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It's his best friend's birthday, and all Will can think about is getting the day over with.
Will, Mike, and all of their friends are going over to Mike's house for his birthday. The plan is to watch movies and play board games. Just hang out and have fun.
One problem: Mike and Will kissed last week.
Mike hasn't said anything about it to him, which is definitely not a good thing. It's all Will’s been thinking about for the past week. How he's wanted it for so long and when it finally happened, nothing came out of it. They're still just friends.
If even that anymore. They haven't talked since the kiss. Their friends haven't noticed yet, and hopefully, they won't tonight. He just needs to get through without bringing attention to the problem.
He arrives at the Wheeler’s at five-forty-five, just like planned. When he walks inside the house, he's greeted by Karen telling him that all the others are in the basement, trying to decide on a movie. He walks down the stairs and almost trips out of anxiousness. He makes it—barely—and greets all his friends like everything is normal.
“Hey, guys,” Will says after making it to the bottom of the stairs with zero casualties.
“Will! What's up, man?” Lucas walks over and smacks Will’s shoulder lightly.
“Nothing, just, y’know…” He trails off, catching Mike’s gaze from across the room. “The usual. Painting, sleeping, helping Mom around the house.” He finishes, holding Mike’s eyes with his own the entire time. Mike blushes and looks away. “Anyways, what movie are we watching?”
“It's between Princess Bride and Rise of the Jedi right now. You choose.” El pipes up from the floor. She'd spent the night at Max’s last night, or else they would've come together.
Will quickly glances over at Mike. “ Princess Bride ,”
“Got it!” El pops the VHS tape out of the case and then slides it into the player.
Will slides onto the couch next to him, failing to notice who else was sitting there.
“Hey,” Mike says, causing Will to jump.
“Hey,” Will responds. “Happy birthday.”
“Thanks,” Mike starts fiddling with his hands, moving over to the other end of the couch.
Dustin starts the movie, and Will throws a blanket over him and Mike. The couch is small, and they have no choice but to let their legs touch under the blanket. Neither of them mind that much, they used to do this all the time. It's just…awkward, now.
The movie plays, and Will has to force his mind from wandering back to last week.
He and Mike had been sitting on Will’s bed, talking about the Upside Down and all the things that have happened over the last few years. After a bit, the conversation had wandered to their feelings, and Will had leaned in a bit.
He watched as Mike’s eyes glanced down at his lips so quickly that if he hadn't been watching, Will never would have seen it. Mike leaned in a little more, and Will had finally closed the space between them. His lips crashed against Mike’s, hands reaching for his neck as Mike’s dropped to his waist.
After a minute, they'd broken apart and Mike had left soon after. That was the end of it.
Maybe.
When Princess Bride was finished, Lucas and Dustin went to search the house for a few board games they could play. As soon as they left, Max and El huddled together on the floor, talking and laughing.
Will was still sitting on the couch, and he felt a hand grab at his wrist.
He looked up to see Mike standing over him. “Follow me,” He said.
Will stood from the couch, trying his best to keep up with Mike’s walking speed.
Turns out Mike was leading him to the laundry room.
Odd .
The Wheeler's laundry room was quite large compared to most. In fact, most people didn't even have laundry rooms. The washer and dryer sat on the wall across from the door, to the right was the furnace, and to the left were a few storage shelves filled with Halloween and Christmas decorations.
Mike let go of Will’s wrist and pushed him up against the washer.
They stayed there for a while, Mike’s hands falling to Will’s waist, Will’s hands gripping the washer behind him.
Mike finally broke the silence by saying, “I think I'm in love with you.” It was just above a whisper. Nobody else—if anyone else were in the room—could have heard him. But Will did.
“Wh—” Before Will could finish, Mike’s lips were on his. Will’s hands reached up and he ran his fingers through Mike’s hair, then dropped to his neck.
Will moved his hands from Mike’s neck for a second so that he could hop up onto the washer, and Mike repositioned himself so that he was standing in between Will’s legs.
“I love you,” Will whispered in between kisses, making Mike pause.
“Really?” He asked.
“No, I kissed you because I hate you, obviously,” Will answered.
“I love you, too.”
They kept kissing, and at some point, Will lost track of time. That is until someone opened the door.
“Michael—Oh dear,” Will heard. Mike whipped his head around, coming face to face with his mom. “I was just going to tell you I was ordering pizza. What kind do you want?”
“Taco,” Mike and Will said at the same time.
“Okay. Um, don't make a mess in here?”
“Mom!” Mike shrieks.
“Alright, alright.” Karen left, closing the door behind her.
Will started laughing the second the door closed, his head falling onto Mike’s shoulder.
“Hey! That's not funny!” Mike says.
“It kind of is though.”
“It's so not. I hate you.”
“That's not what you said ten minutes ago.”
“Mhm, sure,” Mike whispered, leaning down and pressing a kiss to Wills's hair.
“Byers, Wheeler, stop flirting and come out here. Dustin and Lucas found the board games.” Someone else said.
“Max!”
“We—we’re not—”
“I'm not stupid. Just get out here before Dustin goes crazy and El steals all the Monopoly money.” Max leaves the door open behind her.
“Jesus, okay. Seems like the laundry room is the place to be right now.” Mike mutters.
“That’s because we're in here, Mike. I wasn't the one who decided to make out in the laundry room.” Will pushes him a bit.
“It's the only room both of us would fit in!”
“Sure,” Will says. “We probably should get out of here, though.”
“Yeah,” Mile helps Will down from the washer, and they walk back out into the living room.
“Finally! Come sit.” El pats the two open seats next to her.
They sit and get lost in a very competitive game of Monopoly. When everyone finally goes to bed, Mike sneakily lays down on Will’s end of the couch, looping his arm around his waist.
“I love you,” he whispers into Will’s shoulder blades.
“I love you, too.”
That night, Will gets the best sleep he’s had in years.