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After their graduation, the party decides to play what will probably be their last game of dnd all together before they all start making plans for the summer.
It’s a big summer, the summer before they start their adult life’s and go to college. Mike isn’t thinking about it much, it’s not like he wants to think about how he’s no longer going to have his mom to make him food and to fold his laundry. He doesn’t want to think about leaving his sister Holly, or about Nancy moving into her own place with Jonathan and start in her new life with him too. He’s going to miss it, even if it’s just a tiny bit. Maybe not the town it self and it’s shitty people, but his home.
“This game is bullshit!” Max exclaims, kicking one of the fallen pillows on the ground, fists balled up in the air dramatically.
Mike snickers at her lack of skill, shaking his head as he picks up the mess they made while finishing their campaign. “You’ll get better at it with practice,” Will said from across from him, giving her a pat on the back. She rolled her eyes, murmuring under her breath, something about how she’d never play again, but he knew that was a lie. It was clear she was starting to become more fond of dnd since Lucas introduced her to the game.
“Will we seriously become like those sad friends that never say hi to each other once we leave this summer?” Lucas asks, getting up from his chair and stretching his sore legs. Mike shrugs, while Dustin answers with an enthusiastic, “I don’t think so, we’re way cooler than our parents.” Will laughs at that, putting his sheets back into his dnd book.
Mike can’t help but stare at the concentrated look on his face, his cheeks an adorable soft pink from the heat of their earlier battle.
Will looks up, his eyes locking with Mike’s. Mike smiles briefly, looking back down and focusing on organizing his stuff back into his own dnd book. “This summer, we have to do everything possible.” Lucas says. Max agrees, already on the way up the stairs. “Are you staying for my mom’s lasagna?” Mike yells over his shoulders. “I’m sorry Wheeler I have some friends to meet up with!” She yells back, the sound of the basement door opening.
“Hey wait! No kiss goodbye?!” Lucas asks frantically, practically tripping on his way up. Mike scrunches up his face, mirroring the look on Will’s face, to which they both laugh. Dustin places his book on the shelf, rolling his eyes. “I don’t think he’s ever going to go back to his normal self.” He says.
“It’s cute,” Will defends, but his nose is still scrunched up adorably. Mike feels a foot sliding up his calf, and he immediately gives Will what he hopes is an unnoticeable glare to Dustin. Will smiles softly, and who is Mike kidding? He can’t scowl at that pretty innocent face. Will slides his foot up and down his calf teasingly, and he let’s out a breath. “Karen’s lasagna sounds splendid right now, but my momma and I are going to the movies, I promised her I’d spend the evening with her.” Dustin says, on his way to climb the stairs. “Have fun!” Will and Mike say at the same time.
Mike sits still as Dustin goes up the stairs, his eyes never leaving Will’s, until a few seconds pass and the basement door shuts closed.
They’re immediately standing, falling onto the couch, lips in a frenzied dance.
“What if one of them saw you?” Mike asks against his boyfriend’s lips, biting into his lower one softly. Will sighs into his mouth happily instead of answering his question, giggling, so Mike stops, lifting some weight off him by holding himself up on his elbows. Will’s hands are on his face, cupping his cheeks. “What?” He breathes.
“You’re very naughty Byers. I thought we wanted to keep it on the low-key?” Mike teases, kissing the corner of his mouth.
Keeping it on the low was an understatement.
None of their friends knew they were together, and just the reminder of it made Mike’s stomach flip. He knew his friends wouldn’t judge them. He’d seen how accepting they’d been when Will had come out, but he just wasn’t ready.
Not after loosing El, and after everything his mind had been through for the last couple of months, and Will knew perfectly. That’s why Mike loved him so much.
“We are,” Will says, reaching up and stealing a peck from him. Mike swoons a bit, his stomach filling with butterflies at the action.
Would he ever get used to his boyfriend—his best friend— Will Byers, giving him sweet tender kisses without feeling like he was holding thousands of butterflies captive inside of his stomach? Probably not, and he wasn’t sure he ever wanted the feeling to go away.
“I’m ready to tell them whenever you are okay? I won’t rush you, and it certainly doesn’t have to be any time soon. I…. I know what it’s like to not get the time to think about it okay? I don’t want you to feel forced to do it.” Will says gently, his voice soothing to Mike’s ears. He nods, his throat itchy. “I… I know. Thank you, for understanding I mean.”
“Of course I understand Mike.” His thumb brushes over the skin of his cheeks in a circular motion, the touch calming.
“Now kiss me or I’ll go insane.” Mike laughs at that, wasting no time to fulfill the boy’s command and crushing their lips together in a belly swooping kiss.
“BOYS— LASAGNAS READY!” Karen shouts from upstairs, and Mike flinches, fight or flight mode, ready to jump off Will. Will holds him by the wrist. “Hm, relax.” He says, kissing him again, making him met against him. “Are you hungry? We should probably head up before she decides to bust the door open.” Mike chuckles weakly.
Will agrees, a sheepish smile on his face. “Right.” He says, and they both get up, fixing their shirts and wiping their lips with enough force to trace away their sudden plumped size, and head up stairs.
•
“I’m glad you stayed over Will!” His mom says cheerfully, taking a sip from her cup of wine. Mike admits, her scars are badass, and she looks like one of those retired fighters from his X-men comics that walk around with their scars telling everyone about their badass fights with the big guys.
To think that his mom, out of all people fought one on one with a demogorgon is insane to think about. Not that Mike thinks she doesn’t have the strength to, but he never expected her to successfully defend herself and his sister in the way she did, with a wine bottle.
She’s told him the story about three times already, and each time he’s asked for her to tell him again, because it only gets better the more times she tells it in vivid detail.
“Thank you for inviting me Mrs. Wheeler, this is delicious.” Will says, smiling up at her. Mike bumps their shoes under the table, giving him a small smile. His smile widens, and it’s probably the most beautiful thing Mike’s ever seen.
“Yeah mom, it’s great.” His dad grunts in agreement from the end of the table, and Holly just hums around her mouthful of cheesy lasagna, giving her mom an approving thumbs up as it drips from the corners of her mouth. “Holly, use a napkin!” His dad frowns, to which his sister rolls her eyes, and they exchange a look.
Like sister like brother, Mike thinks with a grin, thinking of all the times he’s looked at his dad the exact same way when he was her age.
They finish their lasagna, and Will offers to help cleanup the table, but his mom refuses, and thanks him with a side hug as he goes on to wash the dishes in the kitchen.
They go up to Mike’s room, ignoring the grunt from his father, and Mike locks the door just incase his sister decides to burst in randomly as she always does at the most inconvenient times. As soon as they’re alone they’re on each other again, Will’s arms wrapping around his neck.
“I really hope we get into the same place.” Mike mumbles against Will’s lips, his words only true. Will’s hands wander into his hair, and it sends a trail of tingles down his spine as they lay down on the bed. “I know. Me too. And hopefully we will okay? Just… don’t worry about it right now. Good vibes only remember?” Mike nods, focusing solely on the feeling of his lips on his.
Kissing never felt as right as it does right now, in Will’s soft embrace. “Can you sleep over?” Mike asks, parting from their kiss to breathe, and instead leaning his head on Will’s shoulder.
Will’s soft nails scratch his scalp softly as he speaks. “I mean I’m sure my mom will be okay with it, I’m just not sure if your….” Mike knows what he’s asking.
It’s been clear to both of them his dad has a problem with them being friends, or at least friends to the outsiders point of view. He’s always giving Will dirty looks when he has the chance, and Mike hates him even more every time he catches him at it. They’ve gotten good at ignoring it, because Mike is sure his dad doesn’t suspect anything about them dating, or he would have heard about it a long time ago.
“I don’t care if he’s not okay with it.” Mike says stubbornly. “Mike… he’s your dad,” Will says softly. “I don’t care. My mom will say yes. Just sleep over okay?” Will nods with a kiss on Mike’s forehead. “I love you,” Mike mumbles against the skin of his neck, fiddling with the fabric of his tee shirt.
In the past, those words were really hard to say. He almost feels guilty thinking about Jane, but he remembers the conversation they had, and how she said she wanted him to be happy. Now, those three words aren’t hard to say at all, because with Will they’ve always come naturally. “I love you more.” Will whispers.
And that’s all he needs to hear.