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❈❈❈
The first bell of the day rang and hit Mike square in the chest. He was jittery. A live wire of anxious energy. Every sound and smell and touch seemed to set him off. Even the mundanities of high school life filled him to the brim with excitement. The rustle of coats, the squeaking of so many shoes on the wet floor tiles, and the scent of textbooks and pencil shavings were fresh with excitement.
Mike took a deep breath. He wanted to imbibe this feeling— absorb it— get it embedded in his skeleton.
And he wasn’t the only feeling this way. The energy in the crowded hallways of Hawkins High flowed like water, passing the excitement along from one group of students to the next.
This rush had him on pins and needles, but he was enjoying himself. Not even getting shoulder-checked by Troy in the hall threw off his good mood. Mike thought he’d spend today nauseous and overwhelmed. The garish pinks and reds of Valentine’s Day were normally something he’d ignore and forget about as soon as the school day was done.
Of course, he saw the point of a holiday like this—if one could even call it a holiday—but he never found the fun in it. His parents would argue every year about how his dad forgot about Valentine’s Day again, and every year Nancy would rub it in his face how she had a date and he didn’t. Mike tried to blow her off, but she always managed to hit a nerve…
So. Mike didn’t have much love for the love holiday.
Not until last week.
❈❈❈
“What a stupid holiday.” Mike grumbled, stabbing a spork into his peas. Around the cafeteria table, all his friends were busy watching the student council tape up the paper banner announcing Valentine’s Day is Next Week! As if anyone would let him forget.
“You’ll have to be more descriptive than that, my friend.” Dustin teased. “That review will never make into the school paper.”
“You want descriptive? Okay.” Mike had the attention of everyone around the table now. “Valentine’s Day is a kitschy, tacky, consumerist holiday made up to make people feel guilty for not buying chocolate and flowers and jewelry.” He gave a final huff, crossing his arms. Lucas whistled at him.
“Jeez, tell us how you really feel.”
“Oh, he’s just upset because he’s single this year.” Dustin waved him away dismissively.
“Hey!” Mike said.
“Mike’s never been a fan of Valentine’s Day.” Will volunteered, biting into his ham sandwich.
“Thank you!” Mike threw his hands up.
“Not even when you and El were dating?” Max asked. Mike locked eyes with El and they both said nothing. It became increasingly apparent that neither of them knew what to say, so Max prodded them. “You guys did do couple things on Valentine’s, didn’t you?”
February marked nearly one year since they’d broken up and gone on to save the world from an ugly time wizard. Back then, they broke up under mutual agreement. There was a bit of shouting and a lot of crying. And then distance. Self-imposed and necessary distance but God if it wasn’t some of the most uncomfortable and developmental few months of his life.
But luckily, when El looked at him now, it wasn’t with any sadness or regret, so he figured it was worth it.
And that’s also how he knew she was about to throw him under the bus without even realizing it.
“The first I heard of Valentimes Day was in Lenora.” She said slowly, her brows bunching up, puzzled.
There was a beat of silence before Max whipped her head around to glare at Mike, her red curls smacking Lucas in the face with the momentum of her turn. She was incredulous, “You didn’t tell her about Valentine’s Day?”
“I told you, it’s a stupid holiday!”
Her bright blue eyes seemed to catch fire. “Oho, you’re a dead man, Mike Wheeler.” She put her foot up on the bench and aimed to throw her body across the table at Mike, whose short life flashed before his eyes.
Through a chorus of yelling and grabbing and laughing and a whistle from the lunch duty teacher, Max eventually returned to her seat with no one injured.
“Jesus Christ…” Mike put a hand to his chest.
“Robbing a young woman of one the most important holidays of the year… I pity the next girl you date.” Max tugged her sweater back down in a terse gesture. Lucas patted her on back. Mike caught El and Will trying and failing to smother giggles and raised an eyebrow.
“Is this funny to you? She’s vicious. I could’ve died.” Mike complained, then turned his focus solely to Will. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought you didn’t like Valentine’s Day either.”
Will blinked as if caught— he wasn’t prepared for the spectacle to be turned toward him.
“Um, I used to think that, yeah.” His voice was a touch quiet for the loud cafeteria. Mike leaned in closer to listen.
“And now?”
“Now, I think… It’s sweet.” He looked up at Mike through his eyelashes. “I mean, if you’re lucky…” His gaze flit briefly to Max and Lucas, who were leaning on each other comfortably. “If you’re lucky, you can experience romance every day. And if you’re not, well, I guess I like the idea of one day out of the year having the potential for it.”
“Potential? What do you mean by that?” Mike asked.
Will looked torn, and Mike was almost sorry for asking. He smoothed his palms down the length of his Levi’s. “It’s not a big deal. I don’t— I don’t feel bad being single, but I think if I had just one tiny bit of romance for one day… That would be enough to keep me going for the rest of the year.”
One tiny bit of romance? That’s it? He deserved much more than that.
“Wow…” Dustin blew out a sigh. Will tensed up around the shoulders.
“Sorry. That was way too heavy, wasn’t it?” Will asked, embarrassed. Mike noticed El covering Will’s hand with her own under the table. He looked away, feeling distinctly like he shouldn’t have seen that. There was an unspoken message being passed along the silent table: Will couldn’t publicly date like the rest of them.
It was no secret to them that Will was gay. Not that they had guessed—although Max swore up and down that she knew it before any of them—but because Will told them. In a circle on the floor in Hopper’s cabin, late into the night, sleep deprived out of their skulls, Will just… Said it.
At the time, Mike didn’t know why he chose to say it then. But now he imagined that Will was scared to take his secret to the grave. They had all been wrestling with the possibility of their deaths around that time—perhaps not admitting this part of himself to his friends was one regret Will wouldn’t allow. And that got him thinking…
How many regrets would Mike allow?
“Aw, don’t be sorry, Will.” Max tossed him a sideways smile. It boggled Mike’s brain how much nicer she was to Will than him.
“I never thought of it that way.” Lucas said vaguely. “So, Mike’s the only romance-hater, huh? Go figure.” He smirked, pulling his energy back up. Mike bristled.
“I don’t hate romance.” He scoffed and then caught Will’s eye despite himself, a flush coming to the apples of his cheeks. “And if Will likes Valentine’s Day so much… I don’t know. Maybe there is something to it.”
Will’s eyes widened.
Mike didn’t look at his other friends, but he imagined they were going to rake him over the coals for that. But he couldn’t care less. A plan was forming in his mind, matriculating in the back of his head and rapidly taking command.
Romance. Will wants a bit of romance. He shouldn’t be fine with crumbs of attention.
Mike could do that.
Maybe he would.
Why shouldn’t he?
Mike didn’t know the first thing about romance, but if Will wanted it that badly maybe there was some merit to this lame holiday after all.
He thought hard. That night Will had come out to everyone he pulled Mike aside to sit with him longer as the others shuffled off to bed. This was the closest thing to romance Mike could remember. He pictured it so clearly: him and Will bathed in the orange glow of the fireplace, sitting close enough to knock knees and whispering so as to not rouse their friends.
“That was really brave of you.” He hoped the pride was coming through clearly in his voice. But Will shook his head. A little smile played on his lips.
“If I’m brave it’s because of you.”
Mike let the words touch him, honey-sweet, almost savoring the sound of them.
“That can’t be right. I’m… I’m not brave enough for what you did.”
Will tilted his head, his eyes searching Mike’s face. “I bet you could be.”
Mike shuddered despite the warmth in the room. He felt stripped in that moment. Naked. He pulled the blanket he wore tighter around his shoulders. How did Will do that? How did he touch the most crucial parts of him like it was nothing? Like he was plucking rocks from a river.
Mike might have his oblivious moments when it comes to relationships, but even he knew very well why Will plucked him from the group to stay behind. Will was testing him. No, that wasn’t right. Will would never test him. But there was a question in that statement. An offer, maybe: Is it your turn next?
Him and Will had a funny way of communicating like that—admitting everything without saying anything. It was how they continued to sidestep this enigmatic tension growing between them. Acknowledging its presence without ever looking it in the eye.
“Mike…?”
Mike realized he hadn’t replied. Not wanting Will to think he overstepped, Mike held out his hand for Will to take with a slight smile. Will grabbed his hand and squeezed hard.
“Can we stay here a little bit longer?” Mike asked.
The orange light danced on Will’s cheeks. His gaze was steady. “How much longer?”
Mike took a deep breath. He ached to lean in closer, but decided against it. “Just a little longer. I promise.”
❈❈❈
With a bounce in his step, Mike went to his first period class and listened to exactly zero percent of the teacher’s lecture. His head was up in the clouds.
During the break between second and third period he would meet Will at his locker like normal. He had his speech planned to the letter. Mike would wrap his arm around Will’s shoulder and press them into the hollow of Will’s open locker to get some semblance of privacy. Then he’d ask: Hey, let me take you out on a date. How does that sound? Just for today. Just for Valentine’s Day. I’ve got the car tonight. We can go someplace people don’t know our dads. I’ll get the kind of chocolate you like and it’ll just be me and you. You and me. What do you say?
And if Mike were brave to the point of insanity he would add: We can do what the rest of them do. You can hold my hand while we’re on the road. Kiss my knuckles all in a row while we’re at the stoplight. I’d kiss you too, if you’d let me, and would you mind if I called you baby? Just for tonight. And tomorrow night, if you still want to. If you still want me.
But when second period came and went— and it went slow— Mike halted several feet before Will’s locker. There was Will, leaning up against the block of lockers with a bright red piece of construction paper in hand. His nose was buried in the note and so Mike couldn’t see his facial expression, but he didn’t need to in order to know Will was reading a valentine.
Once he was able to pick up his feet again, Mike meekly made his way over to Will. His whole speech was lost. He wasn’t floating on clouds anymore. Now the only thing on Mike’s tongue was “What is that?”
“Oh, Mike.” Will startled, pressing the paper secretively to his chest. “I got a note.”
“A note or a valentine?” Mike strained his neck toward Will trying to get a look at it.
“Both, I guess.” He hesitated a moment before revealing the contents of the letter to Mike.
To: Will Byers
Hi Will. Come meet me behind
the science building after school today.
I have something for you ♥.
3:15. Don’t keep me waiting.
Love,
Your Secret Admirer
Mike stared at the words, running them past his eyes over and over again. There wasn’t much substance to analyze. But the longer he looked at it, the more irate he became.
“I guess… Someone too shy to give me a present in front of people.” Will said in a small voice, then side-eyed Mike. “This isn’t a prank, right? You didn’t do this? Or someone in the Party?”
“Huh? No way. I would have made a much better note than this.”
“You would?” Will had a playful edge to his voice.
“Uh, yeah… I mean.” He blushed, and knowing he blushed only made him blush some more. “This one. It’s so plain. It probably took them two seconds to write.” Mike shrugged.
“Right…” Will carefully folded the note in half and looked up and down the hall. Mike followed his line of sight. No one appeared to be obviously watching them, but it was hard to tell with the student icebergs passing through. “What should I do?” He spoke in a tone so hushed Mike could barely hear him.
“Do you want to see them?”
“Not really… You already know I’m gonna reject whoever it is.” Will mumbled.
Mike knew it was because the note was from a girl that Will would reject her, but his heart still leapt at the thought. The jealous, needy, overwhelming part of him wanted Will to reject her because she wasn’t him. And then it dawned on him. The sloppy handwriting and plain, ineffectual style…
“Could it be from a guy?” Oh, it was poisonous to say out loud. Will paled.
“Do you think?”
“That… Would explain why they can’t see you in front of people.” Mike slumped against the lockers, drained of energy. His buzz from this morning was thoroughly sapped. Plans ruined… A mystery guy… Valentine's Day sucked.
Will stuffed the note into his pocket.
Now here was the part they couldn’t say out loud, as much as Mike wanted to: if the secret admirer is in fact a guy, would Will still reject him? Or would he indulge his want for a bit of romance?
“It’s probably just a girl.” Will whispered. And it was likely wishful thinking, but it sounded like Will was trying to reassure him.
❈❈❈
At lunch, the opinions varied.
“I would do it if I were you.” Dustin declared, causing Mike to nearly spit out his mouthful of freezer-burned lasagna.
“What? Why?” He sputtered. El passed him a napkin.
Dustin shrugged. “Aren’t you at least a little curious who it is? I bet it’s that girl from science who ‘accidentally’ left her sweater at your house. Who was that?”
“Jenna Strombey. And I don’t think it’s her, she already gave me a valentine this morning.” Will joylessly reported.
“Huh.” Dustin furrowed his brow, thinking. Mike was about one minute away from getting up and taking Will away from here if this conversation continued.
“Could be a red herring.” Lucas piped up. “She gets you the first gift so you don’t suspect her. That’s a good move.”
Max rolled her eyes. “Does it even matter why? Just go see who it is so we can put another tally on the Will Byers Chick Magnet board.”
Lucas snorted milk up his nose at that.
Meanwhile, Will turned to El with doleful eyes. “What do you think?”
“I think…” El curled her finger round and round a lock of her hair. “If I was this girl, and you didn’t come, I would be sad. She’ll never know why you didn’t like her.”
Will sighed. “Yeah. I guess it’s the polite thing to do.”
“Well I think it’s bullshit.” Mike leaned in toward the group. “He obviously doesn’t want to do it—he’s under no obligation. Who cares!”
His friends frowned at him, and Mike realized he’d been overzealous in his protest.
“No, Mike, it’s fine. Honest.” Will said. “It’s exhausting turning down these girls. It feels mean. But I should be responsible.” He looked to Mike, but he couldn’t read the expression on his face.
“Wow, said like a true chick magnet.” Max said. “Look out, Lucas, I might be next.”
Lucas gasped in mock-horror. “Will, no… You wouldn’t…”
“Sorry, Lucas.” Will held up his hands with a wry grin. “My magnets are simply too powerful.”
“No!” Lucas tipped his head back and wailed for all of the cafeteria to see. “Noooo!”
❈❈❈
Mike kicked the air as he walked alongside Will, hands shoved deep in his pockets.
“How many valentines did you actually get today?” He grumbled.
“Seven. Wait, no. Eight? Maybe eight.” Will started counting girls on his fingers. With a groan Mike pushed his hand back down.
“If you lose count that’s already too many.”
Will nudged him with his elbow. “Don’t tell me you’re upset you didn’t get any valentines this year.” If it had been anyone other than Will saying that Mike would’ve been irritated at them for teasing him.
“As if. I haven’t cared about valentines since elementary school.” Oh, how he longed for the days of shoddily decorated shoe boxes and free Fun Dips for days on end. The Party didn’t make valentines for each other these days. No, they celebrated the holiday by waiting one week after February 14th for all the candy to go on sale.
“That’s what I thought…” Will went on. “So, you’re not acting all jumpy because of valentines. That just makes me think there’s something you’re not telling me, Mike.”
Mike stopped immediately, his sneakers squeaking on the waxy tile. He straightened up his posture. Will had stopped as well a little bit ahead of Mike. His lips were pulled into a tight, worried line. “Are you okay?”
“Will…” Mike looked around for half a second. School was over. The hallways were perfectly deserted. He stepped a little closer than necessary into Will’s personal space. “Are you sure you wanna go out there?”
“Are you asking me not to?” Will challenged.
Mike cringed. “No, I just… What if it is a guy?” So they were going to say it out loud after all.
Will raised his eyebrows. “What if it is?”
“He might ask you out.”
“He might.”
“Would you accept?”
Will’s mouth twisted. “Would you?”
Never mind that Will just insinuated Mike might go out with a guy— something else entirely was going on. The air between them solidified and Mike had to remind himself to breathe. Mike saw the fear in Will’s eyes, the frustration building.
“Will, c’mon.” Mike sighed. “This isn’t about me.” Will’s expression broke to pieces and Mike knew in an instant he’d hit a landmine.
“Really? Is that really what you think?” Will said slowly.
Mike stammered unintelligibly, which did not help his case. Will rolled his eyes.
“Forget it. I’m going to be late.” Will sucked in a quick breath and turned on his heel. Cursing himself, Mike followed like he meant to catch a runaway train. This wouldn’t even be happening if Mike could’ve just stuck to the plan! This secret admirer was going to ruin everything if he didn’t do something.
Mike caught him by the backpack just as he opened the door, breathless.
“Will?”
“Yeah?” He said a little too fast, like he expected Mike to come after him. His big, worried eyes made Mike weak in the knees. Like his own personal kryptonite. More than anything he wanted to sweep up Will and kiss him right there under the emergency exit sign— that would be a quick way to make his point— but he knew that was a bad idea no matter how tempting.
And it was then, sandwiching Will between him and the door, that he finally swallowed the last bit of his pride.
“Hey, I’m sorry.” Mike told him. “No matter who is out there, please say no.”
Will’s expression softened. “If you insist.”
A smile bubbled up on Mike, slowly spreading across his face and left the rest of him tingling.
“When you’re finished, let’s talk, okay?” Mike beamed.
Will’s face similarly lit up. “I’ll make it quick.”
Mike gave him a small wave and smile and Will was promptly out the exit door. It thudded shut, the sound echoing slightly through the empty hallway. He checked his watch. 3:17. At least Will still arrived on time, but how long was this going to take?
Mike leaned against the cool brick and stared down the exit door. Exhausted. That exchange with Will didn’t feel real. Was that flirting? It felt like flirting. He tapped his foot, checked his watch again. Somehow still 3:17.
It was really happening now. He was really going to ask Will out on a date. His heart thumped with anticipation, but the nerves he’d been missing earlier were beginning to creep in. He’d felt so suave this morning… What if he’d been reading Will wrong this whole time?
Mike planted his feet firmly on the ground, breathing evenly like El had showed him.
He needed a distraction. Ordinarily he’d go for a walk to calm his nerves, but he didn’t want to stray too far in case Will came back… So, he decided to let curiosity tempt him.
Carefully, he eased open the exit door and peeked out. But what he found wasn’t Will gently talking down a crying girl. In fact, there were no girls in sight, but boys. Plural. Will was standing by the dumpsters on the other side of the lot with a handful of guys.
He opened the door further, standing fully in the threshold. Mike’s heart leapt into his throat. Those weren’t just any guys. It was Troy and his band of broad-shouldered flunkies.
Before Mike realized it, he was out the door, watching Will try to slowly back away from the group. He got within range of one of the guys to his left and was shoved hard. Will tripped, but he didn’t go down.
“Will!” His name shot from Mike like a bullet. All eyes were on him now. Three flunkies and one Troy.
“Told you his boyfriend would come.” Troy snickered. The flunkies snickered. “Fairies gotta stick together, right Wheeler?”
Mike’s jaw set. He caught Will by the arm and dragged him back behind him. Will didn’t say anything. He just looked at Mike. His eyes were big, but he was trying his hardest to keep his chin up. Mike’s head spun, but he quickly pieced together what happened. God, he was an idiot. He was so caught up in keeping Will’s attention that he didn’t see the opportunity for a trap.
“Fuck off, Troy.” He said. “Don’t you ever get tired of being an asshole?”
“What? We were just asking questions. We can’t ask questions?” Troy gleamed with self-satisfaction. Mike felt his blood boil—that bastard was seriously enjoying this. Troy indicated to one of his bastard friends. “What were we asking Byers?”
“We were asking him…” The guy nearest Will started. Mike knew him. He sat behind him in algebra. “Who the fuck do you think you are? Isn’t it enough being a filthy homo— you have to mess with the girls, too?”
“I’m not messing with them.” Will’s voice was surprisingly level. The boys crowded in closer.
“They don’t quit talking about you. You must’ve done something.”
“It’s not Will’s fault your unfortunate faces can’t get dates.” Mike spat, and reveled in watching Troy’s eyes bulge from their sockets.
“I’m gonna make you regret that giant mouth of yours.” Troy growled and jutted his neanderthal chin toward Mike. All at once, they descended. The flunkie nearest Will tore him away from Mike and pinned his arms behind his back. Mike launched himself at Will’s attacker, boxing him inexpertly around the ears and neck before he was pulled away bodily by the two other flunkies present. There was one on either side of him, bending his arms at a painful angle.
The worst thing about bullies is that their reasons didn’t need to make sense. It didn’t matter to them. Reason could be punched or kicked into someone’s spleen as far as they cared. What mattered is they felt slighted, and so they needed to make it someone's else's problem.
Troy, with his smug face, sidled up to Mike and with no preamble wound up and clocked him in the jaw. Mike heard the sound of fist on flesh before his head was jerked violently to the side. It hurt. Mike wouldn’t lie about that. But the pain was less important than the panic of keeping his eyes on Will, who was fighting against the grapple of the bigger boy.
He cried out in pain as Troy yanked him back upright with his hand balled up in Mike’s hair, prepared to strike him again.
“Mike!” Will called out. His voice rose like a clear bell over the jeers and cackling flooding his senses. He planted his feet square on the ground, bent at the waist, and rammed the back of his head into the flunkie’s face and scrambled free toward Mike.
Somewhere in the distance, Mike heard the distinct thud of the exit door closing. He cracked open his eyes and squinted. In his spinning vision he saw a tall figure walking along the edge of the building. He paused a moment, then halted, finally recognizing the situation.
“Hey! Stop right there!”
“Shit. Party’s over. Later, freaks.” Troy was already making a run for it by the end of his sentence. Mike’s captors kicked out his legs like tents poles. His knees slammed painfully to the asphalt before he was pushed down completely. His palms and chin scrapped the ground.
Will was by his side in an instant. He was saying things, helping him up, but Mike couldn’t focus. His whole head was one big, throbbing mass. Will had his hand on Mike’s hip to keep him steady, the other hand on his shoulder. He looked unharmed. Panicked, but unharmed.
“You’re bleeding…” Will mumbled, his voice watery. Mike’s stomach dropped. Any danger sent Will right back into apocalypse mode. So, Mike did the only thing he could think of at the time and collapsed against Will’s frame. He wrapped his heavy arms around Will’s back and blocked out everything that wasn’t the soothing warmth coming off the boy before him.
❈❈❈
Mike sat on the edge of his bathroom counter, head down, focusing on the gentle thump, thump, thump of his heels bumping into the cabinet below to distract him from the throbbing pain radiating around his face. Will stood between his legs. He dabbed at Mike’s face with a washcloth. The nurse would’ve done this, according to the teacher, but she’d already gone home for the day. Which was fine. Will had already patched up Mike more times than he could count; he was certainly qualified.
“Sorry you got punched in the face.” Will mumbled.
“It’s fine. I’d rather it be me than you.” His jaw clicked in and out when he spoke. “Ow.”
“That’s very chivalrous of you, brave knight.” Will grinned, smoothing the rough cloth over his cheek a final time.
Mike squirmed where he sat. Will always knew what to say.
“You make it easy. To be brave, I mean.” Mike said, pensive. Will gave him a long look, then went to wring out the wash cloth.
“…Thank you for standing up for me.” Will breathed. “I can’t believe I fell for that…”
“It wasn’t your fault. We couldn’t have known that was gonna happen.”
“It seems stupid now, but I was kind of… Excited to maybe meet another person like me. Sometimes I think it’s never going to happen for me.”
“It?”
“You know… It. Being in a relationship or whatever.” Will busied himself dousing a cotton ball with hydrogen peroxide. “Sorry. It’s not time for self-pity. You’re literally hurt and I’m whining.”
“No, no. You can tell me.” Mike encouraged. “I want to know.”
Will sighed deeply. “It’s like the universe is laughing at me… Throwing me all these girls. I don’t know. Maybe what I want is asking for too much.” He raised a hand to dab delicately at the scratches on Mike’s cheek, his expression restrained.
“What? No way. That’s not too much to ask.” Mike pulled his face away. “Nobody wants to be alone.”
Will stilled. He looked down and hiccupped a tiny sob.
“Will, c’mon. You’re not alone. I’m here for you.”
“I know.” Will sniffed. He was too polite to say it, but Mike knew what he meant: I know, but it’s not the same.
Mike gripped the edge of the countertop he sat on. Screw that.
Mike remembered himself then and with a gasp opened up the breast pocket on his flannel and emptied the contents. Though mangled within an inch of its life, the pink paper was unmistakable. He carefully smoothed it out the best he could before placing it in Will’s cupped hand.
“Sorry, it used to be a heart. I meant to give it to you earlier.”
To: Will
You and Me, Date Tonight? ♥
Love: Mike
“Oh, Mike...” Will laughed nervously, and then raised an eyebrow. “We never give valentines.”
If Will wasn’t expecting a card from Mike today, then he definitely wasn’t going to expect Mike’s next trick.
“Well, this year is special, y’know?”
“Is ‘special’ the word we’re using?” Will chuckled.
“Oh, and one more thing.” Mike ducked down and pressed a kiss to the highest point of Will’s cheek. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
Will turned cherry red before him, his mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. Mike couldn’t help but smile.
“Wh—” Will’s fingertips glanced his cheek. “Oh my God.”
“So…” Mike started, hopping down from the counter. “Date?” His speech was coming back to him. “How does that sound? I have the car tonight. We can—”
“Are you sure about this?” Will interrupted. His eyes were white circles. Mike, thrown off, took a moment to see Will was frightened. “You just heard me whining—Jesus, Mike, you were just hit—” His breath hitched. “Why would you want this?”
“I want you. Is that so insane?” Mike shot back. Of course he thought about that—he’d tortured himself over it for years. Being scared was enough to hold him down for a long time. But eventually, and he wasn’t sure when, the want outweighed the fear. After that it was simple.
He had more to defend his decision with, but Will’s resolve crumbled before his eyes. He quickly closed the gap between them and pressed his lips firm against Mike’s, backing him into the cabinet with the force of the kiss. A box of Band-aids fell off the counter. Mike brought his hand up to the back of Will’s head to pull him closer. He felt Will’s smile curling against his cheek.
When he pulled away Will’s face was flushed red, and Mike thought his must match.
“Okay.” Will beamed. “Okay, let’s do it.”
For a few blissed-out moments, all they could do was exchange goofy smiles, vaguely swaying together in Mike's bathroom.
“Romantic enough for you?” Mike asked, eager. Will giggled and ran his thumb delicately around the sore spot on Mike’s jaw. He nodded. Eyes full of love. Mike wrapped his arms around Will’s neck, pulling him in for another kiss.
Will was right— maybe Valentine’s Day wasn’t so bad after all.
❈❈❈