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Will Byers loved kissing. He was addicted to it. He didn’t remember how he lived his life before knowing about it, how it felt like, but then again, maybe he felt this way because he was kissing his best friend Mike Wheeler.
They were in Mikes’ basement, under two tables they had pushed together and topped with two big blankets. Under the tables, they had put all kinds of pillows and blankets and two mattresses. Mike had brought a big flashlight, that was shining orange through the blanket into their little cave. Will stretched out and let out a long, happy sigh of comfort.
He squeaked when he felt Mikes’ cold fingers on his exposed belly, tickling him. “Stop it!” he laughed and leaned down to give Mike another kiss.
Mikes’ cheeks felt warm under his fingertips, his whole body felt warm, now that Will leaned down over him. He could smell his shampoo and the warm scent of his sweater as he pressed his lips against his best friends’.
Were they still best friends?
Mike giggled lightly, which was new. Will had never heard him made that sound before they had started kissing, but now every once in a while, he heard it, and it made him feel lightheaded.
Will was so in love.
They parted so Will could snuggle up into the crook of Mikes’ neck where he placed another quick kiss for good measure.
Mikes’ hand found its way into Wills’ smooth hair and he sighed. He never knew how good it felt to have someone touch his scalp, this was new too.
“You hungry, Will? Or thirsty? Should I get you anything?” Mike mumbled in a low voice, he almost sounded like he was ready to fall asleep. It was, after all pretty late already.
“No, I’m good. Also, your cheeks are all red.” Will grinned “If someone’s in the kitchen, they’ll wonder what we’ve been doing.”
Mike shrugged and the movement rocked Will back and forth.
“Have you thought about telling them?”
Mike scoffed. “No, of course not.” He sounded much more awake suddenly. “I’m sure your Mom will be cool with it, but I don’t think my parents will get it.”
“What’s not to get? We’re… boyfriends now.” Will said, and the words felt weird.
Mike snorted. “That sounds ridiculous.”
“Hey!”
“No, not like that, just… ‘Boyfriend’ sounds so weird. Like you’re someone new I found and am dating now. But you’re you, right? I’ve always loved you. I just do differently now.” Mike almost whispered.
Will felt his cheeks turn red and Butterflies in his stomach. He bit his lips so he wouldn’t grin stupidly. He pressed another kiss onto Mikes’ neck. “I feel the same way.” He sighed.
Will had thought about it, these past weeks. Wasn’t it weird? He was so completely convinced that he loved Mike. He had been in love with him for years now since they had been in Middle School. But could Love have been found so early already, at age fourteen?
It seemed strange, but then again, strange things had been happening to them before, hadn’t they?
Before, Will had always felt cursed for being in love with his best friend, but these feelings luckily were a thing of the past now.
Will felt a blanket being pulled over him and he snapped out of his thoughts. “Hey, I’m not even in my Pajamas yet.” He laughed.
“Sorry, you were so silent all of a sudden, I thought you fell asleep,” Mike said as he slowly rose up, which Will regarded with a groan.
“Where are you going? Stay!” he said, as he pulled Mikes’ sweater.
There had been a short period between them, where everything had felt awkward and they didn’t dare to say things, that would usually have been perfectly normal. It didn’t take long for them to realize, however, that they were in fact still themselves and not much had changed between them, so now both boys were comfortable with saying exactly what they were feeling at the moment again. If anything, their relationship had improved, in every possible way.
“I’m getting changed. I feel like, I’m going to faint any minute now.” Mike joked, as he pushed away from the blankets and stepped outside to find his Pajamas.
Will lazily looked after him, as he went to the opposite side of the room, picked up the clothes, looked over his shoulder quickly and then pulled his sweater over his head.
Will felt his cheeks burn up again. Seeing Mike almost naked was, of course, nothing new in principle. He had seen Mike change in front of him about a thousand times before, but he couldn’t deny that it felt different now and so he looked away quickly, focusing his gaze on one of the many toys in the room.
When Mike came back, the awkwardness had already subsided and Will smiled at him happily.
“I wish we could watch a movie or something, I know it’s too late, though”, he said while Mike shook his head as he adjusted the pillows and lay down on them.
“My parents would kill me if they even knew we were still up.” He yawned loudly and sloppily placed his hand on Wills' stomach again, just letting it rest there.
Will stared at the wooden ceiling of their little Fort. He thought about Castle Byers and how he hadn’t been able to visit it again after everything that happened, even though he loved it so much.
“You know, maybe we could build another Castle Byers. A bigger one, just for the both of us.” He mumbled and yawned.
“We probably wouldn’t even need help. We could do it this summer!” Will bit his lip. “Or maybe not… Maybe that’s stupid. Do you think we’re too old for this stuff? Mike?”
He looked over to his best friend to find him buried face down in one of the pillows, his hair spilled all over in black tussled chaos.
Will felt himself go still. He just watched Mike for a while, observing his chest rise and fall, the way the orange light gave his skin a glow that almost reminded Will of summer.
He got up very quietly, carefully moving Mikes hand out of the way.
When he returned, Mike had moved a little and his face was no longer completely buried in the pillow, his nose was scrunched up as if he was debating something in his sleep.
Perfect.
Will took a long, slow breath and then he started to draw.
Mikes’ soft snore and the sound of Wills pencil moving across the paper were the only sounds in the room for a long time.