Work Text:
July 1983
Will sat on his bed, absentmindedly drumming his fingers against his knee as he flipped through the thin pages of a comic. He heard the faint tap tap tap of a pen hitting the notebook paper on Mike’s lap from where he sat cross legged on the floor near the edge of the bed.
The warm lamplight painted shadows along the walls that contrasted sharply against the velvety black skies outside the window. His mom and brother were both asleep in their bedrooms. The house was silent, save for the gentle rhythm of the rain and the small sounds the two boys were making. Will was so lost in the colorful pages that he almost missed Mike’s voice.
“Huh?”
“I said, have you had your first kiss yet?”
“Oh,” Will breathed, placing the comic down beside him and turning his head toward the floor.
Mike looked up at him shyly, and Will couldn’t help but notice how cute his best friend was. His dark eyes sparkled in the dim light; his lashes nearly got caught in the fringe sweeping across his forehead.
“No,” Will answered. “Have you?”
Mike shook his head, making his hair fall further into his face. He reached up to tuck it behind his ear and leaned forward with his elbows on knees. “What do you think it’s like?”
Will shrugged. He’d never really thought about it before. “I don’t know. Soft, maybe?”
“Hmm, maybe,” Mike said as he scrambled out of his sleeping bag and onto the bed to sit in front of him.
“Do you…” Mike whispered, ducking his head slightly. “Do you wanna try it?
Will’s face burned and his mouth fell open as he simply gaped at his friend. “Er…”
What?
Their eyes locked as Mike lifted his head. “I mean, just to try it, ya know?” When Will only continued to stare blankly at him, he added, “How hard could it be?”
Now that Will thought about it, it probably wasn’t that hard. But he’d never considered what it would be like to kiss someone. It never really piqued his interest all that much.
“Would it be weird, though?”
“What do you mean?” Mike asked.
“Well, aren’t you supposed to kiss someone you like?”
Mike’s eyebrows knitted together and he puffed his lips out. “What, you don’t like me?” He brought a hand up to his chest like he’d been shot and cried, “Oh, mine heart be wounded by mine cleric’s unkind words!” before dramatically rolling off the bed and landing on the floor with a soft thump.
Will quickly covered his mouth and held back a snort of laughter. “Quiet, Mike. My family’s asleep!” he whisper-yelled.
The sheets rustled as Mike climbed back onto the bed—and it didn’t go unnoticed that this time, he sat a few inches closer to Will.
“Whoops,” he said sheepishly, but there was a wide grin on his flushed face.
No longer able to hold it back, Will rolled his eyes and let out a soft giggle. “You’re such a dork. Oh, my God.”
Mike’s smile softened. “Yeah, but you like me anyway.”
And Will was brought back to the conversation at hand. Mike had asked if he wanted to try kissing—with him. Did Will want that? To be kissed… by Mike?
He wondered what his dad would think; what Troy and James would say if they ever found out. He knew what everyone thought of him. What they called him.
But honestly? This was Mike. If he could have his first kiss with anyone, it may as well have been his best friend, right?
“Okay,” Will said softly.
“Okay?” Mike asked, confused. Will watched as it registered in his brain. “Oh.”
“I mean,” Will said, “if you still want to.”
“Yeah!” Mike said a little too loud. “No, I mean—” He shook his head, then quietly added, “Sorry, uh… Yes, I still want to.”
Neither of them moved, though.
They just sat there, breathing quietly in the yellow light. Mike’s eyes were dark but there was something warm in his gaze, gentle even. Will noticed the faint freckles dotting his face like he was seeing them for the first time.
He felt a weird swooping sensation inside his stomach. Why was he so nervous? It wasn’t that big of a deal. They were only doing this to find out what it was like.
It was just Mike.
Will opened his mouth, but Mike spoke instead. “Are you sure you want to?”
“Yes,” Will said immediately.
This seemed to ease Mike a bit because he slowly leaned forward. “Okay, just… I think we’re supposed to close our eyes,” he breathed, and Will could feel it on his chin.
“But how will we know where our mouths are?”
“No idea. But that’s how they do it in the movies.” Mike brought his hand up uncertainly. “Um, I know sometimes people hold onto each other to, like, guide themselves.”
Will nodded wordlessly. His stomach was completely in knots now, but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why he was so nervous.
Mike rested his hand on Will’s neck. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
“Close your eyes,” Mike murmured. And so, Will did—letting his eyes fall shut as his best friend slowly pulled him in.
Will had been right. It was soft—but also solid. It was warm, melting the nervousness inside his stomach and replacing the knots there with butterflies. He’d never experienced anything like it before. Mike’s lips pressed gently against his for all of seven seconds before they both pulled away.
When his eyes fluttered open, Mike’s own were studying him closely. Shyly, he asked, “Did you… like it?”
Will nodded, just as shy. “You?”
Mike smiled at him. “It was nice. Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Being my best friend,” he said, settling into the covers on the bed. “Goodnight, Will.”
He didn’t question why Mike didn’t go back to his sleeping bag. He didn’t even question why his heart was beating so fast. Will just switched off the lamp and settled in beside him. “Sweet dreams, Mike.”