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"Let's go somewhere—anywhere. Whisk me away."
Will Byers just graduated from high school, and he's never felt more content, relieved, or hopeful in his life. The dark-haired boy currently wrapped in his arms has much to do with that. They lean against Mike's car in their hidden spot at Lake Jordan, and Will's insides feel like honey, sunshine, and lemons.
Mike's face smells like sunscreen against his nose as it glides against Mike's cheekbone. Mike, who insists on wearing SPF every day to protect his perfect, fair skin. Mike, the love Will has always known but is now reassured of every day. Will's Mike. His, for the past two and a half years. His safest place. His most precious possession. His passionate, empathetic, kind, and thoughtful boy.
The sun is soaking into Will's skin as it has started its descent out of the sky, the breeze tickling the back of his neck.
Lips find their way to the corner of his mouth.
"You don't have to tell me twice."
Another kiss lands on his forehead, and before Mike can pull away, Will's hands are on his face, joining their lips in a slow, sweet kiss.
"I love you."
Mike presses their foreheads together, inhaling deep—like Will's touch is his livelihood.
“And I love you. My best friend.”
The day feels different. It feels significant—both of them legal adults, now free from high school. Will can feel it in the shallow of Mike's breathing, in the added firmness of his hold.
They eventually find their way back inside Mike's car and begin their drive. Will has always adored how Mike looks in the driver's seat. He can't help but swoon at the way Mike's hand drapes over the wheel, the other always available for Will. Always Will's.
After finding just the right song for their mood, Will quickly takes what's his, absent-mindedly playing with Mike's fingers one by one. These nights are a routine—they typically drive just to drive, with nowhere specific in mind. Sometimes they stop for ice cream in the next town over or pull off somewhere to kiss and stargaze. For now, they sit in comfortable silence a little while, windows down in the new spring warmth.
Will brings Mike's palm to his mouth, humming against it, pressing a small kiss there. He moves the hand to rest against his face, leaning into the touch and closing his eyes.
"Did you know you talk in your sleep?" Mike's voice brings him out of his reverie.
"Mm?" Will murmurs, eyes still closed.
"You talk in your sleep. Little unfinished sentences. Sometimes I respond, but then I realize you're sleeping and left me on a cliffhanger, you little shit."
Will brings Mike's hand down to his lap, still intertwined, so he can turn his head toward the boy.
"What?" He giggles, the confusion showing on his face.
"I don't know. It's cute. I wanted to tell you."
"Thanks for telling me," Will says dryly, but his smile has only grown.
"I just—" Will's eyes shift quickly back to Mike, who appears to be choosing his words. Will watches his chest rise and fall a few times before he speaks again. "I think I'm done acting like I'm not ready to spend every next minute of my life with you."
Will's breath hitches. "Because I sleep talk?"
"Yes, because you sleep talk. And because every morning after I sleep over, you have coffee ready to take with me so I can rush home, even though you hate waking up early. And because you made me a little acrylic key chain of a wizard hat a few weeks ago so I wouldn't forget about you while I was at work. And because you cried on both your birthday this year and mine. And because you keep me warm. Your body is so warm. And your heart is so real and big and—"
"Mike, pull over." Oh my god, I'm obsessed with this boy, Will thinks. Once the car is safely parked, Will turns his entire body toward Mike.
"I adore you." He brings his hands up to gently hold Mike's face. "You are the best thing about me," Will continues, leaning over the console to press his lips over Mike's nose.
As Will's lips linger, Mike interjects. "What if we actually go somewhere this time?" Will positions his hands down onto Mike's shoulders and dramatically pulls away, studying his boyfriend's face.
"Don't give me that look,” Mike continues. “What if you and I packed our things and left for New York now? We don't have to wait until college starts. We could drive slow, stop anywhere we wanted, and even make a detour to the coast. Go to the beach."
"Michael. A three-month road trip costs money."
"Okay, this is not one of those times I'm being impulsive. I've actually been saving a lot of money just in case, you know. Anything happened." Mike's eyes shift down as he says that last part, voice dying out a little bit. Will knows exactly what Mike is afraid of happening. He is more than grateful that his home is welcoming of his relationship with Mike, but Will's family are the only ones who actually know. Mike's parents have made enough side comments that he’s terrified of them finding out—at least while he still depends on them for things.
"Oh, Mike," Will responds, hands sliding up to the nape of Mike's neck, gently messing with the hair there. Mike appears to relax into the touch, turning his thoughts away from sad things and back to his plan.
"I think we should do it, Will. What do we have to lose?"
Will looks at the boy across from him, his sun, moon, and stars. His Mike, who he, after particularly bleak nights, gets up in the morning for. Mike. Michael. His love. His life. Of course, he would go anywhere with him at any time.
Will leans up again, pressing a kiss to Mike's cheek. "Yeah," Will says, finding the other cheek. "You and me," and he ends his string of kisses on Mike's mouth, taking his time. Mike gladly receives his kiss, answering back with a matched level of tenderness, devotion, familiarity. The same cadence of lips on lips that Will has found home in, that will stay his home until— forever, he hopes.
"Is your car fast enough so we can fly away?" Will asks, grinning.
"You bet, baby," Mike says emphatically as they settle back into their seats, shifting the gear and turning around towards Will's house."But we aren't going to end up like the song," Mike continues, "That song is actually really fucking sad." Mike's hand reaches over to rest on Will's leg.
"Of course not. If you ever get too caught up in your book writing and forget to take care of me, you'll never hear the end of it from Joyce."
"I love you. That's never going to happen. And I love your mom. Do you think she's going to like our idea?"
"I think so. We've been responsible enough as long as she's known about us. If not, it's just three months of slight worrying before we're into the routine of college. I mean, I've put her through worse."
"Okay. Let's leave soon."
-
The young lovesick nerds survived their road trip, barely scraping by at times. They took their time, stopping for early motel nights, and made a game out of finding the most interesting places to eat. They slowly made their way across upstate New York, and through Massachusetts to Cape Cod—the beach, as Mike promised.
Here, they decided to get jobs. Will miraculously found an opening to teach a kids' art class at a country club and got Mike a job as a valet. The two made a deal with a bed and breakfast owner for a long-term stay and were able to pay weekly to make a home there for the remaining two and a half months of the summer.
They worked mostly around the clock, but on their days off they lay in the sun and felt like true adults, putting their money together and figuring out how to do life on their own. Just the two of them. It was all they needed. <3