Chapter Text
Will Byers sat on the worn-out couch in Mike Wheeler’s basement, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the patterns on the fabric. The basement had always been their sanctuary, the place where they could be kids, where the horrors of the outside world—Demogorgons, government labs, and the Upside Down—couldn’t touch them. But tonight, something was different. There was an unspoken tension hanging in the air, a heaviness that neither of them could quite put into words.
Mike was sitting across from him, perched on the edge of the old, ratty coffee table, staring down at his hands. The dim glow from the single lightbulb above cast shadows across his face, making his expression hard to read. They hadn’t spoken much in the past hour, not since they’d finished their half-hearted game of D&D. Will had noticed the way Mike seemed distracted, the way his eyes kept darting toward him like he wanted to say something but couldn’t bring himself to.
Will felt his chest tighten, a familiar ache settling in his heart. He had been feeling like this around Mike a lot lately—confused, nervous, like he was always on the verge of saying something that could change everything. He hated it. He hated how much he wanted things to stay the same between them, but also how much he longed for something more, something he knew he couldn’t ask for. Not from Mike.
Because Mike was... well, Mike. Brave, reckless, and oblivious. Oblivious to the way Will’s heart raced whenever he was around, to the way Will’s stomach did flips every time Mike smiled at him, or when their hands brushed accidentally. And, of course, oblivious to the fact that Will had been in love with him for what felt like forever.
Will swallowed hard, trying to push the thoughts away. He didn’t want to think about it. Not tonight. Not when things were finally starting to feel normal again after everything they’d been through. But the silence between them was growing unbearable, and Will could feel the weight of whatever Mike wasn’t saying pressing down on him.
He cleared his throat, forcing himself to break the quiet. “You’ve been kind of quiet tonight,” Will said softly, his voice almost hesitant. “Everything okay?”
Mike looked up, startled out of his thoughts. For a second, he just stared at Will, like he wasn’t sure how to respond. Then, with a sigh, he ran a hand through his messy curls and stood up, pacing back and forth in front of the couch.
“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just...” Mike trailed off, chewing on his bottom lip the way he always did when he was nervous. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you.”
Will’s stomach dropped. That was never a good start to a conversation. “What is it?”
Mike stopped pacing and turned to face him, his expression serious. “Have you... ever had your first kiss?”
The question hit Will like a freight train, and for a moment, he couldn’t breathe. He stared at Mike, wide-eyed, his mind racing. Why is he asking that? The question itself felt innocent enough, but coming from Mike, it carried a weight that Will wasn’t prepared for. His heart pounded in his chest as he fumbled for a response.
“Uh... no,” Will finally admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. He felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment, and he quickly averted his eyes, staring down at his hands. “Why?”
Mike didn’t respond right away. Will could feel his friend’s eyes on him, and it made his skin prickle with discomfort. He wasn’t used to talking about this kind of stuff—romantic stuff, kiss stuff. Especially not with Mike, who had been dating Eleven for what felt like years at the time, and who probably thought Will was some kind of weirdo for never having kissed anyone. (Will knew he didn’t actually think that.) (That’s one of the things that made him love him so much.)
“I just... I don’t know,” Mike said, his voice soft, like he was choosing his words carefully. “I was thinking... I mean, it’s not a big deal, right? It’s just... everyone else has, you know? Lucas, Max, me and...”
Will nodded, still not looking up. He could feel the shame crawling up his spine, making his skin itch. He knew everyone else had already done it. It wasn’t like he needed the reminder.
Mike suddenly moved closer, sitting down on the couch next to him. The shift in proximity made Will’s breath catch in his throat, and he felt his heart rate pick up, pounding loudly in his ears. Mike was close enough that their knees were almost touching, close enough that Will could feel the heat radiating off of him. He didn’t dare look up. If he did, he was afraid Mike would see everything in his eyes—every secret feeling, every unsaid word he had buried deep inside for years.
“You don’t have to be nervous about it,” Mike said quietly, his voice surprisingly gentle. “It’s just a kiss.”
Just a kiss.
Will felt something twist in his chest. He had never really cared about the whole “first kiss” thing before. It wasn’t like he was dying to get it over with. But sitting here now, with Mike so close, talking about it so casually, it made something in Will stir. He didn’t know why it bothered him so much, but it did. The idea that everyone else had experienced something he hadn’t... and that Mike had probably kissed El a million times without even thinking twice about it...
It hurt more than it should have.
Will swallowed hard, forcing himself to look up at Mike. “I know it’s not a big deal,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady. “It’s just... I don’t know. I guess I’m worried I’ll mess it up or something.”
Mike smiled then, that lopsided, goofy grin that always made Will’s heart flutter. “You’re not going to mess it up, Will. I mean, it’s not like there’s a right or wrong way to do it. You just... do it.”
Will wanted to believe him, but the knot of anxiety in his stomach wouldn’t go away. He wasn’t just nervous about kissing someone. He was terrified of it. Because if he ever did kiss someone, it would mean something to him. It wouldn’t just be a kiss, like it probably was for everyone else. It would be real. And that scared him more than he could admit.
Mike’s expression softened as he studied Will’s face, and for a second, he looked... concerned. Like he was starting to understand how much this really bothered Will. Then, after a long pause, Mike spoke again, his voice quiet but firm. “I could help you, you know.”
Will blinked, confused. “What do you mean?”
Mike’s face turned a little pink, and he scratched the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed. “I mean... I could help you practice. You know, so you won’t feel nervous when it happens for real.”
Will’s breath caught in his throat. He stared at Mike, trying to process what he had just said. Practice? Mike was offering to help him practice kissing? That didn’t make any sense. Why would he—
“Mike,” Will started, his voice barely above a whisper. “Are you serious?”
Mike nodded, though he looked almost as nervous as Will felt. “Yeah, I’m serious. I mean, it’s not a big deal, right? It’s just... practice. So you won’t feel weird when you have your first real kiss.”
Will’s heart was racing now, his palms sweating as he tried to wrap his mind around what was happening. Mike, his best friend, was offering to kiss him. For practice. And Mike was acting like it was no big deal, like it was just something friends did for each other. But to Will, it wasn’t just practice. It couldn’t be.
He wanted to say no. He wanted to tell Mike that it was a bad idea, that they shouldn’t do it. But the words wouldn’t come. Because deep down, Will knew that if he said no, he would always regret it. He had spent so many years wishing for something like this, dreaming about what it would be like to kiss Mike—even if it was just for pretend.
Will swallowed hard, his throat dry. “Okay,” he whispered, barely able to get the word out.
Mike’s eyes widened slightly, like he hadn’t expected Will to agree so quickly. But then he smiled, that same easy grin that always made Will feel safe, and the tension between them seemed to ease—if only for a moment.
“Okay,” Mike said softly. He shifted a little closer, his knee brushing against Will’s. “So... how do we do this?”
Will’s mind was spinning. He hadn’t thought this far ahead. He had no idea how they were supposed to do this, and the realization that it was actually going to happen made his heart race even faster. He had never been this close to Mike before, not like this, not with the promise of a kiss hanging in the air between them.
“Maybe... maybe we just...” Will trailed off, his voice trembling. He couldn’t finish the sentence. He could barely think straight. Will took a deep breathe, trying to play off his nervousness. “Shouldn’t you know how we do this?”
Mike let out a soft laugh, the sound beautiful to Wills ears. “Sorry, sorry- you are totally right.” Will gave him a small smile, but his worry was still palpable. Mike, sensing his hesitation, leaned in a little closer, his face now inches from Will’s. “You don’t have to be nervous,” he whispered, his breath warm against Will’s skin. “It’s just me.”
Just me.
But that was the problem. It wasn’t just Mike. It was Mike. Mike Wheeler. Will’s best friend, the boy he had been in love with for years. The boy who has been his everything since the day in kindergarten when he asked to be Wills friend. This wasn’t practice. Not for Will.
Before he could second-guess himself, Mike closed the distance between them. His lips brushed against Will’s in a soft, tentative kiss. It was gentle, barely there, but it sent a shockwave through Will’s entire body. His heart pounded in his chest, his mind going blank as all he could focus on was the feeling of Mike’s lips against his.
It was over in a heartbeat. Mike pulled back, his face flushed, his eyes wide as he stared at Will. For a moment, neither of them said anything. The silence stretched out, thick with the weight of what had just happened.
“How was that?” Mike asked, his voice barely a whisper.
Will stared at him, still trying to catch his breath. His mind was spinning, his emotions in turmoil. The kiss had been soft, simple, but it had stirred something deep inside him—something he had tried to keep buried for years. He had wanted it to last longer. He had wanted more. But he couldn’t say that. Not to Mike.
“It was... good,” Will managed to say, though his voice shook slightly.
Mike smiled, relief flooding his face. “See? I told you it wasn’t a big deal.”
But it was. It was the biggest deal in the world to Will.
They sat in silence for a few moments, the tension between them still heavy, still unspoken. Will could feel the weight of it pressing down on his chest, making it hard to breathe. He wanted to say something, anything, to break the silence. He wanted to tell Mike how much that kiss had meant to him, how much he wished it could mean more.
But then Mike stood up, running a hand through his hair with a nervous laugh. “Well, now you’ve had your first kiss,” he said, trying to sound casual, but there was a strange tightness in his voice. “So you don’t have to worry about it anymore.”
Will’s heart sank. Mike was already brushing it off, acting like it hadn’t mattered. Like it was just practice.
And Will supposes it was for Mike.
Just practice.
“Yeah,” Will said softly, his voice barely audible. “I guess I don’t.”
Mike glanced at him, and for a brief moment, there was something in his eyes—something that looked like regret, or maybe confusion. But then it was gone, and Mike smiled again, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Good,” Mike said, his tone too light, too forced. “Now you’ll be ready when it happens for real.”
For real.
Will felt a lump form in his throat. That was the problem, wasn’t it? The kiss had been for practice. It hadn’t been real. Not to Mike, at least. But to Will, it had been everything.
“Yeah,” Will whispered, his heart breaking as he forced himself to smile. “When it happens for real.”
But it already had. At least for him.
As Mike walked toward the stairs, saying something about getting a drink, Will sat there, staring at the spot where Mike had been sitting, his chest tight with unspoken words. He had thought that kiss would make things better, that it would give him the courage to move on from his feelings. But now, all it had done was make things worse. Because now he knew what it felt like to kiss Mike. And now he knew that, to Mike, it didn’t mean a thing.
And that was something Will wasn’t sure he could live with.
As Mike disappeared up the stairs, Will closed his eyes, a tear slipping down his cheek. He wanted to tell Mike the truth. He wanted to tell him that he didn’t want their kiss to be just practice, that he didn’t want it to be something they pretended didn’t matter. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t risk ruining what they had. So he would keep his secret, just like he always had.
Because to Mike, it had been just a kiss.
And to Will, it had been everything.