrong side of the bed, I guess,” Lucas responded. As if on cue, the bell rung throughout the school, echoing off the walls and setting the remainder of the people in the cafeteria up. As the party collectively clambered out of the cafeteria themselves, Will was left sitting at the table, not bringing himself to be able to move. Mike had looked genuinely hurt earlier and that had sent a wave of guilt coursing through his body. Was it something he had done? He fidgeted with backpack strings before finally getting up and silently walking to class, mind wandering.

-

Now, as he made his way passed the large groups of teenagers under the noise of the loud pop music over the speakers, Will really really regretted agreeing to come. The music was coursing through his body, causing his heart to pump to its rhythm. Overwhelming wasn’t even the word to describe the setting, Will decided on uncomfortable. When Pheobe had said it was just going to be a few people from school, she had definitely been lying, because unless Will had no sense of general number, there was at least half of the school here. The house was relatively on the larger side, but even so, every room and hallway contained groups of teenagers, making it hard to pass through without bumping into people. Will only had one goal on his head, find the rest of the party and hide out for the next few hours; and if the universe was actually in his favor tonight, which he seriously doubted, maybe just maybe he could avoid Pheobe too.

“Excuse me, sorry.” He nudged his shoulders passed a couple of kids standing in the doorframe before the kitchen. Keeping his arms tight and tugged across his chest, Will lifted his head amongst the crowds of people looking for any sight of a familiar face, before feeling himself bump into a tall stranger in front of him. He felt his hands fly onto the person’s chest as they both lost balance and stumbled into the kitchen.

“Shit. Sorry.” He groaned, pushing away a few loose hairs before his face as he tripped into a counter against the stranger.

“No it’s my fault, I’m sorry.” The stranger replied, rubbing his own neck from the impact. Weird, Will thought, the voice seemed extremely familiar. He looked up.

“Mike?”

“Will?” Will’s face grew warm as he ripped his hands off from their once comfortable position against his chest. Shit.

Mike looked good tonight. Well, Mike always looked good, but he looked almost like an angel under the dimly lit room as his curly bangs lay in a messy mass across his face. Mike’s hair had grown longer and much more unkept since freshmen year, but Will loved it. It suited him. He wanted nothing more than to curl the strands in his fingers and tug them away from his beautiful dark eyes. He felt himself staring upwards and into his eyes as Mike looked down into his, still leaning against the kitchen island that they had both fell against. He could’ve sworn that the boy could almost sense Will’s heart thumping in his chest as his face flushed into a dark shade of red. It was almost as if time had paused for them, leaving the two looking into each other’s eyes with their faces merely inches away from the other.

“I didn’t think you were coming.” Will managed to let out in a soft murmur. Mike now pulled himself away from his body, as if his words caused reality to strike him once again. He tried not to let the obvious disappointment show from the absence of the other boy, although he was sure the lighting was casting a shadow across his face anyways.

“What made you think that?” Mike huffed, clearing his throat afterwards.

“Well I mean we haven’t really talked since your little fit in the cafeteria yesterday.”

“My little fit?”

“Yeah, yknow, the glares, attitude, and can’t forget the dramatic exit you pulled off before the bell rang.” Mike breathed out a small chuckle, his lips curling into a slight smile as a reaction. Will felt his own lips lifting into a grin themselves.

“Mike is everything okay?” Will asked, his voice laced with a sincere concern, but the smile never fading. The freckled boy lifted an arm up to rub his eyebrows and let it wander into his hair, opening his mouth to speak but pursing his lips closed again. Mike’s eyebrows pressed closer together as if he were contemplating whether or not to say something. The muffled music was now the only thing filling the room within the silence between the pair.

“Will, I-”

“Will!” At that exact moment, Dustin barged into the kitchen while grabbing his arms wildly. The two turned their heads at the same time to face him. Max and Lucas trailed in soon after him, each carrying bright, red cups in their hands. “Pheobe’s been asking around everywhere for you! They’re just about to start a game of spin the bottle in the living room right now!”

“I’m good.” He replied, clearly uninterested. But, he was two seconds too late as Dustin was already dragging his shirt’s sleeve away from Mike by the countertop and towards the larger group of kids in the living room.

“Dustin seriously-”

“Will, hey! There you are!” The brunette girl walked over towards him, her blue eyes somehow shining brighter, capturing the reflection of the string lights decorating the room. “I was starting to think you weren’t going to come,” she chuckled into her palm, causing her large hoop earrings to shake from the movement. There go his hopes of avoiding her for the rest of the party.

“Well, here I am.” He smiled before mentally kicking himself for the awkwardness. Pheobe didn’t seem phased by it though. “You’ve got a um- a nice house.” He said, gesturing his hands to the area around them.

“Oh thanks! I’ve got it all to myself this weekend since my parents are out of town so I figured why not throw a party while I’m at it.” Will chuckled.

“Soo.” Dustin said, breaking the silence. “Are we going to play spin the bottle or what?”

“Oh! Right, um do you want to join Will?” Dustin nudged his sides sharply, almost knocking the wind out of him while raising his eyebrows.

“I- sure, why not.” He grimaced as she grinned in response and walked off towards the main circle that was starting to form.

“I’m going to murder you Dustin.”

“It’s called a helping hand, Byers.” Lucas, Max, and Mike eventually made their way into the living room, pushing past the other teenagers gathering and standing beside Will and Dustin.

“Did you do it?” Lucas asked the curly-haired boy. He was on the verge of giggling, almost as if he were a tad bit drunk. Will arched his eyebrows down and noticed the red cup in his hands, confirming his suspicions.

“Yeah, he’s playing.” Dustin replied, earning a high-five from the taller boy.

“Jesus, did he force you Will?” Max asked, rolling her eyes towards the tipsy pair.

“I already said! It’s called a helping hand. Plus, he probably won’t even get landed on, it’s not that big of a deal.” Will looked over to the ginger’s side and noticed Mike in a now worse mood than he had originally been in, seeming to be muttering something under his breath. He slipped off from the center of attention that this conversation was bringing him and nudged over to the dark-haired boy’s side, their shoulders touching. Will felt Mike jump ever so slightly by his side in response, almost as if he had been dazed out and wasn’t expecting the touch. Mike looked at him, picking the dry skin by his lips. It’d always been a guilty habit of the boy from when the pair was younger.

“What were you saying before? Before Dustin dragged me off, I mean.” He spoke in a hushed voice, leaning towards Mike’s right ear as he spoke so that no one else could hear them.

“I- Um it’s nothing. Hey, I’m going to go grab a drink or something don’t wait up.” He stammered, avoiding the contact of the hazel eyes that were peering into him.

“You sure? I’m pretty sure it’s spiked.” Will responded, motioning towards their basically drunk friends. He nodded slightly, catching his gaze for a second before turning over.

“Perfect.” He muttered under his breath, before turning and leaving the room with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans. Once again, leaving Will within the ghost of the presence of Mike Wheeler.

“Cmon Will!” Lucas shoved the group towards the front of the room where the circle had now formed. There was an empty glass, Coca-Cola bottle in the middle, reflecting the light painted off the walls. Will looked around the room, drinking in his surroundings. There were a couple of people hovering around the bottle, definitely enough people to weigh out his chances of the bottle actually landing on him. Maybe, if he just shrunk into the mass of the other teenagers, he could remain invisible. Fidgeting with his sleeve, he sent a silent prayer that any external, crazy force could hear him and let the universe actually be in his favor for once.

-

Boy, did the universe hate Will Byers. It was now Pheobe Peters turn to spin the bottle. She curled her fingers around its shape, freshly painted bright pink nail polish visible. Will felt a few boys around him shift themselves closer as a whole, as if trying to increase their chances. He laughed softly at the commotion before wiping the grin off with the back of his hand. He looked around for Mike in case he had made his way back yet, finally spotting the boy from across the room. He stood, leaning against the frame of the doorway with a red cup of his own in his hand. Mike’s face was shadowed from the lighting, but his dark eyebrows appeared to be furrowed under his bangs. Something was off. Mike was never usually this quiet, always finding ways to invade Will’s personal space even if it just meant wrapping his arms around his shoulders at random times or leaning up into his face when they spoke, but now it felt like he was purposely trying to distance himself. It made Will feel sick with guilt; and the problem was he didn’t even know what he did. Before he could register another thought, he felt someone shove him forward from behind.

“What the hell?” He grumbled, tripping forward into the middle of the circle that had formed on the floor. To his horror, the glass Coca-Cola bottle’s tip was facing directly towards him and the other end on Pheobe. She was now staring directly into his eyes, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lip as a cheer erupted throughout the room. Will swallowed the thick saliva that had built in his throat, trying to find a way out of the situation. A sharp, piercing whistle emerged from the crowd.

“It’s Byers’s lucky day!” Someone yelled from behind him. He felt the surface of his palms starting to gather in a warm sweat as he shrunk from the attention on him. Will hadn’t really come out to anyone other than Jonathan and his mom yet, so he running off now would be awkward and not to mention suspicious considering every other guy would kill to be in his spot. He looked back up to meet Pheobe’s gaze, still glued to the same spot on the floor he was pushed into. All of a sudden from the corner of his eyes, he noticed a taller boy with dark mass of hair from above the crowd rush out of the room, shoving past the people around him. Will could’ve sworn the boy looked like Mike.

“Hey, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.” Will spun his head back around to be met with the brunette girl who had now moved over across the floor and closer to him. She was a few feet away, but still a little too close for his liking. People from around the room were starting to chant out his name.

“I-” Pheobe took a step closer, looking up at him through her eyelashes. They were coated with mascara and her lip gloss was a clear reflection of a soft pink. Will grew a dark shade of red. He wanted to get out of the spotlight. He wanted run out and never look back. He wanted to lock himself in a room and hideaway alone. No, he wanted to run to the comfort of Mike and be alone with him, wherever the hell he was.

“I’m not-” He barely managed to mumble out before his voice was drowned out by the teenagers around him.

“Not what?” She asked, in which case Will was surprised she was even able to hear him. Although, she was just inches away from his face now. His breath caught in his throat.

“I have to go- I’m so sorry.” He gasped out before pushing passed the confused murmur of people around him. He didn’t even dare to look back, knowing that he had definitely hurt Pheobe by leaving her standing there. Will didn’t mean to be rude, he really didn’t, but he couldn’t force himself to kiss her, especially under the naked sight of that many people. Will ran out of the living room and up the main staircase, still holding onto his breath. He really didn’t know where he was going but at that moment, he wanted to lock himself in a room and never come out. He turned into an empty hallway, although it was practically long enough to be considered a small corridor. Jesus, how rich was she? Will grabbed onto a cold, metal door knob and yanked it open.

“Hey, what the hell man! Shut the door!” Will shuddered as he walked into a-what roughly looked like- make out session between a couple he recognized from school.

“Sorry!” Horrified, he slammed the door shut. Under different circumstances, he could almost laugh. Could his evening get any worse? Inhaling sharply, he jogged to another door down the hall. It was slightly cracked open, so Will assumed whoever was in it had left already. He pushed the door open slightly before swiftly slipping in and pressing his body weight against the frame to close it. Will closed his eyes, allowing himself to actually take his first real fucking breath and brought his hands up into his hair. It was almost relaxing getting to slip away from reality and stand there taking deep breaths in the darkness. The actual lights were switched off, but there was a large window in one of the walls with curtains peeled open, illuminating the room with just moonlight. He allowed himself to be swallowed by the silence, not opening his eyes just yet.

Something light tapped his shoulder. Will froze in horror, nearly jumping out of his skin as his eyes shot open. He was met face to face with Michael Wheeler.

“Boo.” He whispered.

“Jesus Christ Mike!” Will shoved him away from his face, watching as he stumbled back a little. The freckled boy giggled, tilting his head upwards to the ceiling. Will looked passed him and noticed that they were in an office room, the large wooden table in front of them filled with astray papers and scattered with empty red cups.

“Will check it out.” Mike whispered, still staring up towards the ceiling. He was attempting to hold in a laugh. “It’s like- the ceiling is spinning.”

“What?” Will tilted his head up to meet where he was looking out of confusion.

“Look. It’s spinning.” Mike’s voice was still in a whisper, almost as if he were afraid someone might overhear them, which was kind of weird considering they were in an abandoned office room upstairs with the actual party raging on downstairs. He lifted an arm up and pointed, shutting one eye to focus with the other. “It’s kind of cool.” He slurred, letting another small giggle escape passed his lips. Will cocked an eyebrow, shifting his gaze back down towards the boy. His freckles shone in contrast to his pale skin under the moonlight from the window. He was still squinting at the ceiling with one eye, but his hands had dropped down to his sides now. Will focused back to the desk behind him, noticing the actual pile of empty red cups laying atop.

“Mike.” He hummed back in response.

“Are you drunk?” Mike looked back down and stared straight into Will’s eyes. Will couldn’t help but feel nervous under his sudden attention.

“No!” He exclaimed. Will crossed his arms across his chest. “I just had like one cup. But then it just turned into two. And then you were about to make out with Pheobe Peters so I got another one. And I only refilled it twice more after that.” The boy stated, a blank expression crossing over his features now. Will felt his cheeks go red, hoping to God that the darkness of the room wouldn’t allow it to be visible to Mike.

“I didn’t- I wasn’t going to make out with Pheobe.”

“Uh huh.”

“I didn’t.”

“It’s okay, I get it. She’s like totally attractive and every guy wants her, but you’re also totally attractive so she wants you. Bam, kiss and fall in love.” He paused, as if struggling to add something else. “Just like- when you guys have kids can you name one after me?”

“What-” He shushed, motioning his fingers over his lips.

“No just listen. Name one like Michael Junior Byers or something. Or Mike Peters Byers or whatever. That way you won’t forget about me.”

“Mike-”

“Okay, okay fine, it doesn’t have to be a kid. Get like a dog and name it after me.”

“Mike, what the hell are you talking about.”

“I don’t know!” He huffed, a small whine releasing as he spoke. “God, can you tell the room to stop spinning now, it’s getting annoying.” Mike turned to the wall next to the door that Will was leaning against, sliding down to the floor and holding onto his knees. Will shifted his head down to where he was sitting and followed the boy’s movement, sliding down the door and holding his own knees to his chest.

“What’s been up with you lately?” Mike lifted his head up to glance at the boy beside him.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I mean like, you don’t go to parties like these, I thought you hated them. Let alone get drunk at one.”

“I thought you hated them too.”

“I do.”

“Well I’m here because you’re here.” Will let out a shaky sigh.

“Look, I don’t like Pheobe, okay? We’re not going to have kids.” He shuddered at the thought of it. “And I’m not going to get a dog and name it after you.”

“What about your kid?”

“No!”

“Why not?”

“Because, Michael is an atrocious name and I wouldn’t want to bring that suffering onto anyone.” To Will’s surprise, Mike barked out a loud laugh. He was nearly doubling over onto his lap, shaking as he slapped Will’s knees in order to contain himself. Will couldn’t help contain the chuckles escaping his own lips.

“You’re right, oh my god.” He snorted, bursting into another set of snickers.

“I know,” Will grinned.

“So you don’t like Pheobe?” Mike managed to gasp out, still not settled down fully.

“Jeez, no.”

“Why?” Will turned his head towards Mike and leaned it against the door’s backboard. Mike copied him, leaning his head back onto the wall and turning to face Will. He could practically see his own reflection in his chocolate dark eyes. He didn’t know if it was the alcohol’s scent in the air that was making him think doozy or if it was just the tension in the moonlit room, but Will parted his lips slightly.

“Because there’s someone else I like.” He mumbled out.

“Who?” Mike blinked, his voice much softer, but his eyes never breaking apart from the boy’s gaze. Will swallowed as Mike watched his Adam’s apple bob down.

“I can’t tell you.”

“Why not!” Mike exclaimed, grabbing onto one of Will’s hands as they lay on the floor next to him. “I thought we were best friends!”

“We are.”

“Then tell me.” Will rolled his eyes, a smiling tugging a the corners of his lips.

“You’re literally drunk. You won’t remember this with the massive hangover you’re going to have tomorrow.” As if triggered by the comment, Mike’s eyes widened immediately.

“Shit, my mom is going to kill me Will.”

“Just don’t tell her what happened and run up to your room the second you get home.”

“No, you don’t understand. I’m grounded. I cursed our Mr. Smith for sending me to the office after I was literally only 4 minutes late to history on Thursday. My parents took my car keys. I had to sneak out of Nancy’s bedroom window to get here.”

“You walked all the way over here?”

“No, I had Nancy drive me.”

“How’d you get her to do that?” Will asked, an amused expression painted across his face. Mike, on the contrary was on the brink of full panic mode.

“I told her I’d finally pay her back the 20 dollars I stole from her piggy bank last week!” Will was the one doubling over in laughter now, smacking Mike’s knees trying to contain himself.

“It’s not funny Will! If I go home and she realizes I snuck out and came home drunk… she’d kill me.” The last part came out as whisper. He sounded so innocent and worried that Will couldn’t bother to stop the laughing fit he was in now.

“Will!”

“Yes.” He managed to choke out while looking back up to meet the desperate boy’s eyes.

“Will, stop laughing! This is serious.”

“Okay, okay, here, I have an idea. I’ll tell Jonathan to call Nancy and let her know you’re with me. Then, you can just sleep over at my place until your hangover passes tomorrow morning. My mom won’t care, she’ll just think you’re staying over like you always do.” The dark-haired boy gasped.

“God, you are brilliant Will Byers.”

“I know.” Mike leaned into him slightly, resting his head on Will’s shoulders.

“What ever would I do without you?” Will felt the warmth slowly creeping back into his cheeks again.

“I don’t know.” He replied in a whisper as the boy ruffled his head into Will’s chest. The two sat in silence for a while, Will bringing a hand up to play with his hair, curling the loose strands near his ears. He listened to his soft breaths. It was almost like a calming music to his ears.

“Byers.” He spoke up against the fabric of Will’s shirt.

“Wheeler.” He replied, still curling and uncurling Mike’s hair in his fingers.

“I still think you should get a dog and name it after me.”

“Mike!”

“Just kidding!” He laughed hoarsely into his chest before leaning back against the wall. Will stood himself up, running a hand down in attempts to unruffle his clothes.

“Cmon.” He called down towards Mike who was now groaning and staring up at him. Will reached out a hand in which he reluctantly took. Interlacing their fingers, Will pulled him up and onto his feet. Mike stumbled forward a bit, but Will was still holding onto him, steadying him.

“Room’s spinning again.” He grumbled.

“Thought you said it was cool?”

“I say a lot of things I don’t mean.” Will found himself arching his eyebrows once again, amused.

“Did you mean it when you called me attractive?” He honestly didn’t know where he got this newfound sense of confidence from, but watching Mike Wheeler drunk and flushed was a sight to see. He watched as Mike’s eyes widened and he held his breath.

“I- That just-It just slipped out, okay! I mean, it’s not like it’s some sort of secret that you’re like- conventionally good-looking or whatever.”

“Conventionally good-looking.” He mocked. “What does that even mean?”

“I don’t know! Yeah, yknow what, you are attractive. There I said it. Happy?” Both boys were flushed now.

“Thanks..” He replied, unsure what else to say in response to Mike’s drunk confession.

“Look what you did!”

“What did I do?”

“You know what you did!”

“No I don’t, enlighten me.”

“You- You made things awkward!” Will scoffed, shaking his head.

“Whatever you say Wheeler.” He reached for the door knob and turned to open the door slightly. He held it open for the both of them, only for the freckled boy to zoom past him and down the hallway.

“Hey! Where are you going?” Will called out, startled by the sudden movement.

“I’ll meet you out front, just give me a second!” Will felt himself rolling his eyes before following down the hallway slowly. Once he made it to the staircase, he made sure to peek down and make sure there was no one watching him as he made his escape out the front door. Afterall, the last time anyone had seen him, he had just left the cutest girl in the school hanging during spin the bottle. Realizing the coast was clear, he ran down the steps and yanked open the front door. Will noticed Mike running towards the kitchen in the distance. Jesus, what was he doing? He shut the main door quietly and stuffed his hands in his pockets, reaching for his car keys.

-

Will rolled his car into the driveway, strumming his fingers on the steering wheel to the rythm of the song on the radio. He looked down to his watch’s face. It’d been around 6 minutes since Mike said he’d meet him out front, so Will had just assumed he was getting his jacket or something. But, even then, it wouldn’t take 6 minutes just to pick up your jacket and head out the front door. Will was honestly contemplating going back in and dragging the Wheeler boy into his car before he noticed the front door open. Mike stumbled out, missing his footing down the front steps and tripped forward a little, his arms flying in all sorts of awkward directions. Will had to bite down on his lip just not to burst out laughing at the scene. Mike reached his car door and was about to pull it open when Will noticed another red cup in his hands.

“What took you so long?” He spoke over the soft pop song that was playing on the radio. He reached out and pulled the door open before plumping down in the passenger seat next to Will.

“I figured if I’m already drunk, there’s no harm in one more drink. Plus, let’s be honest Will, not all of us are attractive enough to get invited to these kind of parties. This may as well be my last time getting to drink spiked punch while jamming out like a normal teenager.” Will chuckled softly at the drink in Mike’s hands, but nodded his head in understanding.

“You’re going to seriously regret that tomorrow morning.”

“Well it’s not tomorrow morning yet, is it?”

“Good point.” Will turned over his shoulder as he reversed the car out of the driveway and onto the road; the dark surroundings soon coming into view with his headlights. Focused on the path ahead, Will watched from the corner of his eyes as Mike reached over towards the radio controls and increased the volume knob. The beat quickly flooded throughout the entire car.

“Mike! I’m trying to drive!” He yelled over the music.

“And you’re doing fine!” Mike called back, unphased. “I love this song!” He exclaimed before beginning to yell out the lyrics.

“We’re talking away! I don’t know what to say. I’ll say it anyways. Today’s another day to find you!” He was now waving his arms around and pointing towards Will’s face who was trying hard to contain the fond smile settling on his face.

“I’ll be coming for your love okay?” He sang, looking directly into the boy’s hazel eyes as he did. Will felt the butterflies forming in his stomach as Mike continued on with the lyrics, Will still caught up on that single line.

“Take on me…”

-

When Will finally pulled the car into the Byers’ front yard, Mike was already passed out in the front seat. It only took 11 minutes of screaming drunk lyrics at the top of his lungs to burn him out and send him into a series of snores. If Will was being honest, it was kind of cute. He parked the car before turning off the engine. Will knew he should probably get up and get the both of them inside, but something inside of him couldn’t bring himself to. Instead, he turned over to face the dark-haired boy as his each breath was slow and quiet. Mike always looked so peaceful when he slept; he’d found that comforting during all their sleepovers as kids. He had a small crease along his right eyebrow as his head furrowed into the back of the seat. Some strands of hair from his bangs spread across his forehead. Will reached over the armrest in between them and used his fingertips to slightly push them away from his face. He paused as the boy’s eyebrows relaxed, but to his relief his eyes remained shut. As if in a trance from his sound beauty, Will felt his fingers wander down passed Mike’s eyelashes and tracing the cluster of freckles that were painted onto his skin. God, he really was beautiful. He laced his fingers and traced the sharp curves that his cheekbones carved out on his soft skin, letting himself paint him with his finger’s touch. It must’ve tickled him or something, because it caused the boy to stir in his seat slightly, a soft groan escaping his lips before fluttering his eyes open. Will felt caught like a deer in the headlights.

“Sorry, there was a uh- fly on your face.” Will stammered, clearing his throat in hopes to ease the sudden weirdness.

“A fly?” Mike groggily called out, rubbing his eyes with a small smile.

“Yeah.”

“Oh, thanks.” There was something unconvincing lining his words but Will chose to ignore it.

“No problem.” He mumbled, still entranced by Mike’s angelic face. Mike didn’t even make an effort to move, finding himself staring back. With Will still leaning over the arm rest, their faces were mere inches away from each other. Mike’s breath hitched in his throat as if exhaling would somehow blow the other boy away. He felt himself holding his own breath, although that was just because he had actually forgotten how to function properly. Mike’s eyebrows were raised slightly as if tempting Will to let his intrusive thoughts win. If he really wanted, Will could just lean in a little more and close that small gap-

“Are we going to head inside or are we just going to spend the whole night out in your car?” Mike let out softly, eyes flicking down to Will’s lips as he spoke. Will shifted his own gaze to trail slowly down from his eyes. “Not that I’m complaining.” He added so quietly that Will could’ve mistaken it for his own imagination. He blinked, gaze fixed onto the boy’s lips now, slightly chapped but so alluring.

“Will..?” Mike whispered, eyes glistening from the light of the front porch ahead of them. His stomach settled in bubbling hot horror as he snapped out of it.

“Right. Right! Sorry.” Will replied, quickly unbuckling his seatbelt and gushing out if the driver’s seat, away from the sudden awkwardness of the situation. As Mike undid his own seatbelt, he couldn’t help but feel the blush rising in his cheeks.

The pair walked over to the front porch quietly as Will used his keys to unlock the front door. It creaked slightly as he pushed it open and reached for the living room’s light switch. He walked in as Mike stumbled in behind him, giggling as he explained how the lights were warping together, almost like water.

“My mom and Jonathan must be asleep by now, so I guess we could just go to my room.” He whispered slightly, motioning towards the hallway.

“After you.” Mike grinned, taking the time to marvel at the sudden warping lights once more, before following the boy down the hall. Will pushed his door open, letting Mike in first before walking in after him. The dark-haired boy sighed before plopping himself down on Will’s bed, kicking his feet up.

“Oh my god.” He exclaimed quietly, bringing his hands up and behind the back of his head on the mattress.

“What?” Will asked before making his way over to his closet. He pulled the small frame open before shuffling through some clothes of his that might fit Mike. Which was hard, considering that fact that the boy was a couple inches taller than him and much slimmer.

“I remember the first time I came over to your house. It was like- in kindergarten. And you were showing me some of your sketches afterschool, which were amazing by the way. I don’t know how, I mean you were only what- like 5?” He emphasized the ending before continuing. Mike lifted his head up slightly to look towards Will’s direction, his hands still resting behind it. “And- And we ended up having a sleepover and do you remember? We stayed up until like 12 am just laughing and laughing, covering each others’ mouths to try and be quiet. And you kept on shushing me because you were worried we’d get caught. But it didn’t work.” Will turned over his shoulder with a soft smile as he watched Mike bite down on his lower lip to stifle his own laughter. “And your mom- Joyce, she came in and saw us sitting there on the floor, just two 5 year olds casually giggling at midnight there on the carpet in the darkness. And oh my god! She was so mad at us. She had to tuck the both of us into your bed and sit there until we both actually went to sleep.” He was now snickering as he turned his direction back to face the bedroom ceiling, legs dangling off the edge of the bed.

“How could I forget?” Will replied, a warm blush settling over his features. Drunk Mike Wheeler was something he could’ve seriously gotten used to. Too bad he’d be gone by tomorrow. Grabbing a pair of sweatpants and one of Jonathan’s old sweaters, he threw them across the room and watched as they landed on the bed next to Mike.

“Change into those. I’ll go get you a glass of water from the kitchen because you’ll really need it after all that punch.” Will then reached for some spare clothes of his own. Mike lifted himself up, propping his body’s weight onto his elbows.

“Thanks, mom.” He smirked as he watched the other boy roll his eyes and leave him to himself in the dark bedroom.

-

After changing in the bathroom across the hall, Will made his way into the kitchen. He allowed his thoughts to wander back to the moment in the car. I mean, Jesus he had almost kissed his best friend. He had almost kissed Mike Wheeler. The image was burned into his head as Mike stared back at him, his lips dried slightly from the nap but still pink from the cold. And while he didn’t know entirely if his feelings were reciprocated, the other boy didn’t even attempt to hide his flirting tonight. Maybe it was the alcohol from the punch, but it didn’t help that he had called him attractive, not once but three times that evening (not that Will had been keeping a mental count or anything.)

He mindlessly let one hand wander towards the faucet and one towards a glass cup that was seated on the counter. Switching on the faucet, he stuck the glass under the drizzle of water. If Will was being honest, Mike had seemed kind of… jealous earlier; of Pheobe at least. Which he found kind of weird because one, he’d never found Pheobe attractive and he thought that was pretty obvious, but second, Mike was never one to get jealous. He always had a manner of pushing aside things that bothered him, covering it up with laughs and jokes. But no, he had seemed really bothered before he slipped off the get a drink. And that- that is what made Will the most confused. He let himself get lost deeper into his thoughts, flicking between the close proximity they had been in the car, to the feeling of his soft face taken over by sleep against his fingertips, to Mike furrowing his head into Will’s chest in the moonlit office, to the distance and frustration of his face during the start of the party. He snapped out of it once he felt something cold drizzle down his hand. Looking down, he noticed the glass now overfilling with water as it was running down onto his skin. Shutting off the faucet, he used a dry towel on the countertop to dry himself before grabbing the glass and making his way back across the hallway to his room.

-

Will placed a palm on his door, contemplating whether or not to open it. Mike could’ve still been changing, he thought. He settled with a small knock, turning his palm around and pressing his knuckles against the door three times. No response. Will pressed his knuckles softly back to the door twice this time. Greeted by the familiar silence once again, he leaned into the wooden door in attempts of hearing anything really. He had no luck, as there was no sound of movement behind the wall. Will placed his palm back onto the frame and pushed it open slightly, peeking his head in first.

Mike was in fact changed into the clothes Will gave him as his two legs snaked around his blanket. He was laying on his back, feet still dangling off the edge but head facing towards the opposite wall’s window. Will noticed the blanket rising with a steady beat as Mike’s arms lay around it; one over his chest and one across the mattress. He followed his gaze up towards the boy’s face. Mike’s bangs were spread over his eyebrows and the some strands near his neck reaching over parts of his cheek. His eyes were shut, mouth slightly parted; his active excitement already taken over by sleep once again. Will felt himself smiling as he pushed the door closed with his back. He made his way across the floor gently to the bedside table while gingerly placing the cup of water down next to the boy. Turning to face the bed, Will reached for the corners of the blanket, slowly freeing them from their awkward grasp of Mike’s legs and pulled it over him fully. It was kind of chilly out afterall. Once again he felt his fingers reach down to Mike’s resting face, pulling the loose strands of hair away from his forehead.

“Night.” Will whispered only to be returned with a blank expression, although knowing that he probably couldn’t hear it by now. He walked over to the window that Mike was facing and closed the curtain in attempts to block some of the moonlight’s reflection. Just as he intended, it casted a shadow throughout the room and across Mike’s face. He made his way back across the room and towards the door, being careful to avoid the floorboards under the carpet that he knew would creak under weight, cursing under his breath when he missed one and a large screech was let out from his foot’s pressure. A quiet shuffling noise came from behind him followed by a small exhale.

“Will?” It was soft, gentle. He felt his heart melt from the sound of his name against Mike’s sleepy demeanor. Will spun his head around and was met with a now awaken Mike Wheeler. The arm that was loosely draped over his chest was reaching over to rub his eyes. His head lifted over to the direction of the door where Will was now standing engulfed in the darkness.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you up.” He took a step away from the door and closer to the bed.

“No, it’s okay. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” Mike replied, sliding out of the blanket Will had wrapped him in and sitting up against the bedframe. Will walked closer to the bed and took the glass by the bedstand in his hands before flicking the lamp next to them on.

“Here, drink this.” The other boy nodded before hastily taking the glass of water into his own hands, their fingers brushing up against each other while doing so. Mike paused, looking up at Will who was now pretending to be focused on the wall across from them. He tried to hide his smile against the mouth of the cup while tipping it upwards.

“So uh- I’ll be out in the living room if you need me.” Will spoke up once he noticed Mike had finished the cool water, emptying the glass and placing it back on the bed stand. Mike furrowed his eyebrows with a small frown.

“What’s in the living room?”

“The couch.” Mike tilted his head to indicate his confusion. “For me to sleep on?” He added, confused as to why he was confused.

“What’s wrong with your bed?” Will opened his mouth slightly and then closed it again. Well really, he knew there was plenty of space for the two of them on his bed. Hell, they had shared the exact bed an uncountable amount of times when they were younger. But this- this was different. Tonight was different. Tonight changed everything about their dynamic. Maybe it was the flirting, or maybe it was the fact that they had almost kissed and Mike was drunk, Will didn’t even know if he was being honest. It just felt different now.

“You’re in it.” Mike widened his eyes in surprise before lifting his arm and dramatically shoving it towards where his heart roughly lay on his chest.

“Ouch.”

“No! Not like that or anything! It’s just-” He paused for a brief moment, catching the gaze of the dark eyes staring back at him. “I-” Mike arched his eyebrows, amused.

“Please, continue.” He said, leaning in closer to him, eyes creasing as he was clearly attempting to stifle a laugh. Will groaned, pulling his palms up to his eyes and into his hair. Either Mike was genuinely confused or he was purposefully playing clueless in attempt to make him flustered (which in that case Will looked extremely stupid right now). Mike didn’t budge, that stupid amused grin still playing on his face. He sucked in a short breath. Two could play that game.

“Nothing, nevermind. Scoot over.” He shoved Mike’s shoulders back slightly and climbed into his bed, feeling the other boy kick himself farther down the mattress under the sheets. Will didn’t even dare to turn over, knowing that he was already staring into his back, he could just feel it. He clenched his insides in attempts to take up as little space as possible, frozen in fear. His arms were crossed over his chest as he tried to shut his eyes and hope to the universe that sleep would take him soon.

-

The universe had betrayed Will Byers one too many times tonight. 5 minutes later and he was still awake, awkwardly trying to ignore the silence of the room and the presence of Mike beside him. He heard a soft chuckle erupt from the dark-haired boy from behind. Will rolled his eyes and turned over his shoulder. Mike was now laying on his back but his head was turned to face him, laughing harder when he caught Will’s annoyed eyes.

“What?” He hissed with a whisper.

“Why are you being so awkward?”

“I’m not.”

“You are so.”

“No I’m not.”

“Yeah, you are.”

“Go to bed.”

“You’re one to talk.” Will huffed, turning his head back over his shoulder and facing the same position towards the door as before. Just as he was about to close his eyes, he felt an arm wrap over his shoulder and dangle just below his chest. No, not just any arm, Mike’s arm. He jerked his head back the opposite direction and towards the boy.

“What are you doing?”

“Relax.” Mike hummed, speaking through his closed eyes.

Shit. The butterflies were returning to Will’s stomach now. His chest was moving steadily with soft breaths. Mike’s arm loosely wrapping around him, as if using his body as a pillow. Relax, he said. Will bit down on his lip and turned his head back onto his own pillow. Before closing his eyes, he let himself shift closer into the sheets under Mike’s warm grasp. Mike seemed to have followed, shifting himself closer to Will.

-

After a couple minutes in the silence of the darkness, he felt himself finally drifting off to sleep; their bodies almost pressed together, Mike still in the same position reaching out and holding onto him. He was so close that Will felt his each exhale against the back of his neck.

“You should’ve kissed me in the car.” It came out quiet and as a mumble, but evident nonetheless. He froze, eyes shooting open. Will had thought the boy was already fast asleep based on his breathing pattern (not that Will was listening to it or anything). His body went cold from the weight of the words.

“Mike-” But it was already too late, he passed out cold with a few light snores escaping his lips, head furrowed closer into Will.

Will turned over on his back and looked up towards the dark ceiling, Mike’s arm dragging along as it lay limply across his chest. He turned his head to face the boy. The butterflies didn’t settle for the night despite the growing heaviness of his eyelids; neither did his mind as he finally drifted to sleep.

Chapter Text

The sunlight was peering slightly out of the folds in the hasty curtain by the window of Will’s room, trails of small dust glistening in the light. Mike shifted his feet together, feeling the warmth of the blanket and stretching out from its comfort. With a deep inhale, he peeled open his eyes slowly. The room was much brighter than he anticipated, causing his eyes to burn as he reached his fingers up and pinched the bridge of his nose. God, why did his head feel like literal steel. He blinked, surroundings still hazy as he let reality seep into him slowly.

To Mike’s much dismay, it wasn’t much. He was at a party- Pheobe’s party, Will was playing spin the bottle, he got something to drink, they talked in an empty room somewhere, and somehow he ended up here, in Will’s bedroom. The boy reached over on the bed for his best friend, longing for his comfort and the pain in his temples to stop throbbing, only to be met with his arm falling against the bedsheets. Mike turned over from his back and onto his shoulder, noticing that the bed was empty. In fact, he was the only one in the room. Where was Will? What time was it? And why the hell did his head feel like it was going to burst any second? He groaned, instead shifting onto his chest and cradling the pillow he was resting on under his arms.

As if on cue, the bedroom door swung open with a sharp creak. He lifted his head from the pillow and was greeted by a familiar face, heart growing warm as he recognized the person in the doorway.

“Oh, Mike! I didn’t realize you were up already honey.” Joyce smiled as she noticed him rubbing his eyes. Her hair was tied back into a loose shoulder braid with her bangs falling out. She was wearing a thick sweater with a Melvad’s name tag pinned to the front. Mike opened his lips slightly to reply before quickly realizing how dry his throat actually was.

She chuckled as she noticed his struggling before walking over to the bed and sitting herself down next to him. Joyce ran one of her hands over the boy’s face as he leaned into her comforting touch, still snuggled in the sheets. “Will told me you’d probably be asleep still.” He tensed at the name.

“Where is Will?” He managed to croak out, awkwardly burying himself deeper into the blanket when it came out all raspy and scratchy.

“In the kitchen. I actually insisted on cooking breakfast for you two boys but he wouldn’t let me. You know how he gets.” Mike felt the blush rising to his cheeks. If there was one thing he loved about the boy, it’d definitely have to be how persistent he was when it came to doing things his own way.

“How are you feeling?” She said with a soft, sincere whisper as if giving her entire attention towards him.

How was he feeling? Well for starters, his head felt like it was going to fall off his neck and detach itself from the rest of his body. The constant pounding against his temples didn’t help with the brightness of the room. Not to mention, he felt completely and utterly nauseous with the sudden urge to puke whatever was inside him (which was not much) out. Oh, and he couldn’t even speak without a sharp pain rising behind his cracked throat.

“Like shit.” Joyce laughed quickly, playfully slapping his arm without any actual force.

“I expected that.” Mike couldn’t place his finger on it, but her eyes glistened with some sort of secret understanding. She reached over to the bedstand where he watched as she slowly cracked open a packet of Advil.

“You know, I’m not as old as you guys make me out to be. I went to my fair share of parties back in high school. This should help.” Mike propped himself up with one elbow as she placed a smaller pill into his palm, handing him a small glass of water to help swallow it down.

“I don’t even remember what happened last night.” He breathed out after wiping his mouth from the excess water drooling down his chin.

“That’s usually how it goes.” She replied, patting his back. “I heard you two come in last night actually. When I came to check in on you guys this morning, you were holding onto each other and snoring away.” Mike felt his lips curling into a small smile, chapped lips cracking and all.

Joyce squeezed his arms, “The headache should be gone soon.” He nodded softly, leaning back down against the warm bed, burying his head into the pillow and grumbling. She ran her hand through his hair once more before he felt the whole of the mattress rise slightly from where she had been sitting as she stood.

“Honey I have work now, but I’ll let Will know that you’re up.” And with that, she was up and out of the room, her warm presence still lingering by the bed. Mike listened to the indistinct conversation in the kitchen down the hall. It was muffled but he made out a few words.

“Mike…head…breakfast…water.”

“Don’t worry…love you…mom…bye.”

“Love…too…come here.”

He recognized the other voice as Will from his deep chuckle. Mike felt the butterflies reach into the pit of his stomach at the sound. He’d never admit it out loud but the boy had decided from back when he was a kid that Will’s laugh was the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard; it never changed. He listened as the front door opened and shut, an engine turning on just past the premise of the window before him. Silence quickly settled over the house, the only noise coming from a few quiet shuffles in the kitchen and the light morning chirps outside.

He really should get up now, shouldn’t he? Rolling his heavy head from the pillow, he shifted his weight from his chest and onto his back, staring up at the posters on the opposite wall. The boy immediately regretted his decision as his stomach swooped and sloshed the remains of whatever he had last night inside. He felt the liquid slowly rise in disscontempt.

Shit. Bathroom. He needed to get to the bathroom.

Kicking off the light blanket, Mike stumbled onto his feet, wincing at the sudden weight in his ankles. He reached for the door as his head throbbed harder and pushed himself down the hall. Thudding against the floorboards, he hastily grabbed for the bathroom doorknob and pulled himself in. It was a fight against time. Unfortunately, he was losing. The boy didn’t even make it close to the sink before he felt the stomach acid and fluids creep up into his throat. Turning for the next best thing, he leaned over the Byers toilet and hurled out the bubbling liquid. It stung the dry spot back in his throat, causing him to cough loudly in pain. Dropping down to his knees, he felt more liquid creeping upwards before suddenly launching out. Mike was leaning over the toilet bowl now, knuckles white from his strong grasp against the seat. His insides felt exponentially lighter after not having to carry the stale fluid inside. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes in order to get the room to stop spinning around him.

A small tap came from the door. Mike’s eyes shot open as he turned to face it, knees still glued to the ground by the mess he created.

“Mike?” Will. He called out in a soft whisper from the other end, almost as if he was uncertain on what else to say. Mike blinked, staring at the door. Still dazed from the stomach acid lining his throat and mouth, he tried to formulate a full sentence. There was an awkward silence settling over the pair now.

“Mike are you in there?” There were two more light taps at the wood as Will’s voice carried over from the hallway and into the bathroom.

“Yeah-! Yeah I’m in here.” He managed to croak out, mentally kicking himself at how stupid he must’ve sounded. He heard a sigh of relief release from the other end of the door.

“Are you okay?” Mike would honestly laugh if the room wasn’t spinning and his head didn’t feel like falling off.

“No.”

“Can I come in?” The bathroom door swung open into Will’s face mid sentence, Mike still on his knees but leaning towards the doorknob. Will looked down at him, startled, before taking in his sudden surroundings. Mike’s unoccupied hand was clutching the toilet’s edge which was now filled with a dark yellow foaming substance. He was kneeling onto the floor, back arched. He focused his gaze back onto the boy’s face who was staring up at him. He had a small smile creeping up on his lips.

“Gross, I know.”

“Gross is an understatement.” Mike let go of the doorknob and hunched fully back over the bowl. “My head is killing me.” He pinched his eyes shut. Will made his way into the bathroom and around him, standing just behind.

“I bet.”

“God, how much punch did I even drink last night.”

“I did warn you that you’d regret it in the morning.” Mike turned from the toilet’s edge and over his shoulder to meet his hazel eyes, sparkling in entertainment. He rolled his own.

“Should’ve warned me harder.” Will scoffed into a downwards smile.

“What does that even mean.” He opened his mouth to come up with a sly response before the familiar warm liquid started making its way up from his stomach again. Will must’ve noticed his quick expression change as he knelt down next to him and placed a firm hand on Mike’s back. Mike choked out a cough before the thick alcohol fluids and mucus mixture reached out of his throat and straight into the toilet’s bowl. Will grabbed the loose strands of hair falling around his face and pulled them back behind his head lightly with his palm, the other one still pressed into his back. Closing his eyes, he continued to take shaky, slow breaths. The fast thumping in his head slowed down slightly as he felt the blood rushing around in his head.

“I am never-” Mike paused to inhale sharply when he felt a gag tugging at his throat. “I am never touching alcohol ever again.” Will was still holding onto his hair, pulling the loose curls away from his face as his other hand was now moving in circular motions against his back.

“Yeah, good idea.”

“Sorry by the way.” His hand stopped abruptly.

“For what?” Mike nodded his head forward, motioning towards the toilet now filled with water and puke. Will smiled gently.

“You don’t have to apologize Mike.”

“Sorry.” Will raised his eyebrows. “Right, sorry for saying sorry.” He shook his head with a squint. Will let go of his dangling hair, tucking it behind his ears inside of allowing it to fall in his face. He rubbed Mike’s back slowly once more before getting up from his kneel.

“I’ll go get you a spare toothbrush.” He nodded slightly before looking on as the boy exited the bathroom. Reaching for the flush, Mike watched the water pressure suck in all the gross clumps. He grimaced at the scene and grabbed onto the sink’s counter next to him to pull himself up. The mirror was slightly fogged, painted in a few cracks around the corners. Catching a glimpse of his reflection, Mike noticed how not only did he feel like shit, but did he actually look the part. He furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance. The boy was never really that fond of his looks. He felt as though his skin curved in all the wrong places, making him look quite literally like a frog. His hair was usually messy, but now his bangs were swept in random directions and knotted from sleep. His arms were awkwardly long and noodley. His eyes were decorated with dark circles from the late night. And god, did he hate those ugly brown freckles that splattered across his skin in the most random, hideous patterns.

He looked extra shit today. Which normally, he couldn’t care less about, but now he was with Will. Will who always looked effortlessly pretty. Will whose hair always fluffed up around his eyes and behind his neck. Will whose eyes always shone with a light brown and some flecks of green if you just stared long enough. Will who had grown into his own body more in the last few years, shoulders broad and his walk filled with a slight confidence. Will whose lips were always a shade of tinted pink and moist and oh so hypnotizing. Will who was know making his way back into the bathroom.

“Mike?” He called out, forehead pressed in concern. Mike was still leaning his palms against the sink’s counter as he looked up from his reflection and towards his best friend.

“Huh?”

“Nothing, you just seemed out of it.”

“Oh.” Will cleared his throat, holding out a dark colored tooth brush, bristles shining in contrast with a clean white. “Here.” Mike sent him a smile before stepping closer and reaching out one arm to grab it from his.

“Thanks.”

“Yeah.”

If Mike was being honest, the atmosphere had somehow suddenly shifted to… awkward. He couldn’t tell why since neither of them had said anything to make things between them awkward. Nothing he could remember with his splitting headache anyways.

“I’ll be in the- uh kitchen.”

“Yeah, cool.”

“Cool.” Waiting for Will to leave so he could brush his teeth, he looked towards him expectantly. To his much confusion, Will remained glued to the floor, staring straight into his eyes. Mike scrunched his eyebrows together, staring right back.

“Will?”

“Yeah?”

“You’ll be in the kitchen?”

“Right..Right!” Mike noticed a hint of red in his cheeks before he spun around quickly and left the bathroom as quickly as he came.

Okay, now not only was Mike Wheeler extremely fucking hungover, but extremely fucking confused too.

-

He spit, minty foam trailing down his lips. Turning on the faucet, he gathered a pool of cool water in his palms and slurped it contently, taking a few seconds to swirl it around with his tongue. Mike could already feel like unpleasant taste leaving his mouth as he pushed the water and excess toothpaste back out. He glanced up at his horrifying reflection once more before grabbing another handful of water and splashing his face with it. His front bangs became damp as he reached for the towel next to him to dry himself off.

Mike didn’t know what it was, but he felt like there was something Will wasn’t telling him; which was so frustrating considering the fact that he barely remembered anything after leaving the party last night. Whatever it was though, it had to have been big enough to cause this random awkward lingering in the air from the other boy. Mike was now on a mission. A mission to pry it out from Will.

He met his reflection once more before sighing and walking over to the bathroom’s light switch. Flicking it down, he turned into the hallway leading to the kitchen. Peeking out past the wall, he noticed Will leaning in towards a bowl on the counter with his back turned towards him, quite concentrated in whatever he was doing. Mike shifted uncomfortably, not sure how to get his attention. Wait, why was he being weird; things weren’t supposed to be weird between them.

“What’re you making?” He called out, watching as Will flinched from his voice, not expecting him to be standing there in the middle of the kitchen. “Smells good.” Mike made sure to add to ease whatever annoying tension he must’ve created. The boy turned over his shoulder with a grin.

“Pancakes.”

“Woah Byers, I’m impressed. Since when did you become a chef?” He earned a comfortable snicker from Will, mentally celebrating his small victory. One point towards making things less awkward.

“It’s just the batter I have to whip, there’s no real cooking Mike.”

“Not true, don’t you have to use the stove or whatever?” Will rolled his eyes with a smile before turning back to mixing.

“Okay, okay fine. But you can make lots of other things too.”

“Name one thing.”

“Cereal.”

“Seriously?” Mike chuckled, making his way farther into the room and towards the counter Will was standing at.

“What? It takes serious skill to pour milk into a bowl and choose which cereal to pour in at the same time.”

“Well then I guess I’m the best of the best.”

“See, and I never once doubted you.” Will looked up towards him as he walked closer, wanting to eliminate any stubborn space between them. Mike pursed his lips as he watched him quickly shoot his gaze back down towards the bowl. Shit. Scratch that point, things were definitely back to being awkward.

“So, uh yesterday.” He said, trying to make his words sound as casual as possible.

“Yesterday?” Will repeated, still staring down towards the bowl of batter, whipping it almost mindlessly. It was almost a confirmation for Mike. So this weird tension in the air between them had come from yesterday. Interesting.

He pressed his eyebrows down, attempting to steer this conversation in the right direction. “Yeah, yesterday. What um- What happened?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well like, my memories kind of foggy from all the alcohol. What happened after the party?” He asked, genuinely curious. Will was whipping the batter more quickly now, Mike’s eyes widened.

“Why are you asking?”

“I don’t know?” Will paused, still gripping onto the wooden spoon he was using to mix.

“Are you trying to mess with me or something?”

“Will, what? What do you mean mess with you?” He felt the heat rising into his cheeks as the boy turned over to fully face him. They caught each other’s gaze, neither breaking eye contact.

“Nothing happened. I just found you drunk and you said your mom grounded you and would kill you if you came home like that. Then I told you that you could stay over here and Jonathan could tell Nancy you were with me. And then-” He paused with a small swallow. “And then I drove you here and we went to bed.” Something about the way Will spoke lured Mike in closer. It felt real, almost too convincing, but nothing added up. If what really happened matched up with what Will said, then why were things so… tension-y between them. He decided to play along, not wanting to push things over the edge.

“Oh.” Will was still staring into his eyes. He felt himself swallow now. “Okay.”

“Yeah.” He grabbed the bowl and took a few steps away from Mike as he wandered over to the stove. To his much annoyance, Mike followed right behind him, leaning his arms behind him against the countertop now as Will leaned forward, messing with the knobs.

“So that’s all that happened, right?” He paused, closing his eyes.

“Yes, Mike, that’s all that happened.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.” Will sighed when the fire started underneath the metal grate. He turned back to the bowl of batter next to him while grabbing onto the spoon once again.

“Okay good, because I just felt some awkward tension coming from you. I wanted to make sure it wasn’t because of me or anything.” The boy was pouring the batter into careful circles, trying his best to be precise. He paused, horrified, almost as if Mike’s words smacked him right in the chest.

“Awkward tension?”

“Well- yeah.” Mike peered at Will as he set the bowl down beside him.

“What do you mean? I wasn’t being awkward? No, actually if anything, you were the one being awkward.” He stammered quickly, quite obviously avoiding any sort of contact with the taller boy now.

“What?” Will shakily inhaled, pretending to be focused on the pancakes cooking ahead of him. Mike’s stomach grumbled with longing from the sweet aroma lifting into the air. He leaned in closer to him, nudging his sides with his elbow. “Will, I obviously said something that upset you or something.”

“Trust me, you didn’t Mike.”

“No seriously cmon. Please- Just tell me what I did because, in case you didn’t notice, it’s kind of hard to apologize with no context at all whatsoever.”

“There is no context to explain. There is no need to apologize. And-” He paused, lips pressing together as his face radiated a warm glow, “Nothing happened.” He was quickly putting up a barrier and Mike was growing frustrated.

“Will, I can clearly tell you’re lying. We’ve been best friends for what- 12 years now and you’re still the same shitty liar as you used to be.”

“Jesus Mike, is not understanding basic English a side effect that comes with being hung over? Or did you just magically become stupid overnight?” Will finally turned to face him. With Mike already leaning down towards the boy, they ended up being closer than the other had anticipated. Both boys were practically toe to toe, hazel eyes glaring up as at the dark chocolate eyes glared down. Mike could practically feel the annoyance seeping out on his skin with each of Will’s sharp breaths. Mike was pretty sure the frustration was radiating off his own body now too.

“Stop doing that.”

“Doing what?”

“Stop acting like everything’s perfectly okay when it obviously isn’t and then getting mad at me for wanting to fix my mistakes.”

“That’s the thing Mike! Everything is perfectly okay! There are no mistakes! I already told you what happened after the party. You’re overthinking into every little thing I say and calling it “awkward tension.” I mean what the hell does that even mean.”

“Just tell me what I said, please! I want to make things right. You’re clearly on edge right now because of something I said while I was literally drunk! I don’t even remember what I said Will and you’re holding that against me!”

“What the fuck Mike, I’m not holding anything against you! You’re literally putting words in my mouth!” Mike’s eyes widened in shock. One thing about Will was that he rarely lashed out, not only that but the boy never seemed to curse either. And now here he was, practically breathing against Mike’s face, extremely bothered, and doing just that.

“I-” Will sucked in a quick breath, eyes darting away for a second before returning back to their former position into Mike’s.

“You really want to know what happened last night so bad?” He spoke quietly, yet firmness still lining the words. Mike nodded quickly, entranced by the sudden assertiveness in Will’s voice. His eyes flicked down to his faint lips. Will was still glaring up at him, but under the stern surface, Mike could practically feel his heart thumping against the blush in his cheeks.

Mike’s damp bangs had dried over his forehead now, causing them to fall just above his eyes. A few loose strands wandered over his eyelashes. Will reached an arm up and took the strands in his fingertips, pushing them to the side and out of his face. He felt the butterflies from the car last night return into his stomach. He let his fingers wander down passed his lashes, the same way they did with Mike sleeping in the passenger seat next to him. He slowly traced the small freckles that spread across Mike’s angelic face before lacing them to paint around his sharp bone structure. Unlike last night when he was asleep and relaxing under his fingers touch, Will felt the other boy tense up immediately with each movement he made.

Mike’s breath hitched in his throat, heart practically pounding against his chest.

“You told me that I should’ve kissed you.” Will breathed out quietly, frozen in a trance as he studied Mike’s reaction. His cheeks flushed with a warm pink, eyebrows lifting so slightly that Will could’ve missed the movement if he had just blinked. Mike had been staring at his lips the whole time, only now redirecting his gaze towards his eyes, searching.

“I said that?” It came out as a whisper, almost asking himself more rather than the boy in front of him. Will didn’t reply, rather finding his own self gazing into his eyes, searching. The boy’s mouth parted slightly as if contemplating whether or not to let desire win.

“If I did would you do it back?” Mike now asked, gently. Their faces were hovering closer as each moment passed. Will found his head nodding slowly. Mike’s own face was now casting a shadow over his.

Before he had time to react, Mike hungrily crashed his lips into Will’s. He let out a small gasp of surprise against his mouth before leaning in closer. Will’s lips were soft, almost silken against his own. He could feel the soft tickle of his breath beneath his nose as Will realized what was happening. Mike felt his eyes flutter closed against his face. Mike was leaning with his back against the kitchen counter with Will standing against him, just as they were when they stumbled into Pheobe’s kitchen the night before. Warmth crept up in Mike’s chest as he felt Will lean in closer to him. It wasn’t like anything he’d even been expecting. It was extremely uncoordinated as he felt their noses bump slightly together, but God did he love it. It was intoxicating. Their frustration had quickly shifted to longing before both boys pressed their mouths into each other. Mike had pressed first, but Will was the one leading in towards the boy. It was tender, the warmth consuming him as he encouraged himself closer. Mike felt like his knees would give in and he would quite literally combust or die of a heart attack at that very moment. Here lies Mike Wheeler. Cause of death? Kissing Will Byers.

Mike pulled away for a breath, his chest huffing upwards, face a deep shade of red. Will followed, allowing himself to take in shaky breaths of his own.

“Will-”

“Mike-”

They both found their way into each other’s eyes again, speaking at the same time. Will grinned upwards. Mike felt his own lips curling into a smile as the thumping in his chest kept beating away.

“Wow.” Was what Mike was thinking, but he felt himself flinch in embarrassment as he realized the word slipped out past his mouth. Will laughed, leaning into the boy and bringing his hands around his waist. Mike wrapped his own arms around Will as they stood there against the counter.

“I’m sorry.” He spoke out, resting his head atop Will’s.

“No, I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t have lashed out at you like that.” His face was buried into Mike’s chest.

“It’s okay, I would’ve too. I can be such an idiot sometimes.”

“Can’t deny that.” Mike snickered softly. “It really took having to be drunk and hungover in order for you to come to your senses and kiss me?” He shook his head, butterflies still dancing around inside.

“I just needed that for the confidence.” Before Mike could register anything else, he felt a thick, charred scent enter into his nose. Scrunching it, he looked down as he watched Will making the same face.

“Do you smell that?” The hazel-eyed boy spun his head over towards the stove next to them. The once fluffy white pancake batter had turned a deep shade of black as it released steams of gas out from the heat. Mike followed his movement and looked over, realizing the source of the burning smell.

“Shit!” Will exclaimed, letting go of him and frantically reaching over towards the stove’s control knobs. “There goes breakfast.”

“Cereal?” Mike asked, eyebrows raised and eyes glistening with a smile.