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Lucas is convinced Mike is still straight.
Even though he came out to the party years ago.
He still remembers the day.
In Lucas’s defense who wouldn’t when Mike practically screamed it at them.
Will’s coming out was subtle and shy, trembling a little but trying to look stronger as he stood in front of them waiting for their reply. Although Lucas thinks Will always have been the strongest of them all. Bold even.
Lucas was shocked when they announced they were together and even more surprised that others weren’t.
Dustin teased him for a long time for that.
He wasn’t dense, he was relatively smart in his defense he might have missed the signs. He argued for a while because well he was technically true as everyone saw Mike all over Eleven and how he was. It was really a surprise for him. But then again as time went by he understood. His mind had gone back to that rainy day in Mike’s basement when Will had blown up. He had no idea when Mike had followed him upstairs but new something seriously went wrong when Mike had come rushing back looking unhinged and well crazy.
He should have known he thinks.
Now it has been three years, all of them still together and well Will and Mike were still together.
He doesn’t get it.
He knew how much into and all over Max he had been when they got together, how much they would like to make out and miss things all the time not that they don’t now. But Will and Mike are just Will and Mike, like they were all these years. Yes. There were changes but not really, Mike always liked to be beside Will even when they were little, Will always would whisper in Mike’s ear and even back then they would have a whole conversation with just their eyes. But apart front that there were no hand holding, no making out, no clinging to each other like El and Mike used to be, basically no touching each other when they were with the party.
For him it was weird and it became weirder as it went on to the point he almost thought that they broke up, but it was them and they would have told the party. Not to mention the one time Mike forgot to meet Will up and had absolutely panicked practically dashing out of the arcade that he knew they were still, well them, together.
Today as he stands in the crowded club, drinks in his hand he is convinced once again that Mike is indeed straight. “Well we have never seen them kiss” he whispers to his girlfriend trying to prove his point. Max only rolls her eyes at her boyfriends antics as she replies “They do kiss. Just not in front of us although I keep telling them they are free to be themselves. Andddd we have seen Will kiss Mike on his cheek many times”
Yeah that, Lucas gets distracted as he watches yet another girl hit on Will going as much as rubbing his arm. He won’t lie he is a little jealous , out of all of them boys in the party Will is the one who manages to attract so many girls without even trying. And every time he watches Will decline politely with a shudder and shrug like he does right now chugging his drink Lucas can’t help himself but exclaims “Every damn time ! How the fuck do you manage that Byers, you are like walking chick magnet”
Dustin nods agreeing making Lucas smirk “he doesn’t have to work at all man”
Max smiles agreeing as well, she slides next to Will pinching his cheek making him blush as she says “Not my type but you’re the cutest Byers”
This only makes the man blush some more making the rest of them chuckle.
At the same time Mike and El join them together with drinks in their hands for the rest of them grabbing their attention as El says “Sorry you guys some guy wouldn’t leave me alone. Thank god Mike here came to my rescue” At that Lucas notices Will slamming his now empty glass down on the table.
Before he can make any comment much less react Mike asks “ So what were you guys talking about” Lucas goes to speak knowing this is the perfect opportunity to see if his guess is correct but Will just stares him down with narrow eyes challenging him to say anything. He only smirks at him not taking the threat and starts “Well Wheeler-“ But before he can continue the rest of his sentence Will grabs his elbow asking “ Lucas can I talk to you for a second?” and drags him a little away from the gang not before taking the new drink in his hand with him.
“What Byers?” Will rolls his eyes and states “Don’t. It will make Mike jealous and he will make everyone suffer” Lucas only laughs and nods but couldn’t help himself but questions“ Don’t you want to see him jealous for you?”
Will only rolls his eyes again muttering “I need a drink”
He goes to point out there is right one there in his hand when a girl comes hits on him again.
Honestly he is more than curious about their relationship or not right now. Lucas knows the only way to find out if anything is still going on or they have broken up or maybe his previous take that Mike is indeed straight still stands correct.
He leaves Will to deal with the girl knowing full well that by now the guy has it under control and meets up with the gang.
Mike quirks his eyebrow as he joins them back, more importantly at the incredulous look Lucas is sporting right now “What happened ?” Lucas decides it’s now or never to batter him with questions starting with “Dude, How the hell Will manages to pull so many girls ?!? Yet another one hit on him or rather is hitting on him as we speak. This is like the 5th girl tonight ?!”
Mike is not faced by the revelations as everyone starts narrating the scenes they witnessed. Lucas is surprised by the fact that he doesn’t get angry, doesn’t scowls or ask them to stop. Hell he doesn’t even look bothered just listens to them.
If Lucas had any doubts on his theory the rest of the night just dissolved it for him.
After some time of them talking through the loud music everyone decides to dance, the primary thing they came here to do. Well apart from drinking. He watches as Mike takes El’s hand to go dance and he can’t help but shout “Knew you still liked her. This is getting-“ Before he can complete his sentence Dustin is dragging him to the dance floor.
He dances to the loud music for a while, all four of them with Dustin going a little crazy that has the rest of the three of them in splits. It feels like forever that must be an hour or so that he finds himself pushing through the crowd leaving El, Mike and Dustin on the floor behind, hot and sweating making his way to the bar. He needs some strong alcohol and a cold beer before that, just to feel cool.
After pressing the cold beer bottle to his face and downing it, he leans on the bar sipping on his vodka. It occurs to him that he hasn’t seen Max in a while. He walks back to the group and shouts over the music “Let’s go! Guys! Gotta find Max!”
They all nod in unison still very much dancing but follow him as he goes to the other side of the club, pushing through the crowd once again. After what feels like forever yet again, he sees bright orange locks flying in the air and finds Max and Will both dancing on the other side of the room. Will’s eyes meet his before following the rest of them, meeting Mike’s. Well not really as they flicker back to Max who pulls him closer as they continue to dance. Everyone joins them as the two continue to dance together paying the others no mind. Lucas doesn’t feel jealous at all, he knows Max loves the attention and for sure will be damned if he didn’t know Will is gay. He thinks he would be boiling.
He finds the two of them disappearing yet again when Dustin laughs loudly that Will clearly had a lot to drink. Later the night he finds them in the smoke corner, giggling almost tripping on top of each other, hands trying to grab for support but failing. There is a lot of whispering, he has come to find out that Max and Will share a unique bond once Will managed to open up to Max a little. He is sure it’s because of their childhood and their past. They have their own conversations that no one is a part of, own hangout and gestures. If anyone would didn’t know Max was his girlfriend would surely think she and Will are together. Max takes a long drag before passing it to Will as he reaches them. He never was the one to smoke so he only sits across them before he finds El appearing behind him with the other two in tow. Dustin reminds all of them of their planned movie night exclaiming “Guys we had a plan! A promise! C‘mom chop chop let’s stick to it!l Everyone agrees at once and decides to leave with Mike leading everyone out pulling El with him.
Dustin is right behind them just as Max slings her arm on his shoulder kissing his cheek as they all pile out and in Mike’s car.
It’s been a while since all of them had hangout together. They meet up here and there, sometimes only a couple of them together as the rest are busy with assignments and projects. And it’s been a while they hung out in the wheeler basement he thinks as they all run down the basement stairs. He slams himself down on the couch as Dustin rushes to the tv to put on the movie. El and Max enter talking quietly as their adrenaline simmers down. It takes a couple of minutes but they all settle down on the couch arguing about which movie to watch. El pulls the blanket over Max and her lap, while Dustin shows them the options. The basement is dimly lit before Dustin switches off the light putting in the movie. They all converse for sometime still pretty much tipsy as they wait for the remaining to join.
It takes a minute before they hear feet rushing down the stairs. He hears the door shut and Will’s voice next “Slow down you will drop all the chips!”
He feels, no, he thinks the party can all notice the complete switch too as both Mike and Will join them. They can’t help but stare, as now away from the people here at home the dynamic is completely different. Mike is at the bottom of the stairs first, waiting and watching as Will descends down.
He whispers, well everyone can hear them in the small room as he says “Careful babe” Mike is holding one bowl in one hand and quickly moves the other one to the same hand holding the second one under his arm as he grabs Will’s fingers with his now free hand helping him down the remaining steps.
He stares at the huge smile Mike is sporting his gaze following to Will who chuckles about something he completely missed. They walk hand in hand as Mike’s eyes flicker to the tv screen commenting happily “Nice choice Dustin”.
He watches Will move in front of them, placing down beer bottles as Max murmurs impressed that he didn’t drop any and smoothly takes the bowl away from Mike’s hand as the taller of the two looks at the couch situation a scowl forming on his face as he says “Well looks like the couch is taken”
Any day, Lucas would have loved to argue about first come first grab and he knows he definitely would have but right now he was distracted with Mike’s hand casually resting on Will’s hips as the other boy bends, moving with his body before he stands right back up. He watches as Will smiles looking back at Mike, his fingers grabbing the front of Mike’s shirt pressing his palm on his chest and just like that Mike stops to argue, he calms down faster than he has seen in his life, and they have been friends since middle school.
Soft
the only word that comes to his mind as he watches them take a seat in the adjacent chair.
Mike falling back in the seat like a feather pulling Will with him adjusting him on his lap like it comes like a second nature. He thinks them doing this all the time when alone. They whisper softly, Mike kissing the corner of Will’s lips as he talks at the same time El pulls Dustin’s arm gaining his attention to start the movie. The movie starts with a loud music playing grabbing everyone’s attention to the screen except Mike who pushes the material down from Will’s shoulder nuzzling his face into his neck. He glides his tongue on the skin where the neck and shoulder meet pulling out a sigh from the boy above him. His hands hold Will by the waist still on top of him, his hands covered by the blanket that Will pulls over their thighs. He watches as Will settles back down leaning on Mike’s chest, eyes locked on the screen unbothered by Mike’s movements.
His eyes widen even more when he sees what looks like Mike gliding his palms up the waist pulling his shirt from his jeans and he for sure knows they are inside his shirt from the looks of it as he sighs into Will’s skin.
Will in turns tilts his face brushing his nose to Mike’s asking for him to press his lips silently. And Mike, he smiles, his hold tightening as he licks his lips before pressing their lips together softly and then moves his lips to Will’s ear sucking on his earlobe as if that’s all he knows in the entire world.
He feels Max poke her elbow at his side making him jerk and he wraps his arm around her shoulder as a reflex action pulling her closer to him. He raises his eyebrow giving her a questioning look to which she only rolls her eyes jutting out her thumb in El’s direction who smiles knowingly at him.
He feels his cheeks glow red having been caught and before he can pretend to not notice El whispers, her voice heard only to three of them on the couch “This is nothing compare to what I see at home all the time”
And he nods in agreement.
Well, if he had doubts before they are all quite cleared now.