Chapter Text
September 15th, 1988.
Hawkins High.
Will never expected that he'd get this far.
A little less than a year ago, Will’s priorities consisted of the following: 1. Not dying and 2. Keeping his loved ones safe from the interdimensional horrors that followed them like the goddamn plague.
Thankfully, his worries were far more tame now. Senior year was a breeze compared to the Upside Down. Aside from the dozens of kids causing havoc in the hallways and underpaid teachers watching the chaos unfold, Will could even say he enjoyed the day to day life here.
The handlebars of Will’s bike were old and worn, the tires in an even worse condition. However, that never stopped Will from riding the hell out of it just because he could. The autumn air caught his hair, blowing it back softly as the early morning sun kissed his face and welcomed him with its gentle warmth.
Will stopped just short of the bike rack that sat in front of Hawkins High, quickly locking it up before heading inside to hopefully catch—
“Hey.”
Maybe the title of sorcerer still rang true after all this time, because Will must've conjured up Mike’s presence as soon as he popped into his head.
Will turned around and he couldn't help the immediate smile that crept up his face. Mike was wearing a navy blue sweater with cream colored detailing around the cuffs and hem, paired with worn jeans that Will was certain had seen better days. Nevertheless, Mike looked the way that he always did.
Good. He looked so good.
“Hi,” Will breathed out quietly, “you didn't have to come out here, y'know. I was just about to walk inside.”
Mike mirrored Will’s smile, soft and sweet, and gave a slight shrug of the shoulders. “Eh, there's still time before the bell. Figured I could walk with you.”
Will was still getting used to that.
Mike was trying, he really was, to not have the emotional intelligence of a door knob. They had their moments, of course. Times where Mike would pull away, try and distance himself. Times where they’d argue and they'd both need space for a bit after. But despite it all, they never left each other's side. Not when it got hard. Especially when it got hard.
After so long of believing that love was out of the realm of possibilities, finally having it in the palm of your hands was surreal.
It happened in the basement of the Wheeler house, November of 1987, when stress had been at an all-time high. Everyone was in a desperate need of a change of clothes and definitely a shower. Sweat, blood and dirt were a terrible, and frankly disgusting, combination that was hard to ignore.
Will offered to shower last but Mike stubbornly shoved him into the bathroom, telling him he deserved it after kicking ass at the MAC-Z. The feeling of Mike’s hands on his chest lingered even after the door shut. He tried to ignore how the warmth in his gut wouldn't go away even when the water ran cold.
With wet hair and a fresh set of clothes, he found himself in the basement. He propped up his head on the armrest of the couch, gazing up at the ceiling and just… processing everything that had happened in the last few days. All the pain, the fear that came with unlocking a new part of himself. But with the pain came the fluttering in his chest, the flush that rose to his cheeks every time Mike looked at him. Will groaned quietly, rubbing his hands over his face.
The sound of footsteps making their way down the stairs made him sit up and pull his brain back into his body. Mike appeared at the bottom of the steps. Strands of dark hair clung to his temples, a few stray droplets of water rolled down his chin. Will swallowed hard, his nails digging into the soft, fleshy part of his palm.
“Hey… uh, mind if I’m down here?” Mike gave a sheepish smile, eyes crinkling just a bit as it reached his eyes. Will took a second to process what Mike said; the brain fog that persisted after waking up from passing out made it hard to focus. He quickly nodded and responded with a small yes.
Mike sat down on the couch next to Will, a good amount of space rested between the two of them. Space that Will wanted nothing more but to get rid of.
Clearing his throat, Mike fidgeted with his hands and didn't quite meet Will’s eyes. “I know you said you were alright back at the radio station but uh… is everything okay? I mean— what you did was just… incredible, like seriously, Will. But I know that you're probably still… drained.”
Will bit back a grin, and it was easy once the icy feeling of fear began to trail up his veins again. He'd passed out directly after siphoning his powers, the energy he exerted was far too much for his untrained body. Mike caught him like it was nothing, telling him that he'd be okay and that he was going to get them out of there. Robin’s speech echoed in his head, the images of his childhood still fresh in his mind.
He just needed to stop being so goddamn scared.
It sure as hell wasn't easy.
“It wasn't that impressive, I just… I couldn't let anything happen to you— or Robin, or Lucas. If anything, you should’ve been scared. I know I would've if your eyes rolled back and you started making things levitate.” Will glanced at Mike, their eyes briefly meeting in the dim basement light. He tried to give a small smile but his efforts were futile. His throat tightened, each breath becoming more and more deliberate.
Mike looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "Are you kidding me? You snapped three demos in half like it was nothing! That is impressive!” His eyes were determined, holding a familiar fire that made Will’s stomach twist and turn. Mike swallowed, his Adam's apple visibly moving as if he were preparing his next words carefully.
“Will, I could never be scared of you. You were… everything. And I mean that.”
Oh.
Fuck.
Will’s face was undeniably warm now and he prayed to whatever divine being out there for Mike to remain oblivious. He coughed slightly, trying to act casual when this definitely didn't feel all that casual.
“Mike, that's… thank you. Actually, I should really be the one thanking you. You’re the reason I could use my powers in the first place,” Will confided faintly. However, as soon as the words left his mouth, a pit in his stomach slowly began to form and a feeling of dread followed suit.
“What?”
Well, shit. This is what he gets for not thinking before he speaks. Great job, Byers. Really great job.
“I—I mean, well… When that demo lunged, all I could think about was… us. And— and my family, of course. It was like I was watching all of my memories over again.” A tremble found its way into Will’s voice, his hands matching the jitter in his words and the racing of his heart. “You were a part of so, so many, Mike. Every D&D session, the— the swingset where you asked me to be your friend and I—”
Will inhaled sharply, he felt pathetic for getting worked up over something as trivial as this. His head slowly turned to face Mike more clearly and it suddenly hit him how much closer Mike had gotten. Their knees were almost touching, shoulders mere inches away from bumping into one another.
And Mike, God, Mike.
Mike looked at him like he just told him he'd won the lottery, the shine in his eyes reminding Will of the stars they'd spent time gazing at when their lives were their own. Time felt slow, barely moving like molasses, and Will could feel his pulse pounding in his head.
“I was able to do that?”
Will nodded.
“You always were.”
Mike’s eyes scanned over his face, like he was trying to examine every minute detail. They dropped down to his lips before flicking back up to his eyes.
Closer. Just slightly, but their hands brushed one another and Will nearly jolted from the sensation. Mike kept looking at him. He never looked away.
“Mike.”
Will didn't even know what he was pleading for. Maybe it was for this to be over, for Mike to stop giving him hope when he was so fucking hopeful. Or maybe, it was reassurance that it was really him who was here. No trick of the mind, no hallucination.
Just his best friend. Just his Mike.
“Will.”
He smiled at Will. So very softly.
When Mike took his hand, he became aware that Mike shook just as much as he did. At least it wasn't just him who was nervous. It gave him a bit of relief having that point of contact, and Will squeezed lightly to emphasize I'm here. I'm with you.
The sound of their synced, bated breaths filled the silence between them. Both of them sat like they were waiting for the other shoe to drop, for something to happen to pull them out of the moment.
But nothing came.
“Listen, Mike. I understand if—”
Will didn't get the opportunity to finish his sentence before Mike’s lips were against his own. If time felt slow before, it completely stopped as soon as Mike was kissing him.
It was small and brief, slightly more than just a mere peck on the lips. Mike pulled away and his expression displayed a mix of horror and anticipation.
Yeah. Will understood the feeling.
“Shit, Will. I—”
“You— you kissed me.”
“Oh… yeah. Yeah I did.”
“Why?”
Will could barely hear himself, the word coming out fragile as he struggled to maintain eye contact.
Mike leaned his head forward just enough, pressing his forehead gently against Will’s. His hand gripped harder to try and quell the persistent tremors that went through his veins like lighting.
“I didn't lie when I said asking you to be my friend was the best thing I had ever done. It's because you're selfless, and kind, and funny, and—” Mike paused momentarily, finding the coherent words in a mess of jumbled thoughts.
“It's because you're you. That's why I kissed you. That's why I love you, Will,” Mike spoke like loving Will was as easy as breathing. His voice was so gentle, bordering on brittle as it wavered in time with the butterflies in Will’s stomach.
Will felt his eyes burn. His heart felt so light yet so full and he wondered if this was how he would die. He would die satisfied and loved by Mike Wheeler.
He didn't feel scared anymore.
He felt free.
Will’s other hand went up to cup Mike’s cheek, cradling the defined jawline that he spent so long admiring and thinking he'd never have. Their lips met again. This time, Will initiated it with increased fervor and want. He swore he felt Mike murmur a Thank God against his mouth before his hands went to hold the nape of Will’s neck.
He allowed himself to indulge in this feeling. To relish in how Mike smiled against his lips and breathed Will in, to engrave the mint flavor of toothpaste that lingered on Mike’s tongue into his mind for centuries to come.
Will pulled back, catching his breath. He took a page out of Mike’s book and leaned their foreheads against each other. Mike’s pupils were large, filling his irises with the inky black that reflected Will’s face. From this angle, Will could count each freckle and mole on his face.
He breathed in deeply and pulled Mike close, arms loosely wrapped around Mike’s neck.
“It’s always been you, Mike. Always.”
The halls were filled to the brim with people; yelling despite being not even two feet away, lockers slamming and the constant push of someone else trying to get past you.
Senior year in its prime. Wonderful.
Mike followed Will as he navigated to his locker, sneaking past a group of girls who blocked nearly the entire hallway. When they reached their destination, Mike leaned on the locker adjacent to Will’s and watched his hands fiddle with the padlock.
“You're staring,” Will teased as he quickly entered the code and pulled the lock down and away from his locker. The door swung open, grinning faces in photographs and scattered school supplies greeted him.
“Mmm,” Mike hummed and leaned in a bit, “got a problem with it, Byers?”
Will’s eyes flickered to Mike’s smug face, if only they were away from the chaos of school, then Will could seriously wipe that stupid smirk off his face. Mildly amused and fondly exasperated, Will gave a roll of the eyes as he grabbed his calculus textbook from the bottom of his locker.
“You're digging your own grave, Michael.” Will slowly shut the metal door and met Mike's gaze. “Maybe I won't come over tonight if you're being so smug.”
Mike’s face dropped and he immediately began gesturing helplessly with his hands. Wow, now Will could see what Nancy meant by the kicked puppy look. “Come on! It’s like 8 in the morning and I haven't even said anything that stupid today!”
Will gave a quick glance around. No one was looking in their direction, or at least no one paying that close attention to either of them. Bringing his eyes back to Mike’s frustrated face, he rested his hand on Mike’s forearm and squeezed softly.
“Relax, jeez. I was joking. Mostly.” That earned Will a slight glare that he wouldn't trade for the world. “I’d never miss a hangout, you know me. Besides, who else would put up with my rambling?”
The smile that replaced the piercing glare made Will’s heart warm exponentially so. Mike placed his hand on top of Will’s discreetly, moving his body just slightly so their hands were angled away from the crowds of people.
Suddenly, Mike’s face shifted. An expression of realization or possibly remembrance crossed his face, his pale complexion slowly turning a pretty rose pink. Will raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to lean in even closer, trying to peer into that mind of his.
“I, uh… There's something I need to give you. After school though, okay? Uhm. In— in the back of the football field? Come there,” Mike rushed, “please.”
Will couldn't suppress the soft laugh that was punched out of his chest. Well, he wasn't expecting that. Mike’s frown deepened as Will giggled, which made him quickly pull himself together. The grin that remained couldn't be subdued though.
“Sorry, sorry. I just wasn't expecting you to get so worked up. Yes, yes of course I'll be there. Where else would I go?” Will said amusedly, his hand still gently holding Mike’s arm.
Relief flooded over Mike’s face like a tidal wave as he exhaled quietly, he gave a quick shrug and averted his eyes. Real smooth, Wheeler. “Don't know. I just didn't…want to inconvenience you or something.”
The scoff that left him was light, his eyes still fixated on Mike’s side profile. Will shoved him softly. “Never.”
The bell rang out loudly, reverberating off the lockers and spurring the movement of kids to start rushing to their classrooms. Will’s attention was pulled away from Mike for a moment before returning with a soft, happy smile on his face.
“Catch you later, Mike.”
“See ya’, Will.”
There's something I need to give you.
Will couldn't focus on anything but Mike for the entire duration of school, except for the pencil sketch he was enthralled in during art.
In— in the back of the football field?
He couldn't lie, he was incredibly curious and maybe even nervous to see what awaited him when the school day ended. Mike said he had something for him, and that usually meant something special. Will didn't really have a specific love language since he valued all of them pretty much equally, but he did adore it when Mike gave him little gifts. Each and every one sat in his room, perched either on his desk or on his windowsill. All of them were a part of him in their own ways.
Their first Christmas together as a couple was one that Will personally kept close to his heart. Mike was so red when he held out a wrapped box towards Will, so nervous that Will thought he might pass out right in front of the Christmas tree. Inside was a brand new sketchbook, a set of oil pastels because Will mentioned wanting to try a new medium and arguably his favorite gift of all, an envelope labeled “Will” with Mike’s familiar handwriting scrawled across the front.
Mike had always been good with words, on paper at least. If only that translated over to actually communicating, things could've been much, much easier. He had this talent that made everything he described in his writing sound beautiful, and God, did he do that. Will read it while Nancy and Jonathan exchanged gifts, which ended up being the worst decision to make because the first paragraph alone made him cry. Will kept that letter safely tucked in his nightstand and reread it frequently, a constant reminder that Mike chose him. That Mike loved him.
“Will?” A soft voice pulled Will away from his thoughts. Mrs. Clement, his art teacher, had found her way to his desk with her kind eyes and gentle movements. She definitely favored him, mainly because he didn't cause a ruckus and he actually put effort into his assignments. “Mind if I take a look at your drawing? I'm seeing where everyone is at with their projects.” She smiled at him, clasping her hands in front of her paint spattered apron.
He looked up and gave a smile in return. “Of course, it's, uh, not completely finished but…” Will slid the sketchbook across the desk to show her. The drawing was a monochromatic scenic landscape—the background a mountainous terrain and a waterfall slightly to the left. A person sat upon a large boulder as its focal point, face turned towards the cascading water. Will had been working on shading, however it'd been a challenge to actually settle on something instead of erasing it and trying an entirely different technique.
She picked up the sketchbook and held it up slightly, eyes scanning over the artwork. Her eyes displayed a certain glimmer, one that made Will’s heart sing with pride. “Excellent work, Will. I'm very impressed,” she hummed as she set the sketchbook down, “I think my favorite part is the figure on the rock. It's quite dynamic. I wouldn't be surprised if you used a reference.”
Will looked back down at the page, a warmth spread across his face as he gazed at the dark haired figure in front of him. “I had a good muse, that's all.”
“I bet you did,” she praised. Before Will could say anything more, the final bell of the day sounded out in the classroom and people began putting their supplies into their backpacks. Will gave a final, grateful glance upwards before sliding his pencils into a pouch and his sketchbook into his own backpack.
“I'll see you tomorrow, Mrs. Clement. It'll be done by Monday next week. At least, it should be,” Will concluded as he tossed his bag over his shoulder and headed out of the art room. Mrs. Clement responded with a smile and a gentle nod before returning to the papers on her desk.
Will’s blood sang in anticipation, he'd been waiting all day to be able to see Mike after school. Their schedules barely overlapped to both of their dismays, and even their lunch periods had them separated. It wasn't just the promise of a surprise that got Will excited, but the prospect of getting a moment alone with Mike.
A hand found itself on Will’s shoulder and he jolted hard enough to nearly make himself trip. When he caught his breath, he found himself about four inches away from a post positioned conveniently on the right side of the hallway. Will looked to his left and there Lucas stood, still gripping his shoulder and giving him a look that said You good?
“Hey, Lucas,” Will gave an abashed laugh, “I— I didn't see you… there?”
Lucas snickered slightly, his eyebrows raising at Will’s preoccupation. “I'm not the only thing you didn't see.” He gave a head tilt towards the pillar that Will now knew was very obvious and very easy to not run into. Curse you, Michael Wheeler. It was his fault, really.
Will sighed heavily, but he couldn't keep the grin off of his face or out of his voice. “Give me a break, it's been a long day.” Lucas eyed Will up and down, almost as if he were looking for evidence of Will’s claim. His hand moved away from Will’s shoulder and found itself shoved into the pockets of his pants.
“Yeah, yeah, I hear you,” Lucas yawned loudly and rolled his shoulders with a soft pop. “Anyways, I just wanted to find you before you left. I couldn't find Mike or Dustin and I wanted to make sure we were still on for Sunday?”
Will had been so caught up in seeing Mike after school and hanging out with him alone tonight that he completely forgot about the weekend.
Even being as busy as they are, the party could never truly stay separated for long. Not after finally returning to normalcy. They relished in being able to actually just be regular teenagers again.
They'd made plans to go see a new film that came out recently, Will wasn't really paying attention to the specifics but he heard the word “movie” and he was in, no hesitation. Spending time with Mike was one of his favorite things in the world, but he also missed spending time together as a group.
“Yeah! The movie’s at 8, and we're meeting at Mike’s before to make sure we have everything, and that'll be at 7, probably,” Will smiled widely and Lucas matched his energy. Most people would've thought that Lucas’ interest in sports and Will’s interest in art would've set them apart socially or caused them to clash. But if anything, it's only brought them together. Usually Will tried to avoid loud spaces, but Lucas’ basketball games were the one exception to that. Watching people in action was a surprisingly good way to wrap your head around dynamic poses and how bodies moved, and it was incredibly entertaining to see people get pissy on the court.
Lucas smiled back at him and gave him another pat on the shoulder. “See you tomorrow, Will. I'll probably swing by your locker sometime to get the notes for biology, just a heads up.”
“Sure, anytime. See you tomorrow,” Will beamed as Lucas turned to walk down the stairs. He let out a soft, content sigh as he found himself alone at the top of the stairwell. Happiness had always been fleeting, even in his childhood. A good day came around maybe once every few weeks if he was lucky, a day where he didn't feel bad about things or himself. But slowly, once every few weeks turned into once every week. And once every week turned into multiple times a week.
Seeing that change happen in real time gave him hope for the future. That he'd be able to live a life that wasn't dictated by a monster or someone that couldn't care less about him. Will was confident for the first time in a long while that things would work out for him.
Will made his way down the steps and out the main doors of Hawkins High. Instead of unlocking his bike and hopping on, pedaling hard to make it back to his house to catch Jonathan before he went to work, he walked past the rows of bike racks.
Football games were overrated in his opinion, just a bunch of overconfident and cocky boys who wanted an excuse to tackle each other. But, the field was large and calm, no loud players charging at each other at this time of day. Will considered painting out here sometime, maybe if he had the energy to bring down his easel and all of his art supplies.
A set of bleachers stood at the far end of the field, old and unused since most people preferred to sit closer to the game. Will was the first to arrive it seemed, and he leaned against the metal framework holding up the wooden seats. He fidgeted absent-mindedly with the loose threads on his sleeves, patiently waiting for his paladin in shining armor. Well… paladin in a sweater and old jeans. Same thing, basically.
Fast footsteps moved towards Will, and Will quickly looked over to see Mike running towards him and waving a hand. What a dork. Will gave a cheesy smile, his eyes and nose crinkling with the size of his grin.
Mike panted as he reached Will, placing his hands on his thighs and catching his breath as quickly as possible. “Sorry I was—huff—fuck, late. I had to make sure I had everything,” Mike explained through deliberate and strained breathes. Will didn't attempt to hide the giggles that erupted out of him.
“You weren't late, I just got here.” Will stepped closer to Mike and stopped once he could easily reach out and touch him. Mike stood up straight and met Will’s gaze, a flush suddenly forming on his cheeks. Will watched as Mike swallowed hard and reached into his back pocket to, what Will assumed, grab whatever Mike wanted to give him.
“Right, right. Uhm, give me just a second.” Mike pulled out a yellow cassette tape, and wrapped around it was… a leather cord? “I— I have something else too, but I thought you might want this first.” Mike held it out towards Will, silently asking him to take it, and he complied.
Will took it into his hands, examining the tape with a fond smile on his face. In sharpie, the words “For Will” were written across the top of it. It wasn't the first time that they had exchanged or given one another mixtapes, but for some reason, this one felt oddly special.
“What's this?” Will inquired as he slid the leather cord off of the tape and into his palm. It was circular, large enough to wrap around his wrist and— oh. That's what it was.
“It's a bracelet. You… you probably don't wear jewelry or anything and it's probably stupid but—”
“Mike.”
“Right, sorry. Uhm, but I thought it could be kind of like… like a promise thing. Like I'm promising that I'll be there for you and stuff,” Mike murmured underneath his breath, kicking a few rocks that surrounded them as a distraction.
“And stuff? Very romantic, Mike.”
“Shut up. I’m trying my best here.”
Will’s gaze softened and he took a small step closer, taking Mike’s hand into his free one. Mike immediately let out a shaky exhale and looked away, using his other hand to reach into his pocket again.
“One more thing. I made you this letter… you should read it now. It's— it's not very long but it's important. I hope you like it.” Instead of an envelope, Mike held out a neatly folded piece of lined paper out to Will. Will’s eyes flickered up to Mike’s, his heart warming at the sight of his flustered state, before taking the paper.
He slowly unfolded the letter and began to read.
Dear Will,
I'm writing this at midnight because I couldn't stop thinking about you this all day. I'm really sorry if there's any grammar mistakes or if I fall asleep halfway through.
Anyways, I know our situation isn't the best right now. Even with the party, your family and Nancy knowing about us, we still can't be ourselves in public and I'm sorry. I want to be able to hold your hand. I want to be able to hug kiss hug you and have people know that you're my boyfriend, not anyone else's.
Being with you is something that I thought never could've been possible. You make me want to be better and I hope I'm doing a good job. You'd tell me if I wasn't, right? Sorry, sidetracked. What I wanted to say was that, even if we can't publicly be together, you're still the person I want to do everything with. And I know we're unable to do a lot of things, but I thought we could make it work.
Things might be really hard. Like crazy hard. But we'll do it together and maybe it'll go better than we expect.
Will Byers, will you go to Homecoming with me?
Love, Mike.
.
.
.
Will didn't even notice his hands were shaking until he reread the last sentence three times over. It was beginning to become hard to read because his eyes were rapidly blurring with fresh, hot tears. God, he didn't used to be this sensitive when it came to letters.
He lifted his head to look at Mike, and all he could see standing in front of him was the young boy who asked him to be his friend, the kid who stayed with him despite everything, the stupid teenager who wanted him for better or for worse.
Mike opened his mouth, then shut it, his eyebrows contorting into an expression of worry and concern. His hands raised slightly, unsure whether or not he upset Will with his letter until— Will practically fell into his arms and wrapped around him tightly.
“Yes, yes, Mike. I'd love to. God, I would've said yes if you asked me with a goddamn sticky note,” Will laughed into the crook of Mike’s neck, cheeks damp with tears that were definitely getting the collar of Mike’s sweater wet.
Mike’s arms closed around him with the same intensity Will went into the hug with—protective and fierce and undeniably in love. Will didn't feel Mike crying, but he heard the dry sobs that came from his throat and that's all the incentive Will needed to start peppering his face with kisses.
One across his cheekbone, two on the tip of his nose, several scattered across his forehead and chin. Mike’s attempts to push him off had barely any strength to them, and Will knew for a damn fact Mike wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now.
Will’s hands went to cup both sides of Mike’s face and he leaned in to properly kiss him. Mike’s lips were chapped and cracked, evidence that he'd been biting at them throughout the day. Had he really been this nervous to ask Will to homecoming? It wasn't like he was going to say no. Mike’s hands followed Will’s own, tangling into his hair and further deepening it.
After about a minute, Will reluctantly pulled away to gain his breath back. He couldn't help but grin hard at Mike’s expression—kiss swollen lips, a flushed face and Will’s personal favorite, the furrow between his brows that told him just how disappointed he was that Will stopped.
“I, uh, probably shouldn't have used a pen to write. The words I crossed out are… pretty obvious. I seem kinda pathetic, don't I?” Mike breathed out, pressing his forehead to Will’s to try and gain yet another point of contact.
“I didn't say it,” Will teased softly, placing yet another peck to the tip of Mike’s nose.
“You didn't have to.”
A comfortable moment of quietness drifted between them, breathing out and breathing each other in. It was rare when they got a moment of privacy where they didn't have to keep up appearances. There's nothing Will wouldn't do to be able to stay in this moment forever, but alas, their families would eventually wonder why they didn't return home on time.
Will looked to the ground where he accidentally let the items drop in order to pull Mike into a kiss. He gave a shy glance to Mike, a silent apology, and Mike’s smile just widened and he shrugged. Will bent over slightly to pick up the gift, admiring it all over again. He took the leather bracelet into his right hand, flipping it over and running his thumb over it. An idea popped into his head, one that might've been a little cliche, but Will was willing to be a little cliche if it meant seeing Mike happy.
“Put it on me,” Will said nonchalantly as he pocketed the letter and mixtape. He held his palm upright, the leather bracelet sitting in the middle of it.
“Put it on you?” Mike questioned, taking it and shooting Will an inquisitive and confused look.
“Yeah, you said it's like a promise, right?” Will flipped his hand over, the top of his hand angled towards Mike. “Put it on.”
Mike’s eyes flicked from Will's wrist to the bracelet, then back to Will’s wrist and then Will’s face. He inhaled sharply and moved forward a few inches more, taking the two ends of the bracelet and holding them away from each other.
Will watched as Mike wrapped the leather around his wrist, finding the optimal tightness to where it wouldn't be restrictive but where it wouldn't fall off. His hands slipped and fumbled with the knot as he tried to double it up to keep it from coming undone.
“Y’know, it's kind of like putting on a ring,” Mike tried to make conversation to fill the gap of silence that had settled upon them once more. However, he'd soon regret it because Will tensed up and the weight of his words hit him right back tenfold.
Mike sputtered and took a step back, “I— I mean like— it's intimate. And vulnerable, and— and you know I wouldn't ever… Well, not ever, but you know where we're at right now and I didn't mean it like—” his words were stopped abruptly as Will took both of his hands into his and gently rubbed his thumbs over the tops of his hands.
“I know what you meant, Mike.” Will gave him an understanding look that knocked the breath out of Mike’s lungs. He could feel the fear draining from Mike’s body, although not completely, but enough for him to calm down.
Mike paused before he spoke, making eye contact with Will and breathing deeply before he started. “I… I know it's a lot and I didn't mean that I’d never ask you. We can't right now anyway, not like either of us are ready for it,” Mike huffed out a laugh and Will echoed.
“But… maybe someday?” Mike followed up, almost inaudible in how he said it. Will’s eyes widened and he felt his heart pound hard in his chest, but he wasn't scared. God, no. He could never be scared of this.
“Yeah. Someday.” Will gently smiled and pressed a final kiss to Mike’s cheek before letting their joined hands drop to their sides. They began to walk across the field, back to their homes and back to keeping their relationship under wraps.
But Will slept easy that night knowing that someday, he'd have a future where he'd wake up next to the man he was unashamed to love every single day.
Someday.