Chapter Text
During the time they were inside the convenience store, Mike could only watch as Will was led back and forth by Lucas and Dustin, who seemed to find special enthusiastic in dragging the hazel-eyed boy by the arm throughout the establishment while mentioning topics that were lost in incomplete conversations. One moment they could be in front of the perfectly arranged candies on the shelves, with Lucas being the apparent commissioner of starting an impromptu debate about why M&M's were the best chocolates and why 3 Musketeers were the worst candy ever made, a position that was only countered by Dustin, who claimed that nougat was superior; only moments later simply agreeing with whatever chocolate Will proclaimed as his favorite, and of course those had to be Reese's Pieces, with the fact of knowing such information beforehand being Mike's only consolation to avoid losing his mind at the feeling of being excluded from his boyfriend's attention.
Finally, after navigating through the various shelves of the 7-Eleven, and in the process annoying the cashier who had to endure residing in the small store with the loud laughter and arguments of Dustin and Lucas, along to Mike's whining, it was time to bring the unexpected stop to an end and get back on the road, which was awarded by Nancy, entering the establishment only to quickly grab a bottle of water, pay, and warn the three teenagers to hurry up before she regretted taking them.
“Will’s the only one coming with me. The rest of you can walk home if you don’t hurry,” she announced in an authoritative voice as she walked out of the store, causing the boys to immediately rushing to the register.
“Is that all you’re getting?” the cashier said with annoyance seeing how, after all the time she had to put up with the noisy teenagers, they had only placed a bag of M&M’s on the counter.
“Oh,” Dustin spoke noticing the lonely package of chocolates, “this too,” he added, setting down a small 3 Musketeers bar. The cashier looked at the candy with irritation and then at them. Dustin smiled innocently. “Lucas pay” He nudged the mentioned boy’s shoulder, earning a look that mixed confusion with mild annoyance.
“And why do I have to pay?” Lucas argued defensively. Mike rolled his eyes seeing a new argument coming.
“It's your turn to pay,” Dustin shot back. “Besides, I didn't bring any money,” he added proudly.
“So…you didn’t bring money and I'm the one who’s supposed, literally, pay the consequences?”
“Look at you, catching on so fast. You just proved everyone wrong about you being just another bubblehead basketball guy,” Dustin patted his friend's back as if he were rewarding him for his good reasoning.
“No, no, no,” Lucas shook his head. “I always pay,” he protested.
“And I never bring money,” the curly-haired boy added, “that's why we’re such a good team,” he opened his arms with a friendly expression that Lucas immediately rejected.
While the two boys continued arguing about who should pay, a realization landed on Mike’s head, who thought about how this argument, which would usually be annoying, didn't necessarily have to be a bad thing, because, since they had entered the convenience store, this was the first time both Lucas and Dustin seemed to be ignorant of Will's presence.
So, even with the pounding heartbeat that accompanied the mere idea of touching the hazel-eyed boy's arm, Mike gathered his courage, managing to take Will by his right wrist and pull him all the away to the end of the aisles, near where the ICEE machine was located.
But of course, Mike never thought he would get so far with his plan to monopolize his boyfriend just for himself, so once he had Will in front of him, he only sounds around them were the distant argument between Lucas and Dustin and the hum of the machine blending the flavored ice. A faint pink spread beneath his freckles when he realized his hand was still wrapped around the wrist of the boy in front of him, causing a wave of nervousness to invade him, leaving his feet glued and his body immobile as if he studently become a statue, which worsened even more when a soft smile appeared on Will's delicate face who then began to slowly step closer, shortening the distance between them more and more.
No way, no way. It was the only thing echoing inside Mike's head. Is this going to happen right now? No way, shit, what do I do? What do I do? Idiot, focus. Damn it, How did the whole kissing thing even work? Oh god, I didn't even practice. The panic that his mind had become was accompanied by the sweat leaking through his palms.
What am I going to do if I ruin it? No, no! Calm down, are you Mike the Brave or Mike the Coward? Oh god, here he comes, close your eyes!
“Your favorite flavor is raspberry, isn't it?” Will's unexpected words seemed to push Mike back in to reality all at once; he opened his eyes that just a second ago he was still holding tightly shut, blinking a few times in the process. “I remember you mentioned it in one of your letters,” Will spoke again into the silence.
Mike felt embarrassment invade his face, finally becoming aware of his boyfriend's true intention, who had leaned in to reach for the ICEE cups that were behind him. Will looked at him with a soft expression, still waiting for his answer.
“I— what?” he hesitated, still trying to process what had just happened, “I mean— y-yes, I like raspberry,” as much as he tried to hide it, disappointment leaked through his voice. Mike looked at the ground for a second, and then again into the hazel eyes in front of him, trying to put on the best expression of self-conviction he could.
At the confirmation, Will placed the cup under the blue dispenser, pulling the lever and watching as the container was filled with the sweet sapphire slushie; his hand immediately dropped in temperature, being invaded by the cold passing through the paper-like cup. Finally, when he finished the task of serving the raspberry ICEE, he placed the lid and the straw that were on the shelves next to it; this time, however, Mike did not make an attempt to close his eyes waiting for a kiss that only happened in his imagination; on the contrary, he moved slightly away giving Will total access to the supplies he needed.
Will's fingers gently squeezed the transparent straw while he leaned slightly until pressing it between his lips, sipping some of the flavored ice while, with an almost angelic expression; he looked at Mike, who watched all his actions intently, entering in a mental trance where fantasy had no limit.
When the nearly hypnotic image in front of him ended, his jet-black eyes blinked, shifting his attention from the pink lips to the hazel gaze in front of him. Mike swallowed hard while still maintaining a dazed expression on his face, almost similar to when he disassociated. Then Will extended the cup toward him, finally pulling him out of his trance.
That nervousness that invaded Mike earlier seemed to find a new host in Will, who kept his right arm extended and his hand shaking, but not from the cold of the ICEE.
Those moments that he held the cup waiting for it to be taken were eternal, allowing doubt to creep back into his head. Am I being too much? He reflected, only to immediately discard those thoughts upon remembering Max's words. “If you really want it to work, you have to leave that shyness of yours aside, don’t think, just do it!” It resonated like an echo in his mind.
Still, the mere idea of being face to face with Mike made his legs shake, sweat flood the palms of his hands, and his heart beat with such force that he could hear it thumping through his ears; that’s why, when just moments earlier he had noticed how the black-haired boy's eyes closed in anticipation, all that guts he had been building up before his trip seemed to have vanished completely, transforming him back into a coward and forcing him to pull back from his sudden attempt to kiss him. He was, however, deeply grateful in that moment that his mind always came up with quick, improvised solutions. Even so, right now he felt pathetic with his hand still extended, holding that silly excuse he had forced to make up. He hesitated; maybe it wasn't a direct kiss, but it was something, something that would absolutely crush him if it was rejected, something that could sink him into the depths of his pessimistic self, or lift him back up into that confident version of himself, the one that at that very moment was on the verge of drowning.
Fortunately for him, sooner rather than later Mike took the cup in his hands, and in a moment that seemed frozen in space-time, he brought the transparent straw to his mouth, squeezing it gently between his lips and sipping the cold, sweet drink. Mike’s mind wandered between whether the sweetness was due to the artificial flavorings, or the fact that Will had drunk from the same place previously.
It didn't matter what it was, because that moment had already been engraved directly into the depths of his memory: Will's soft gaze with an almost heavenly smile, the slightly fluffy brown hair covering his forehead, and that expression that made him feel confused and hypnotized.
Just the two of them, sharing what in both minds, was their first indirect kiss.
But of course, happy moments never last forever, and sooner rather than later they were again interrupted by the loud sound of the clutch starting. Mike opened his eyes in surprise as he pulled the ICEE from his mouth, he quickly headed to the nearest window, seeing how Nancy's cobalt blue car threatened to start and abandon them to their fate in the middle of nowhere.
“We gotta go,” he spoke almost scrambling the words in his haste.
Without giving Will time to speak, he took him again by the wrist, dragging him through the aisles, but still making time to stop in front of the Reese's Pieces, being careful not to spill the drink he held between his thumb, index, and middle finger, while he tried to grab the candy wrapper with his pinky and ring finger in a scissor-like movement.
Upon reaching the register, he had to make an effort to push Lucas and Dustin, who were unaware that they could soon be abandoned at that gas station, and on the contrary were still in the middle of the infinite discussion about who would pay, but that didn't stop them from making a momentary truce to complain about Mike's sudden intrusion, who turned a blind ear to the claims and placed the ICEE cup and the Reese's Pieces next to the M&M’s and the 3 Musketeers.
“Here you go,” he said pulling three one-dollar bills from his pants pocket, “keep the change.”
Mike hurriedly took the Reese's Pieces, putting it in the right pocket of his jeans, but just as he grabbed the ICEE cup and prepared to hold Will again to guide him quickly to the car, he was intercepted by Lucas and Dustin who, in the euphoria of receiving free candy, squeezed him in a hug where Mike was caught right between both bodies. The two boys began to jump holding arms with Mike still in the middle, cheering things like “Free Candy” or the name of their benefactor, who almost spilled the drink in his hand at the unexpected turns accompanied by jumps that his friends forced him to take.
In an attempt to escape the unusual gratitude, he extended his hand toward Will, almost pleading for him to be freed from being crushed; however, that only caused Lucas and Dustin to become aware that the brown-haired boy was standing aside as an external spectator, so they immediately extended their arms pulling him into the middle of the circle formed by the two of them, joining him in the middle along with Mike, who if he was already mortified before, was now even more so feeling Will's body being pushed toward him, causing a closeness that inevitably made his ears and face turn red.
Within the growing joy, Mike glimpsed a gap under Lucas and Dustin's arms, and even as he was carried from one side to another and almost dizzy enough to lose his stomach, he managed to slip away, freeing himself from the euphoric hug; he extended his hand toward Will and pulled him with as much force as he could, releasing him from that momentary prison, and then dragged him out of the store toward the car that was already threatening to leave.
The sound of the bell hanging from the establishment's door was what alerted Dustin and Lucas to the absolute no presence of Mike and Will; they both looked at each other with confusion until they heard the fierce roar of the engine in the distance, becoming aware at that moment that they were on the verge of being abandoned; each one roughly grabbed their respective candy from the cash register and ran until they were in front of the vehicle.
Lucas was the first to complain noticing how his place in the back seats had already been taken by Mike, who looked at him with a ironic smile and then put an arm behind Will to reach his right shoulder and pull him into a side hug, causing his friend to just roll his eyes and settle into the passenger seat.
Fortune was momentarily smiling at Mike.