Work Text:
Mike Wheeler was feeling ecstatic, to say the least.
First, it was only five days until Christmas arrived.
Second, all of his friends came from their respective colleges to spend the most beautiful time of the year at the Wheeler's house, celebrating together (his Mom, Karen Wheeler, loved planning good parties.)
Third (and most importantly, if you'd ask him), it'll be his first Christmas with him and Will as official boyfriends.
"I can't wait to see El and the others again! It's been too long", Will excitedly bounced up and down in his car seat next to Mike.
Currently, the two boys were on their way back to Hawkins, Indiana.
They'd be the first ones to arrive at home, the other Party members planned to come within the next one or two days.
"I get that, sweetie. But please don't jump too much or else we're gonna have a car accident and the others will have to visit us in the hospital", Mike snickered as an answer.
Will immediately sat still and mumbled, "You sure know how to ruin someone's mood."
The grin on his face revealed that there was no actual venom to his words.
"Well, as an aspiring author I always need to keep a possible plot or situation in my head."
"Right", the Byers boy affectionately smiled at his boyfriend.
🎄✨️🎄
Once arriving at the Wheeler's home and unlocking the door with his key, Mike was immediately greeted by the loving arms of his mother.
"Mike, my dear, it's been so long! I'm so happy to see you, look, how much you've grown!", Karen happily exclaimed.
"Mom, we just skyped last weekend.", her son dryly replied but returned the hug just as warmly.
"See? Too long! Anyway, Will, it's lovely to see you again as well!"
She grabbed said boy by the sleeve and dragged him towards the sofa, where Mike's little sister Holly sat, wearing big headphones and colouring a picture, not paying any attention to their guests.
After they both sat down and Mike made himself comfortable standing behind Will and wrapping his arms around him, Karen tapped Holly on the shoulder, prompting her to take off the headphones.
"Will! Mike!", she instantly beamed, "how long have you two been here?"
"Long enough to make me question why we came here in the first place", Mike commented with a sly grin.
His boyfriend lightly slapped him on the arm.
"Mike, don't be so rude, they're your family!"
"It's fine, honey", Karen reassured him,
"it'd be weird if he wouldn't talk to us like that. Which reminds me...", she crossed her legs and put a hand on Will's arm,
"how's the relationship going? Everything alright? Does Mike treat you well?"
"Mom!", her son groaned out, dragging the word to emphasize how embarrassing her question was.
"What? I want to make sure I raised my only son to be a good and respectful man towards his partner."
Mike's cheek flamed up and he hid his face in the crook of Will's neck.
"Don't worry, Karen. Mike is the best boyfriend I could ever ask for", the Byers boy told her, smiling from ear to ear.
"Oh, how wonderful to hear that! You have to tell me every possible detail!"
"You know what, Will and I should probably go and unpack our stuff!", Mike interrupted, grabbing his boyfriend by the arm and pulling him off the sofa.
"Alright, I'll tell you when dinner's ready", Karen called after them.
Holly, already being bored by their conversation from the beginning, went back to her music and the colouring book.
✨️🎄✨️
After the two lovers took all their belongings out of the suitcases and napped in each other's arm for about thirty minutes (driving was exhausting!), Karen, as promised, called them from downstairs.
"Haven't seen you in a long time, buddy", Nancy greeted her brother from the dining table, after both boys approached her.
"Hi Nancy. When did you get here?", Mike asked.
"Probably the same time you two must've fallen asleep. Mom and I came upstairs to announce my arrival, but you looked so cute, all cuddled up, we didn't wanna wake you."
Mike's face was almost as red as the tomato sauce, his mother just put on the table.
"You can't just walk into my room like that! Never heard anything about privacy?!", he screeched.
"No reason to freak out. Steve and Eddie look basically the same, whenever they're sleeping."
"I bet, you and Robin aren't much better."
"We aren't. In fact, I'd say we're even worse."
Will cooed and Mike fake-gagged.
"It's clear to see who's the mature one in this relationship", Nancy commented, with just the same dry tone her brother used some time ago.
"Hey!"
Karen interfered by saying: "Okay, both of you stop it now. Let's have a peaceful dinner together, alright? I'll go get Holly."
🎄✨️🎄
As soon as everyone had washed their plates, Nancy and Holly brought an old game of Monopoly out of a cabinet, so they could play together with their mother.
Mike and Will soon joined them and everyone completely forgot the time because of all the fun they had.
"Jesus, look at the time! Holly, it's way past your bedtime, go get ready for bed, please."
The slight bags under her eyes gave away the tiredness Holly was having, so, without a complaint, she nodded her head, trudged the stairs up and went right into the bathroom.
"I think, I'll make myself a cup of tea and then go to bed as well", Nancy announced with a yawn.
"Go ahead, I'll clean up here."
The oldest Wheeler sibling thanked her mother and stood up to enter the kitchen again.
Mike, however, kneeled beside his mother and took some of the paper money in his hands.
"If I help you, we'll be done faster."
Karen and Will shared a look of pleased surprise.
"Thanks, honey. Seems like I raised you right after all."
The two aforementioned laughed out loud, while Mike silently rolled his eyes, a small smile tugging at his lips as well.
When Karen locked the Monopoly back into the cabinet, she bid the two boys and Nancy good night and walked upstairs to Holly's room to wish her the same and go to sleep.
With a content sigh, Will lifted himself off the floor and held his hand out towards Mike.
His boyfriend grabbed the hand and let himself be pulled up as well.
"You know", Will sighed again, wrapping his arms around Mike's neck,
"I always love coming back here. It feels like home and your mother treats everyone as if their part of the family as well."
Mike nodded in agreement, his own arms looped around Will's waist.
"Yeah, especially since she and Dad divorced and he moved out. It may sound mean but it's the truth."
"You know, you don't have to justify yourself in front of me. I understand that", his boyfriend reminded him with a smile.
"I know."
Mike pecked Will's lips and then dragged him towards the kitchen.
"Come on. I know where Mom hides her special triple-chocolate-cookies."
The statement brought a chuckle out of Will.
Before they could enter the kitchen, Nancy appeared right in front of them.
"Nuh-uh. You only get inside here if you follow the traditional rule."
She pointed upwards, so the boys raised their heads to see what's up there.
Attached to the door frame was a small kind of branch.
"Oooh, mistletoe", Mike exclaimed in a suggestive tone and wiggled his eyebrows.
Will answered with a fond: "Shut up, you dork."
"I'll let you two handle that by yourself. Don't eat too much cookies. The others surely want some as well when they arrive tomorrow", Nancy was about to leave, when Mike stopped her.
"Wait, if you already walked under the mistletoe, then who did you kiss? Robin's not here."
"Well observed, Sherlock. I sent her a picture of the mistletoe and three kiss emojis, so... no rule broken. Besides, once she shows up here, I'mma give her all possible kinds of kisses. Good night."
She waved at them and finally walked out the kitchen, so the two boys could enter.
While Mike made a disgusted face after hearing that, Will immediately went to the small window above the stove and next to the sink.
"Mike, look, it's snowing!"
The Wheeler boy stood next to him and looked out the window as well.
Tiny snowflakes were floating around, sparkling in the lights of the lighted lanterns.
"Winter's so beautiful. Makes me wanna paint it", Will mumbled, a tender smile adorning his lips.
Mike's gaze shifted onto his boyfriend and got stuck there.
Will's relaxed stature, his hazel eyes that reflected the golden light from outside, the happy and content smile on his face and Will just being Will.
"And it makes me want to write a hundred-pages-essay about how beautiful you are and why I'm so lucky to have you", Mike mumbled as well with a lovesick sigh.
"You're such a dork", Will replied with blushing cheeks.
"You already said that. By the way, don't you still owe me that mistletoe kiss?", his partner smirked.
The Byers boy turned around, so his back was against the sink and pulled Mike into his arms.
"Well, we can't have any open debts, now can we."
Mike gleefully shook his head and then cupped Will's face.
Their lips met in a familiar, yet, as always, wonderful and sweet kiss.
After a few seconds, they slowly pulled away, resting their foreheads against each other.
"I'm not really tired... how about we take some of the cookies, go upstairs, you paint that winter portrait that you talked about and I write my Will-Byers-Is-Beautiful-essay?"
Will chuckled under his breath.
"Sounds like a plan, I'd love that. But tomorrow we'll have to organize, where everyone's gonna sleep. We definitely need a room for our beloved throuple. El, Max and Lucas can't sleep without each other, apparently just like Eddie and Steve."
Mike lightly shrugged his shoulders and smiled at his boyfriend.
"Let that be a task for tomorrow. Now we'll carry out our plan."
Mike opened the bottom drawer under the fridge and pulled out a blue cookie jar. He opened it, took four of the cookies out, put the lid back on and returned the jar into the drawer.
"Mission accomplished. Let's go."
Will lightly giggled and hand-holding they left the kitchen.
Right under the mistletoe, Mike pulled his boyfriend back in and stole two kisses.
"It had to be. Magic of the mistletoe."
Will lovingly ran his hand through Mike's black curls.
"As far as I'm concerned, we can always kiss underneath a mistletoe. Even if there isn't one. The main thing is that we're kissing, sweetie."
"I absolutely agree, my love."