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Dustin hums to himself as he loads his textbooks back into his locker. He may love learning, but even the hungriest minds get full after an exhaustive study session. All he wanted to do now was get home and relax. As he goes to shut his locker, he pauses for a moment when he notices his friend Will passing by him. Will Flashes him a smile and waves.
“Hey, wait up!” Dustin quickly pushes the locker door closed and rushes towards Will, who chortles at the sight of him stumbling through the hallway.
“Someone’s happy to see me,” Will teases. An amused grin is plastered across his face.
“But of course I am,” Dustin meets Will’s side and nudges him with an elbow. “I have a proposition for ya!”
Will raises an eyebrow curiously. It’s not every day that Dustin comes to him with a proposition. Anyone who knows him might suspect some crazy science-related plan is in the works.
“Oh, I get it… You want me to be your guinea pig?” He scoffs playfully.
“What, no way!” Dustin’s brain had been overloaded with science facts and science logic. The last thing he wanted was to conduct some kind of experiment.
“I was simply hoping for my good friend William ‘The Wise’ Byers to join me back at my place. Pizza and games provided by yours truly.” He uses his thumbs to point at himself and wiggles his hips.
Will smiles warmly at him. Dustin is a good friend. Since his coming out, Will would find himself worrying about being treated differently by his peers. His friends however loved him so dearly, that it was not even a question for them. It made him feel relieved to know nothing had changed between them.
“You had me at pizza.”
The pair would walk together to Dustin’s place talking about everything from homework, to NES games, to future apocalypse strategies. (They had certainly learned a lot from their previous battles with eldritch beings.) The air was brisk, and Will didn’t seem to mind much, if at all. After everything he had been through, his senses had numbed to changes in the weather. Dustin shoves his hands into the pockets of his trench coat, admiring Will’s ability to stay warm in a single layer consisting only of a pair of jeans and a wool sweater.
As they approach the Henderson’s humble abode, Dustin’s mother is already standing at the door prepared to greet them with open arms.
“Dusty!” Her voice is bright and cheery. “Oh, and you’ve brought your darling little friend over.”
Before either of them can respond, she’s already pulling them both in for a hug. Dustin pats her on the back.
“Alright mom— we aren’t little kids anymore y’know.” He’s only slightly embarrassed.
She releases them from her grasp, smiling apologetically.
“Evening, Ms. Henderson.” Will bows politely before her, making Dustin grin.
She places a hand over her heart. “Always so respectful. You might just be my favorite of Dusty’s friends.”
She returns her gaze to Dustin. “I’m headed out to the store for a few things. You two think you can hold down the fort while I’m gone?”
Dustin motions his hand toward the brim of his hat in a Salute.
Will nods in agreement. “You can count on us, Ms. Henderson.”
She gives Dustin one last hug and an “I love you,” before going on her way. The afternoon, and now the entire house, was left in their hands.
Dustin opens the door, gesturing for Will to enter “After you, Cleric.”
“Thank you, my Bard.” Will enters to the strong scent of incense and cat litter. The Henderson home was, in the coziest sense, very lived in. It’s a space that Will has always felt warmly welcomed into.
Dustin shuts the door behind them, flicking on a lamp that had been placed nearby. He is hanging his coat and hat up by the door when two small, grey kittens seem to appear from thin air and skittishly run for cover underneath the living room sofa.
“Oh,” will keeps his voice hushed as to not further startle them “You guys adopted more cats?”
“Yeah, seems like they weren’t expecting guests today…” Dustin approaches the sofa, kneeling to peek underneath the kittens’ hiding spot.
He reaches a hand under, and— “Ouch! son of a bitch!” quickly retracts it back out. “The adorable bastard scratched me…” He sighs and stands up. A drop of blood is trickling down his finger. Dustin raises it to his lips prepared to lick his own wound.
Will’s eyes widen, and he grabs Dustin's wrist before he gets the chance to. “Let me help.”
Still holding onto Dustin’s wrist, he carefully guides him to the bathroom. Dustin can’t help but laugh at him— “Will, seriously. It’s just a tiny scratch. I’ve experienced worse.“
He looks down at Will, who is now sitting on the edge of the toilet seat in his very cramped bathroom. He is intently inspecting Dustin’s injury with a gentle grip on his palm.
Something about the sight of his good friend holding his hand and taking such care of a minor injury made Dustin feel… something. Not a bad something. It was something warm and perhaps even tender. Will has always been such a giving soul. He would put his friend’s safety above anything else when necessary. It was never an inconvenience to him, and he was good at it too. Good at making his friends feel cared for. Dustin admired that about him. He admired Will.
“Dustin?”
He is snapped back into reality when he hears his name being called. Will is looking up at him with big doe eyes. He had been trying and failing to get Dustin’s attention while his mind was busy wandering to thoughts of how kind he is.
“Right, sorry… earth to Dustin—“ he wants to laugh away the awkwardness, “Could you repeat that?”
Will’s expression is a blend of amusement and genuine concern. He wipes one last drop of blood from Dustin’s finger with tissue paper before standing to meet his gaze and reaching over him to start the tap.
“I asked if you had any bandages.” Will’s voice is soft and patient. His presence alone could soothe an entire village. Dustin wasn’t worried in the slightest about his insignificant injury, but he didn’t mind being on the receiving end of Will’s nurture.
Dustin could feel that strange something stirring within him as he fumbled around the bathroom cabinet. “Bandages! Yes, bandages. They’re in here somewhere. They should be, anyway…”
Will’s view is obscured by the mirror door to the cabinet. He tries peeking his head around it to see what Dustin is doing.
He jumps slightly when Dustin spins around and is suddenly face-to-face with him. Dustin gently shakes a tin of ‘Band-Aid’ brand bandages in his hand next to their heads. “How about that...”
He winks, which makes Will roll his eyes. Dustin couldn’t help but find humor in near every situation. It wasn’t always appropriately timed, but it was certainly charming.
Will finishes disinfecting and bandaging Dustin’s finger. They both head back out to the living area where they spot one of the kittens now curiously poking its head out from underneath the couch. Will approaches calmly, lowering himself to the ground until he’s on all fours in front of the couch. Dustin watches as Will coaxes both kittens out from their hiding spot with ease. It’s as if he’s some kind of Disney princess. Will and the kittens are face to face until—
Will rises to his knees, now cradling the two tiny animals in his arms. “Looks like they’ve calmed down a bit,” he whispers, smiling proudly.
Dustin nestles himself into the couch, impressed by Will’s ability to make any creature feel at ease around him. Himself included. Will gently places the kittens next to Dustin and they crawl into his lap. One of them nips as his bandaged finger.
“I think animals might like you more than they like me.” He feigns a devastated glare towards the kitten, shaking his head.
Will pouts. “Aw, c’mon. She didn’t mean it! At least it wasn’t a Demo bite.”
“The heartbreak of a kitten attack hurts worse than a Demo bite.” Dustin sighs.
Will pats Dustin on the shoulder, joining him on the couch. He reaches a hand toward the kittens, letting them sniff him. “I don’t think you’ve properly introduced us yet.”
Dustin holds up one kitten in his hand, who appears surprised by the sudden air lift. “This one is Rambo.” The second kitten begins batting at his injured finger with her paws, continuing to nip away at the bandage. “That little bastard is Lucy.” He gently nudges her away from his hand.
The two kittens begin play wrestling, and eventually jump down from the couch to chase each other across the house. “They’re a bit of a handful, but my mom is a total cat lady.” Dustin’s expression softens. “She was heartbroken after Mews… so when those two showed up there was no argument against becoming their ‘forever home,’ as she put it.”
Will pulls his legs into a criss-cross position in an attempt to make himself more comfortable on Dustin’s ancient furniture. He could swear this couch was handed down from Abraham Lincoln himself. His gaze fixes toward the ‘Live, Laugh, Love’ sign hung up in the kitchen. His stomach growls.
“So, how about that pizza you promised?”
Dustin perks up. “Oh, right!” He practically jolts from the couch and makes his way to the kitchen. Will fidgets with the NES controller on the coffee table beside him. When Dustin returns, he’s holding 2 paper plates of cold pepperoni pizza straight from the fridge. “Hope you don’t mind leftovers.”
Will’s face contorts slightly. “Don’t you own a microwave?”
Dustin falls back dramatically into the couch, nearly catapulting Will up from his seat. He tosses one of the plates onto Will’s lap, and takes a big bite from his own as if the temperature doesn’t phase him in the slightest.
“Best way to eat leftovers. Trust me.” He remarks, an impressive amount of pizza tucked into his cheek chipmunk style.
Will reluctantly takes a bite of the cold pizza. Dustin had his quirks. Many of which Will admired, and some which simply perplexed him. All of them were necessary in making Dustin who he was. Will wouldn’t have it any other way.
He glances over to Dustin who’s staring at him in suspense, slowly chewing his bite. He certainly wasn’t making cold leftovers seem any more appetizing.
Dustin raises his eyebrows, eagerly awaiting Will’s review.
Will stomachs the small bite, gently shoving dustin’s face away from his own. Neither of them had seemed to pay much attention to how close they were sitting. Dustin had a relatively small personal bubble anyhow. Some would think he didn’t have one at all.
“It’s alright...”
Dustin looks pleased by this.
“… but it would still taste better warm.”
Will stands up and pats dustin on the head before navigating to the kitchen in search of the elusive microwave that Dustin didn’t seem to make use of.
“Hey, at least you tried it!” Dustin’s voice carries across the room. “Experimenting is important!”
He throws an arm over the back of his couch, positioning himself sideways to watch Will prance around his kitchen. Will had seemed to be carrying himself differently as of late. He was the same Will ‘The Wise’ Byers that Dustin had always known and loved; only with a much more noticeable eir of confidence. It looked good on him, Dustin thought.
Will approaches the couch, settling back into his seat with a now steaming hot paper plate. Dustin hasn’t yet readjusted from his ‘will watching’ position. This seems to only occur to him once Will is nestled right across from him with a thigh pressed firmly against his knee. The situation had all the potential to become several kinds of awkward if it were anyone besides Will. Will never had a problem with Dustin’s personal bubble being large enough to fit the entire party. Sharing that comfort was nice.
Will is finally about to have a bite of his warm pizza when he’s bluntly interrupted by the voice beside him,
“How did you know?”
Will sets aside his plate, turning to face Dustin who has an elbow propped up against the couch’s backing and a fist resting against his cheek.
“How did i know what…?” his brow furrows curiously
Their knees are now touching. Dustin’s eyes search the room as if to find the right words written somewhere on its walls.
“That you’re into guys…“ His eyes return to meet Will’s. “What made it obvious?”
“Oh…” Will’s gaze softens
Will is surprised by the question. It suddenly dawns on him that sharing this part of himself opened a door for many possible conversations about the how and why behind Will’s sexual preferences. There was no shutting it now. This door was already wide open, and Dustin Henderson was on the other side. He was seriously asking him this.
A silence between them lingers as Will ponders how to respond. It’s not something he’s been asked about… at least, not directly or with sincerity. He searches dustin’s expression for any hint of judgement. There is none to be found.
“Well…” Will traces his thumb across the cuff of his sleeve. “Y’know that feeling you get inside you when you like someone?” He looks to Dustin to see him nodding, listening intently.
“And I mean, really like someone. It’s that sometimes soul crushing feeling… The one that can’t really be explained.” His eyes begin to glaze over. “You just… know when it means something.” Will takes a deep breath.
“I’ve only ever felt that for another boy.” He swallows the lump in his throat, unwilling to meet Dustin’s gaze again after breaking eye contact. “One we both know very well, actually.”
Will feels a light touch on his shoulder. It’s Dustin’s hand. “…Lucas?”
Will can’t help but laugh as he wipes a tear from his eye. “No. I mean, Lucas is a great guy… He’s wonderful…”
“And pretty hot, too.” Dustin adds, only halfway joking. Dustin always considered himself to be straight, but he can appreciate when his friends had smoking hot, athletic bodies. Couldn’t every guy?
They’re both laughing now. Will always assumed his feelings for Mike were obvious to everyone in the party besides Mike himself. Turns out even his smartest friend was clueless. Possibly about more than one thing. Their eyes meet again.
“Look, Will… I want you to feel like you can talk to me about these things without fearing judgement.” Dustin squeezes his shoulder gently, “The only categories of people that I judge are morons and assholes… of which you are neither.”
Will snickers at this. If Dustin Henderson is anything, it’s honest. Will feels incredibly lucky to know him. He places a hand over the one Dustin has resting on his shoulder, and squeezes it back.
”Did you and this guy ever…?” Dustin approaches the question with a gentle tone. His voice cracking slightly.
Will smiles meekly, shaking his head. Dustin didn’t say it directly, but Will is pretty sure he understands what he’s getting at. “These sort of things are different for people like me, Dustin.”
Will takes dustin’s hand from his shoulder and holds it in his own. Dustin doesn’t think twice about letting it happen. “You’ve never been with a guy before?”
Will averts his gaze again. He looks slightly embarrassed. “I’ve never even kissed anyone.”
“So what you have is a hypothesis.”
“I’m sorry… what?” Will is caught off guard by the statement
Dustin’s face lights up. “A hypothesis. Y’know, an educated guess. You’re able to infer you like guys based on the evidence… you just haven’t had the chance to conduct the experiment.”
Will lets go of dustin’s hand. He readjusts his position so that his back is resting properly against the couch. The topic is beginning to overwhelm him. “My pizza’s getting cold again.”
Dustin feels a warmth casting over his face. “Right, sorry… I just meant— every good hypothesis deserves one.” He smiles gently. “An experiment.”
Will’s posture softens with a sigh. It’s clear to him that Dustin is only curious. For the sake of his friend, he decides to entertain the scientific analogy.
“Well, I suppose some hypotheses don’t get a chance to be tested…” Will reaches for his pizza. It’s no longer warm, but at this point he’s just hungry.
“It’s not fair that you’re the only one in our party who hasn’t gotten that chance...” Dustin taps his own knee rhythmically with his fingers. “I had my first kiss at Camp. Back when Suzie and I…” He trails off.
Will looks over to him, grimacing when he chomps down on a slightly burnt piece of pepperoni. Dustin doesn’t notice. His expression suggests he is pondering an important decision.
“Actually, I have an idea...” Dustin’s tone is quiet and unsure. A stark contrast to his typical demeanor.
Will tilts his head intrigued, while his mouth remains preoccupied with chewing.
“You’ve never kissed a guy…” Dustin raises his eyebrows, looking to will for a reaction. Will mirrors his expression and nods slowly. They’ve been over this already, he thought.
Holding his breath, he gestures an exaggerated shrug. “I’ve also never kissed a guy…”
Will nearly chokes on his food. Surely Dustin wasn’t suggesting they… no, certainly not.
“Dustin…” he starts, still trying not to inhale pizza
Dustin interrupts him with nervous laughter, his cheeks growing redder than before. “I know, it sounds weird… but you can think of him while you kiss me. The guy that you like.” He wasn’t sure why he’d suggested it, or why it was making him so nervous. But he was willing to do anything for Will… and for science, of course. This would be nothing more than an experiment.
Will finishes his slice of pizza with a glass of water before turning to face Dustin again, who is sitting stiff as a board looking like he could die of suspense at any moment.
Will stares at him for a moment, before finally saying the words Dustin had been waiting to hear “Alright, then. Let’s do it. Kiss me.”
Dustin is taken aback. He didn’t think Will would actually agree to this, but Will wasn’t expecting him to actually go through with it either until he feels a hand on his cheek and Dustin is inching closer to him.
Will’s cheeks were now a matching shade of pink to Dustin’s. This isn’t a situation he had ever imagined himself in. Though the more he considered it, the more sense it made to him. Dustin was always one for physical affection. Since meeting Eddie, he had stopped caring about what society considered normal. Of course he would be the first of his friends to have the courage to conduct this kind of ‘experiment.’
Their clothing rustles against the couch as they awkwardly lean towards each other. Dustin is practically hovering over Will. He closes his eyes and their noses touch. Will tries to think of Mike, but the illusion is quickly shattered when they both feel the other boy’s lips forming into a smile against their own. They burst into a fit of giggles sitting there with their noses smushed together and lips touching. What they were doing felt so silly, but that only made them want to keep doing it. Will plants several smooches on Dustin’s lips. They giggle even more when Dustin returns the favor.
Before they know it, Dustin is on top of Will and they are kinda, sorta… making out? At least, that’s what Will is pretty sure they’re doing. He isn’t exactly an expert. Will feels himself getting butterflies once he fully realizes what’s happening, and it isn’t long before he forgets all about the point of this experiment. Thinking of Mike only made him feel sad. Sad for himself, sad for Mike, and most of all for Dustin. The boy who was actually kissing him right now. Dustin’s thumb caresses Will’s cheek. He is gentle and polite while pecking at his lips. It feels… strange, yet nice. Really nice. Dustin is really nice… Will runs a hand slowly up from his back and into his curly mane of hair, causing Dustin to purr involuntarily.
Dustin almost can’t believe what they’re doing. Or how much he’s enjoying it. Turns out he may be the one who really needed this experiment. It certainly helped to explain the nervousness he’s felt around certain guy friends… and right now, as he kisses one of them with no desire to stop anytime soon.
Will inhales sharply when he feels Dustin lick his lower lip. He presses a palm against his chest, gently pushing him away. They pull away from each other. Both of them are still blushing and laughing like children, but will’s breathing has quickened. Dustin props himself up with his palms, looking down at the younger boy beneath him who appears dazed.
“You want to stop?” Dustin hovers over will. His body feels hot, but his eyes are sweet and innocent.
“It’s um—“ Will looks away embarrassed. “I think it’s a bit much for me… the tongue.”
“Hey,” Will returns his gaze to Dustin, who’s voice is calm and reassuring. “That’s okay. I think we have gathered enough data.”
Will wraps his arms around Dustin, pulling him into a hug. Dustin decides Will would make for a comfortable pillow and lays down atop of him, nuzzling his face against his sweater. Will continues to brush his fingers through Dustin’s mullet.
Dustin tilts his head back slightly to look up at will. “Did you learn anything?”
“I did, actually… I learned that kissing boys tastes like metal and pepperoni.” Will grins.
“Hey! The braces are a necessity, and you also had pepperoni breath.” Dustin scoffs in his most sarcastic ‘pretending to be offended’ voice.
“And you?” Will adds, “Did your hypothesis reach a conclusion?”
“I’ve concluded that we should do this more often.” He laughs, and it’s muffled by the wool material of Will’s sweater. They’re both very, very comfortable. Too comfortable to move, so they stay right where they are.
———
By the time the sun has begin to set, Ms. Henderson’s keys are jingling against the deadbolt lock. “Dusty? Would you help bring the groceries…”
She stops herself when she opens the door to see the two boys fast asleep in one another’s arms. Beside them are her two kittens, Rambo and Lucy, snuggled up into a ball of fur. “Oh, bless them…” she whispers, feeling like her heart could burst.
In this moment, locating her polaroid camera becomes more important than putting away the groceries. There is nothing that brings her more joy than seeing her Dustin happy.