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“WHAT.”
Chance shouted at his coach, his eyes blown wide and head reeling.
“Keep your voice down, Romanillos. You need to get those grades up by the end of the month or you’re off the team.”
“I– THAT’S TOTAL BULLSHIT! Wh– Why does my MUSIC grade matter for BASKETBALL?!”
“It wouldn’t matter if we weren’t the school team, Chance.”
Chance scoffed.
“And what does William Byers have anything to do with this?”
Chance glanced at the… emo kid sitting on the bench near the exit, he could've sworn he saw him move inch by inch towards the door as if he wanted to make a run for it.
“He has the highest grade in the whole school– not just your year– so.” The coach called William over, and he reluctantly came. “He’ll be tutoring you.”
In Chance’s defence, William’s expression mirrored his. The surprise made it clear it was both boys’ first time hearing about this, Byer’s eyes looking slightly less wide than Romanillos’ only thanks to the black eyeliner coating his waterline.
“Sir I don’t have time for it, I have rehearsals every afternoon.”
“Well make time for it, Byers, unless you want me to revoke your scholarship.”
Will’s eyes blew wide and he immediately went into defense mode, tensing up, the chains hanging from his belt clinking together wildly as he moved to face the coach.
“Wh- You can’t do that!”
“I can, I gave it to you.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake…” William mumbled. “FINE. Fine.”
The coach smiled and sent them on their way.
“What’s your current grade and GPA?” He asked Chance, sighing. Black leather combat boots dragging on the ground under his weight.
“What?” Chance looked at him, snapping out of whatever trance he was in.
“Music Grade and GPA. I need to know what I’m working with.”
“Oh. Right- right, yes- uh here…”
He handed William his report card, a bit crumpled but still readable…
“A 3.33 GPA? That’s– not low.”
“It is for sports..”
“mh– straight A’s tho– F IN MUSIC? HOW?!”
“What do you mean HOW I just-”
William laughed, genuinely laughed.
“God you SUCK!”
“I don’t SUCK Byers! It’s just not my thing.”
“Well it better become it. How long do we have and how high do we need to get this grade?”
“...A month and it has to be MINIMUM a B…?”
“A B?! Fine. Fine– come to my house at 3PM. I’d have practice but I can– send the guys somewhere else and make up for it afterwards.”
“Practice? You play a sport?”
“...” William stared at him dead serious. “I play the electric guitar, Romanillos.”
“Ah… Fine just— give me the address then”
William gave him the address and went home. Three hours to go before Chance would be here… he immediately texted his band.
“Hey guys- uh… Gonna have to reschedule today, I’m cursed with having to tutor a Jock in Music.”
Mike, the bassist, was the first one to view the text.
“WHAT? WHO!”
“Yeah tell us who” Lucas, drummer, joined in.
“Chance Romanillos. Gotta go, we’ll rehearse another day I swear.”
The three hours snuck by Will, kept occupied by the frantic organisation of his garage, throwing away snack wrappers that were there since probably the very first band meeting.
He cleaned up, tidied, and sprayed some ambient freshener his mom bought the day prior.
He spent the remaining time polishing his guitar, making it look slightly less… rusty.
It was the sound of an engine purring outside that snapped him out of his obsessive cleaning trance. It wasn’t Jonathan’s old ford, no it sounded too… new. He peeked outside and saw Chance driving a Chevrolet Corvette, way too flashy in Will’s driveway, sticking out like a sore thumb amongst the simplicity of William’s house.
Will opened the garage door.
“In here.”
Chance stared at him… before parking his car and heading towards him, he opened his mouth– then closed it, smelling the air.
“...Lavender?” He wondered
“It’s my mom’s, don’t get used to it.”
“Right right…” He went to sit on a chair— but found it occupied by thousands of music sheets. “uh-”
“Just give them to me-” William took them and put them on the drumset in the corner.
Chance sat down, extremely uncomfortable, and feeling almost under scrutiny.
To be fair, Will was staring at him pretty judgementally.
“So… Let’s start with the basics, yeah? uh… What’s a quarter note?”
“...A quarter note??”
William sighed, grabbing a music sheet, and pointing at a note, Chance immediately took notice of his chipped black nail polish.
“This is a quarter note.”
"uhuh…"
“It’s one single beat. You know. One,two,three,four- one,two,three,four. Can you count to four, Romanillos?” Will smirked, enjoying getting to talk down to him.
Chance on the other hand hated it. Hated this… rockstar wannabe emo kid talking down to him, with this air of… superiority.
“I can count to four, Byers.”
“Perfect then.”
“But I can’t remember the specifics. Why is it important anyway, I know how to do it.”
“Because it is, Chance. It's like– I don’t know basketball specifics but you need to know the names of the shots before playing.”
"Uh Huh… right.”
They spent the next two hours studying music theory, by the end of it William was redoing his nails as he spoke, and that simple thing drew Chance in so much.
“…you’re good at that.”
“And the bass—…what?”
“With the nail polish. You’re good.”
“Ah.” Will became slightly flustered, he wasn't used to being complimented like this. Especially not by jocks, they’d usually call him a Fairy or some slur. “Thank you.”
“How did you learn?”
“…Practice, over the years you get better.”
Chance nodded along
“Kinda like with sports.”
Will couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped him.
“Sure, like sports.”
Between technical talk and Chance voicing his curiosities about Will’s hobbies, another hour went by.
“What time is it?” Chance asked, sounding exhausted.
“Barely 5PM, you’re already tired?”
“Ugh yeah! I would’ve had practice at this hour but the coach put me on suspension until I raise my grade…”
“Oh poor you.” William teased, his voice sounding as if he was talking to a hurt puppy.
“Fuck off Byers..” Chance said, but there was no real heat behind his words.
Will kept pushing back his rehearsal for three days straight, since he had to tutor Chance, until one day when the whole group had enough and they decided it would only do good for chance to hear some good music.
So here they are now. Lucas on the drums, Mike the Bass, Dustin on the piano, Max as a background singer and William as the lead singer and electric guitarist, while Chance sat on his wooden chair, staring at them as they started playing “Just like Heaven” by The Cure in a slightly rock-ier key.
Chance was roughly familiar with the song, so when Will started singing and he noticed the gender was changed from “She said” to “He said” he was surprised to say the least..
He found himself staring at Will singing. Hair falling wildly on his eyes, black smudged eyeliner still wet, his lips tinted with a slightly gone black lipstick, fingers circling the microphone topped with his signature black polish…
it drove him crazy.
Suddenly it felt as if the garage was tighter, a smaller space designated just for the two of them.
During the chorus Will threw his head back to throw the hair out of his eyes, and his gaze locked with Chance’s. It felt deliberate, intentional. They didn’t look away immediately..
“Why won’t you ever know that I’m in love with you?
That I’m in love with you.
You.”
William purposely shot him a wink before strumming away at his guitar, each touch making the chords vibrate, the sound bursting through the stereos, the way he glided the guitar pick over the strings was hypnotising, Chance felt like a sailor drawn to a siren.
The final chord rang out, snapping Chance out of his lavender haze, and it seemed like the whole world came to an abrupt halt, the smell of the Lavender air freshener clashing with the distinct reek of sweat and rubber in the room.
“Got a taste of some real music, Romanillos?” Mike said, all smug, clearly trying to get him to admit their music’s fire.
Chance swallowed the glob of saliva that accumulated in his mouth during the whole performance.
“...It– That’s… It was loud.” he mumbled.
“Loud? You mean Religious experience, you looked caught in a trance.” Max smirked.
“No I didn’t. I’m fine- Fuck off. I– I gotta go home, you know, curefew.”
Chance stormed out, and stumbled to lean against his car, the cold air filling his lungs taking what was left of the garage scent with it.
He stayed out there breathing deeply, despite it feeling like the cold was biting into his every organ, his breath was warm against the winter weather, forming a cloud out of his mouth.
Eventually he jolted when a hand settled on his shoulder.
“Are you okay?” William asked, his voice somewhat soft despite being raspy after singing.
“Yeah I’m fine.”
“See you tomorrow? Just us, same time?” His voice still carried the softness, eyes adorned by now melted eyeliner, but somehow it made sense when looking at Will.
“... Yeah.”
Chance was about to get in his car when William stopped him, wrapping his hand around the taller guy’s wrist.
“Sorry if my friends made you uncomfortable, I swear they mean no harm.”
Chance faced him, still connected.
“Will it’s fine I wasn’t uncomfortable with your— gang.”
“Group.”
“Same difference.”
“It’s not–”
“I’ll see you tomorrow” Chance actually smiled at him. Small, but a smile nonetheless.
“Okay, See ya.”
Chance got in his car, rolling down the window just enough to breathe but not let the ice seep in, and rolled out of William’s driveway.
The school cafeteria has always been hell.
Too many people, too many faces, he can’t stop thinking about William fucking Byers, that wink, the way his hand felt wrapped around his wrist, the way he lingered on the driveway after Chance went away, what his voice sounded as he sung his heart out— loud and growly and so damn hot— and God he couldn’t get that song out of his head. He’s never really been a Rock fan, leaning more into Rap, but that fuckass eyeliner-and-nail-polish kid was really messing with his brain…
“Chance! Are you listening man?” Jason yelled his name.
Chance’s head turned sharply towards him, nearly knocking over his drink.
Jason, Patrick and Andy stared at him questioningly, they were planning what had to be the fourth party of the week.
“Yeah– yeah sorry.” He sheepishly mumbled, adjusting his jacket which suddenly felt suffocating.
“We were saying we should hit the Quarry after the game tonight. Chrissy and the Cheer group will be there too, you get what I’m saying?” Jason smirked.
“Uh- yeah but I can’t man. I got tutoring…”
“Still? Can’t you just— pay the kid to take the test for you?”
Chance had to physically hold himself to avoid scoffing.
“I could, but the rhythm and shit can help me be more coordinated on the court too so… I can give up a few parties now, I’ll make up for them after I get the damn B.”
Jason and the others shrugged.
“Suit yourself…” They said before leaving Chance alone at the table.
He scoffed, they could never get it, couldn’t understand how when Will starts singing it’s like the rest of the world doesn’t matter anymore, how Chance would give up every party from here to infinity if it meant he can spend his time listening and staring at William while he plays his guitar.
He sat there for a minute longer, his eyes wandering around the cafeteria looking for that mix of black and edginess that drew Chance in so much.
He found him sitting with his group at a table in the corner. Max was showing some girl an origami trick, Mike, Lucas and Dustin were huddled together on some comic, and William— was staring at him. They locked eyes. He wasn’t wearing his usual black lipstick, but the smudged eyeliner stayed, with maybe some added mascara this time. Chance couldn’t tell from this far, but his gaze looked more intense.
They stared at each other, neither of them backing down, looking away or blinking. William stared at him with his head propped on his hand, successfully locking Chance in place, as if he was a fool who stared in Medusa’s eyes.
The sounds of the cafeteria— chairs scraping, chatter, clatter of plastic trays— faded to black, the only thing that mattered was the weight of Will’s gaze, as if he was staring right in the Jock’s soul, and God, Chance loved it.
The bell finally rang and the cafeteria emptied quickly, but not them. They stayed frozen for a beat longer. It was William who broke the spell Chance was under, by… winking at him. His right eye closing softly against his cheek, the mascara covered lashes almost petting the apple of his cheek.
“Yo Chance!” Jason yelled from the doorway, making Romanillos reluctantly detach his eyes from William’s. “Practice! You coming?”
He took a deep breath, throwing one look back at Will who— was gone already, with his whole group.
“Yeah ‘m coming…”
Chance walked out on the court only to be stopped by the coach.
“Romanillos. Got that grade up yet?”
He froze. “Uh… no-”
“Then you’re on the bench for this. Sit.” The coaches’ voice was harsh, and left absolutely no room to argue, so Chance had no choice but to obey…
He sat on the bleachers, watching his teammates play, it was boring. Chance was one of the best players on that court so the game felt empty without him.
As he sat there he couldn’t take the damn song out of his head.
“Show me show me show me how you do that trick…”
He found himself humming the tune and drumming his fingers on his thigh, before the realisation kicked in.
“Holy Shit, Byers is turning me into a nerd.” He thought, and had to refrain from snorting at the irony.
It was only one hour of practice, but Chance found it seemed endless when you can’t actually play. The seconds ticked by slower in his head, each minute seemingly dragging on for five.
When it eventually did end, Chance discovered he was going to be 10 minutes late to His and Will’s hangou— tutoring session.
Chance ran out of the gym and went straight in the showers, despite not having participated in gym activities he still wanted to be clean, strangely enough, he never cared about smelling clean when he went out with the team at afterparties…
Still, he hopped in the showers and scrubbed himself clean, gaining weird looks from the other guys on the team as he walked out in just a towel around his waist, wiping dry with another.
“Whatchu cleaning up for, that freak?” Patrick snarled.
“He would be better than your mom.” Chance replied without missing a beat.
“Oh fuck off, Romanillos.” Patrick stormed off into the showers, dragging Andy with him, despite the other guy snickering.
Chance sighed and for… probably the first time ever, left his Varsity jacket in his locker, opting for a baggy tshirt and sweatpants instead, throwing a zipped up hoodie over it to keep warm.
He got in his car and reality crept in. He just defended the “school’s freak”, stood up to his friends, and abandoned his jacket in his locker… all for some kid in makeup.
He was screwed. Royally fucked.
He spaced out but it seemed the car had a mind of his own and took him to William’s regardless…
Soon enough he found himself on the guys’ front yard, knocking.
Will opened the door and leaned against it.
“You’re late.”
His eyes had so much fire behind them it almost burned Chance on the spot.
“I know I’m sorry practice ran late, I had to shower cause I didn’t wanna show up here all sweaty and gross, then I hit too many red lights on the way here–”
“Lucas is on the team you know.” William glared.
“Uh- yeah, so–?”
“So I know you weren’t sweaty cause he told me the coach kicked your ass to the bleachers.”
Chance froze, “Right. yeah— I did shower tho I’m not lying-”
“I know, Chance.” William sighed, and went closer to him, despite being much shorter it felt as if he was towering over him. “Still, you could’ve texted.”
Chance looked away, suddenly feeling ashamed.
“I should’ve, I’m sorry.”
William stared at him through his mascara tinted lashes. “In, Romanillos. And we’re doing an hour more than normal.”
That was supposed to be a punishment, but all it did was make Chance happier.
“For sure, teach.” He winked at William before going in and heading for the garage, when Byers stopped him.
“Not today, the guys came over yesterday evening and they kinda crashed my place so…my room it is.”
“Ah. Okay.”
Chance followed Will into his room.
They passed in the living room where Jonathan was sitting on the couch playing on his Xbox, the man glared at Chance before turning back to his game, and the jock couldn’t feel more self conscious. Or at least he thought- until he spotted Will’s mom in the kitchen, cleaning dishes and humming to some 80’s song.
She seemed nice, Chance could definitely tell where Will got his looks from… and they all looked kind. Despite Jonathan’s death glare, the house was full of this fresh-batch of cookies smell, almost like they’d been made so much the scent just attached to the walls.
Eventually they reached Will’s room, and, going in, Chance was almost overwhelmed, it looked far different from his own.
It was bigger, for sure, posters attached to every corner of the wall, varying from bands such as The Cure, Linkin Park, Deftones, Green Day and Radiohead, to Britney Spears and Gwen Stefani. Vinyls were hung up on another wall, a record player in the corner, TONS of DVDs and CDs around it. The walls were also adorned with paintings Will made, and movie posters that were clearly stolen from cinemas.
Will came in after him and shut the hardwood door, which had a “TOXIC WASTE, Do not Enter” sign outside, clearly handmade by him.
William leaned on the door, while Chance stood in the middle just taking everything in, the bed which despite being completely messed up still looked comfy, topped with a fluffy black blanket and tons of plushies, mostly yellow and black.
“You can sit, you know? My stuffed animals don’t bite.” Byers said, with a slight smirk.
“Yeah I– I know.” Chance sat on Will’s bed, the mattress dipped slightly under his weight, the soft covers grazing his back, making him stiffen. This was so different than what he was used to living in, his constantly organised room, everything exactly in place, not an inch allowed out of the schemes, even the dust is perfectly organised atom by atom, so just breathing Will’s air is almost overwhelming for him. And now staring up at Will, illuminated only by the soft light of a Sunset lamp in the corner, he looks like the softest and most gorgeous angel, hell— gorgeous isn’t even the right word, he’s so much more than that, even the word Ineffable falls short when William Byers is the subject. The usually sharp line of his contoured jawline looked softer under the pinks and oranges, making his eyes look warm despite the black eyeliner surrounding them.
Chance didn’t even realise he was staring ‘till Will tilted his head slightly, the light reflecting on the wall now making it look like he had a halo.
“Do I have something on my face?”
That snapped Chance out of his trance. “What?” he paused. “No- no no no don’t worry you’re fine.”
William nodded and smiled slightly. “Okay”
They let the silence linger for a minute more, before Will moved to grab the black binder on his desk. He then sat right beside Chance, too close to feel casual. Their knees touched and the binder was hoisted up between Will’s right and Chance’s left leg.
“Chance, are you okay?” The absolute sweetheart on his left asked him, looking all worried and kind.
He stared at Will, in silence for a minute, before feeling his resolve crumble beneath him and almost doubled over, head in his hands, and groaned.
“No. I mean yes— but no. I don’t get it— WHAT are you doing to me Byers! I’m supposed to HATE being here, to dread the afternoon because I have to come here and not go to parties or practice, instead I dread the school day because I can’t talk to you, I hate practice cause it makes me be late to see you, and I– I argue with my teammates and friends cause they’ll never get you like I do now and I left my fucking jacket in the locker before coming here cause I know you get all tense cause Jason, Patrick and Andy are assholes who bullied you your whole life and I don’t want you to associate me with them ‘cause I want you to feel comfortable with me. And I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with me cause I’ve started blowing off parties and 2-men-missions to come here, and all I can focus on when you’re near is YOU, and God— your fucking black lipstick that I want to take off of your lips WITH mine—”
Silence fell over them, the only sound being Chance’s heavy breathing and the soft rustle of the binder being moved off of them, before Will settled closer.
“Chance…” Will said, voice as soft as ever, and his hand came up to Chance’s shoulder.
The boy didn’t dare look at him, far too afraid of freezing up again or finding rejection…
The silence lingered on, before Will spoke again. “Chance, can you look at me please?” His voice was still soft, despite a little sterness.
And hearing the plea in Will’s voice was enough to break Chance, he was a weak man, so he looked at Will and found his eyes shining and glossy, staring back at him with a mixture of admiration and worry, but mostly… love.
“I could never associate you with those monsters, Chance. And I’ll admit my friends don’t really like you, but as you said, they’ll never know what you’re really like. And to be totally honest I’m a little glad, it just means what we have is special.”
Chance huffed a laugh. “Yeah… it is”
“And to be fair— don’t go getting in trouble with your team for me” Will scolded him, despite being half-hearted.
“They’re assholes.”
“Fair, but they’re your team and you kinda need them to play.”
“I need you to play.” He said, placing his hand over Will’s whose was still sitting on Chance’s shoulder. “...That being said, if I raise the grade and get back to playing, will you come to the game?”
“You will raise that grade, and I would’ve come anyway, Lucas is on the team.”
“Yeah… but will you come for me?”
Will smiled, huffing a laugh. “Sure Chance, I will come to the game for you.”
The next tutoring lessons felt more like hangouts, Chance even started staying over for dinner, and sometimes staying the night.
He finally got his grade up to a B+, and was able to rejoin practice as an active player, and not as a spectator, which meant he kept coming to his & Wills hangouts later than he was probably supposed to, but Will knew the reason and he understood, so they moved the time to an hour later to ensure Chance could get home from practice and shower before seeing Will.
Of course being in Basketball didn’t necessarily mean he’d get hurt, but everyone on his team noticed he started backing Will up more, and that certainly didn’t do well to his reputation but he didn’t care anymore.
Will did though. William cared. So when Chance showed up at his doorway after practice with a bloody nose and a black eye, Will was livid.
“Wh- Chance! Oh my God what happened?” Will immediately took him in his arms and led him to his room.
“Nothing Will don’t ya worry, I’m perfectly fine the ball just landed on my eye-”
“Oh quit it with the excuses!”
William left to grab the first aid kit after making Chance sit on his bed, and he came back to Chance trying to stop his nosebleed by keeping his head up.
“You fucking idiot– HEAD. DOWN. If you keep your head up you risk the blood falling into your throat and suffocating!” Will rushed to forcefully tilt his head down, giving him tissues to catch the blood. “Who even reduced you to this?” He sighed, now gently raking his fingers through Chance’s hair, a big divergence to the inner turmoil he was feeling, and mostly the murderous thoughts directed to whoever did this to his Chance.
“Nobody–”
“Chance don’t lie to me.”
Chance sighed, tilting his head up to look at Will once the bleeding stopped.
“...Jason did.”
Those two words almost sent William off to end Jason’s life in the most gruesome ways he could think of, in his head he was already getting ready to scoop his eyes out, gauge out his teeth and make him eat them, making small cuts and putting hand sanitizer in them to make them burn, but that all could wait, he needed to keep Chance safe now.
“that asshole. Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“...Yeah-” Chance took off his shirt and God, Will felt like such an asshole by wanting that sight to be engraved in his brain. The sight of Chance, abs on display, all bad and bruised, his chest slightly hairy but not excessively, in a way that was really entrancing, the hair made a beeline down his torso, slightly lighter on the stomach, and back to darker past the navel, making a happytrail that disappeared into the hem of his pants, in such a way that made Will want to drop to his knees and uncover what it led to.
His sunset lamp also did not help, the light casting pinks on Chance’s body, only making it look more appealing. Will wanted nothing more than to kiss his every bruise, and then treat Chance like a king, making him see stars, but those thoughts needed to stay such, for now at least, so he took a deep breath and sat next to Chance, cleaning up his cuts.
“Tell me if it hurts, alright?”
Chance nodded, and braced himself for a sting that never came, because Will was so careful that he barely grazed his skin, and he has very steady hands which is always a positive thing.
Will tended to his wounds with practiced ease and utmost care, but he made the mistake of looking at Chance when he was cleaning up near his V line…
Chance was already staring at Will, their eyes meeting and both of them could sense the lust between them. The air in the room suddenly felt too thick to breathe, too emotionally charged.
Will looked up at Chance, his hand hovering near the waistband of his sweatpants, too close for comfort but too far to do what they both wanted to.
Chance’s hand migrated to Will’s jaw, gripping softly, making the black tinted lips clash together and his cheeks squish up against his makeup-adorned eyes, the dark pupils looking up through his eyelashes, a silent question passing between them before Chance took Will’s lips against his own.
The kiss started soft, but quickly switched to a rougher pace, all teeth and tension. William dropped the first aid tools and moved to sit on Chance’s lap, swinging a leg on each side of him, arms wrapped around his neck, a hand tangled in the hair at the back of his neck.
Chance’s hand moved on their own to hold Will’s waist, slowly guiding him back and forth, in a slow dance that made both of them start breathing heavily, the kiss got sloppier as the motion went on.
Will untangled his arms from behind Chance’s neck, and instead started running his hands up Chance’s chest, soft fingers running over each individual muscle, feeling the way his stomach contracted whenever Will moved only encouraged him more, so he purposely sped up his motion, making everything become tenser, and he was just about to give in when— his dad walked in.
“Will, Joyce asks if you and Chance want some ice crea—”
As soon as the door opened, it was like the world crashed down on them.
Chance froze, his hands immediately flying off of Will’s waist, the kiss coming to an abrupt stop. Will basically ducked to Chance’s side, trying his best to look as if they weren’t doing anything, but Hopper had already walked in and had already seen the situation.
“Shit.” Was all that came out of Will’s mouth. Chance was frozen, not only because he was just caught making out with a guy– with Will– but moreso because his dad– stepdad— is the goddamn chief of the police.
They stayed frozen for a good minute, just staring at Hopper and him staring back at them.
“I can explain—” Will started saying, but his phrase died down when he saw the look Hop was giving him, and he gets it, really, it’s an awkward situation. He just caught Will making out and grinding on a shirtless jock.
“...Door stays open.” Hopper mumbled before leaving, the door staying open behind himself.
Only once he left did Chance go back to breathing, despite it being huffed.
“I– holy shit-” He mumbled, scrambling to find his shirt again, now feeling too exposed to everyone. He had some history with Hopper, the team got in trouble a few times for drinking and making too much noise at parties.
William saw him scramble to get his stuff and his mind immediately drowned itself in self-doubt. Chance was going to leave, he fucked this up, Chance doesn’t want to be seen with him, he already raised his grade anyway so he could just leave… he could. He should. Will notoriously is trouble for his reputation, he should just leave him stranded, but instead Chance begins to laugh.
Chance is laughing, like hysterically, as if someone cracked the funniest joke in the universe.
“What?” Will asked, getting too many flashbacks to when his teammates laughed at him.
“This is the second time I meet the Chief and he never looks pleased to find me.”
Now Will was confused. “Second time?”
“Yeah, the first one was at some party some months ago, we drank a bit and the cops got called for a noise complaint.”
“Oh.” He realized Hopper will be giving him a LONG talk about who he hangs out (makes out) with.. “You drink?”
Chance stopped laughing and turned to Will. “Not on a day-to-day basis. Just sometimes at parties because there’s no way of getting through them sober.” He jokes.
“mh”
“You don’t?” He now looks confused, he knows Will mentioned not liking alcohol after his father, but he had to have tried some at parties.
“I’ve never been to a party-”
“WHAT” Chance was shocked. He knew Will wasn’t necessarily popular– actually at all– but he thought he would’ve been to a party at least.
“Chance, why are you surprised, it’s not like I’m popular, my friends are literally four band geeks!... well five if we count my sister but that’s just sad.”
“Oh yeah— Micheal flipped me off in the hallway today, said something about me “Stealing you from him” I don’t know.” He shrugged, but Will raised his eyebrows.
“Mike said what? That asshole–”
“There’s something I’m not catchin’ yet, isn’t there.”
“I— Okay I’ll tell you but you can’t tell ANYBODY. At all.” He glared at Chance, who sat closer to him at some point, and had his hand slowly reaching Will’s waist, probably to pull him back on his lap.
“I promise, Byers.”
“So uh– my whole childhood, I spent pining over Mike. He was basically the centre of my universe, before he started dating my sister, but then they broke up and we formed the band— then you came along and shifted the axis of my world so… I moved on from Mike, and now you tell me he went to YOU saying you’re stealing me from him? after I spent almost eleven years waiting for him?”
“...You still like him?”
“No!” He said almost too quickly, too defensively, as if he was trying to not make his boyfriend mad, though Chance wasn’t his boyfriend. “No I don’t, he’s…just a friend now. And if he thinks I’m gonna ruin what we have for him he’s dead wrong.”
“Oh? And what do we have?” Chance smirked.
“Friends—” He stopped himself, realizing he would sound too much like Mike “*friends, we’re friends!*”... so he stopped.
“What do you… want us to have?” He asked instead, leaving open ground and a chance for Chance to back out if he wants to.
“Well…” Chance eyed him. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t usually make out with my friends–”
“Oh fuck you-” Will laughed, the tension quickly sizzling off.
“I mean if Chief didn’t walk in you were about to.” Chance kept that 32-toothed-smile plastered on his face.
“I—...Chance! Oh my God.”
“So, William, I’ll ask you, what are we now mh?” Chance placed his hand on Will’s waist, pulling him in and making him all flustered.
“...Boyfriends…?” William tried, bracing himself for a disgusted look, a shove and rejection… instead he was met with loving eyes and a kiss.
“Yes.” That simple word set fire to Will’s heart, and he immediately kissed him again.
Only after a good two minutes of peppering kisses on each other did Will pull away.
“Okay okay— we got ice cream waiting outside, remember?”
“mhhhhh fine, fine. Only cause I adore your mom.”
Will rolled his eyes and stood up, helping Chance.
“One day I will totally do your makeup.”
“...all Emo like you?”
“It’s Goth. but yeah.”
“Once I’m on my deathbed sure.”
They left Will’s room, not quite holding hands but pinkies intertwined, as they descended the stairs they could feel the air shift from the calming loving atmosphere upstairs to the hard reality that is their world. They can’t be openly together, or they could but they’d both get teased endlessly and Will doesn’t want to subject Chance to the bullying because of him.
As soon as they walked into the kitchen, Joyce turned to look at them but her soft expression immediately dropped when she saw Chance’s black eye.
“Oh sweetie what happened!”
Chance, who had seemingly forgotten about the black eye, cocked his head to the side.
“Eh?” He mumbled.
“Your eye!”
“OH! Oh don’t worry mrs. Byers I’m perfectly fine I got into a bit of a ruckus at practice earlier today, but I’m okay, your son bandaged me up” He winked at Will, who gained curious looks from Joyce.
“Oh did he?”
“Yeah” Chance said all proud, while Will was near death from flusteredment.
“Well that’s good Will was here then.”
“Really good.”
Will & Chance sat down at the table, opposite from Joyce & Hopper.
As they were eating ice cream happily, Will with his Strawberry&Dark Chocolate, Chance with his Mango&Coffee, and Hopper and Joyce with just simple Vanilla&Light Chocolate.
“Wanna try?” Chance handed him his little spoon with a spoonful of his ice cream’s flavours.
Will’s eyes flew to Joyce, but ultimately decided he was old enough to choose for himself what he wants to do so he leaned forward and took the bite directly from Chance’s spoon, basically being spoonfed.
Chance had to avert his gaze to avoid getting impure thoughts at the sight of Will’s soft lips wrapping around the plastic, and the bastard had the courage to look up at him as he took the spoon out of his mouth, as if the sight wasn't borderline erotic.
As they were in their own little very not child-appropriate world, Hopper had to physically restrain himself from kicking Chance out right then and there. He had caught them making out, and added the door rule specifically to avoid the intimacy that’s now being displayed in front of him, under his roof, at his table.
He was about to say something, when Joyce put her hand on his, effectively stopping him.
“Let them be.” She mumbled, with an almost pleading look. “I’ve never seen him be this happy.”
Hopper’s heart tightened and he reluctantly agreed, looking away from the very obvious couple in front of them.
Chance stayed for dinner.
William was all cuddled up to him almost all the time, constantly, always tied to Chance’s side, that whole evening.
Hopper wasn’t too happy about it, he’s seen what Chance gets up to and who the guy hangs out with, but Will was happy, that’s what matters.
Jane also wasn’t that thrilled to have Chance around for dinner, but can you blame her, the guy picked on Mike all the time and despite what she says, she’s still hung up on him, so having the guy that Mike hates around and Will being so lovey dovey was really rubbing off on her the wrong way.
Sat at the table, Will was between Jane and Chance, Hopper straight in front of Chance, and Joyce in front of the space between Will and Jane, to not let either feel excluded.
Everyone had their own private feelings about Chance’s stay, Jane felt it was an offence to Mike, Will was over the moon to finally have someone he can call his and who he can share his family with, Chance was excited about staying– for Will– but he’s well aware that Hopper could arrest him for underage drinking whenever he wanted and he most likely had proof for it, Joyce on the other hand was just trying to get through a peaceful dinner, while Hopper was just waiting for Chance’s first mistake to throw him out.
Joyce started serving dinner, and Chance— sweetheart as he is— stood up to help her.
This left Jane and Hopper glaring at him, in their eyes he was just trying to sweeten her up.
Will though? He had heart eyes. His boyfriend who his family doesn’t know as such, is being so helpful and caring and resilient despite the hate his sister & father nurse for him.
They served meatloaf, and Hopper didn’t stop glaring at Chance ‘till Joyce kicked him softly under the table with a muffled “Quit it.”
Hopper grumbled, but stopped glaring and stared at his food instead.
As soon as Chance finished his first bite he had to hold back what basically would’ve been a food-gasm.
“Mrs. Byers can I say this is the best meatloaf I’ve ever tasted.” He courted, making Will only more smitten with him, seeing how sweet he is with his mother.
“Oh- thank you sweetie.” Joyce smiled, always loving when people compliment her cooking.
Meatloaf has always been Jane’s favourite food— after Eggos of course— but now…
“Mom, I'm not hungry anymore.” She said, glaring at Will and Chance, and slightly pushing her plate away.
“Okay sweetheart don’t worry-” Joyce said smiling at Jane, despite knowing her dreams of a simple tranquil dinner was just a distant hope and memory now, though it wasn’t really Jane’s fault.
The dinner continued slowly, with Hopper shooting glares every time Chance dared to look at Will, and when he stole a black olive out of Will’s plate ‘cause he doesn’t like it, both Hopper AND Joyce stared, despite it being for different reasons.
Will on the other hand now decided to tease Chance.
“Ew you like olives?”
Chance stared at him and laughed out loud. “I don’t mind them, and I know you said you don’t like them so I stole it, ‘that a problem?”
Will rolled his eyes. “No, no it’s not.”
“Perfect then” Chance snuck a wink to Will.
After dinner Chance stayed. He helped Joyce wash the plates and tidy up, and then he sat next to Will on the couch, arm casually on the back of the sofà, wanting to have his arm wrapped around William but not wanting to overstep a line.
Jane was also in the living room, reading on the couch, and very aware and uncomfortable of Chance being there.
Eventually Joyce and Hopper settled in as well with a movie to watch all together. They sat between Will and Jane, putting much needed distance between the tension.
Before the movie started, Hopper coughed. “So. Chance…” He said the name as if it insulted him. “When are you heading home?”
“Uh—” Chance stammered, but Will stepped in.
“Actually I wanted to ask if he could stay over tonight?”
William smiled, making puppy eyes at Hop, mainly because he knows Joyce’ll cave immediately and doesn’t need convincing.
Jane’s head immediately snapped to him, believing that Hopper will say No, since that’s what he said when she first asked if Mike could stay over when they got together.
Joyce was quick to nod. “Yes yes yes honey that’s so okay— Chance sweetie do you need to call home to warn your mother—”
“No.” Hopper snapped, looking back and forth between Will and Joyce, staring at her as if she’d lost her mind. “No. No boyfriends over- no.”
“Boyf–” Will almost choked at how casually Hopper said it, as if they’d come out with a neon sign on their heads and outright admitted it, but they never said anything about being together!!
Joyce glared at him, as if drilling a hole in his head with just her gaze.
“Joyce no–”
“Jim.”
“...Door stays WIDE open.” He glared at Chance, giving in.
Jane stood up “That’s SO not fair!!” she yelled. “When I was with Mike he could NEVER sleep over, and now HE brings in Mike’s practical MORTAL ENEMY and all of a sudden they’re dating and HE can stay over?! And in the same room!”
“Jane that’s differe—” Hopper tried defending himself
“NO!” but Jane wasn’t having it. “I hate you— ALL.”
She glared at William before storming out and into her own room, door slamming shut.
The movie was still playing in the background, some 80s rom-com Joyce picked out, but nobody was watching. Chance was frozen under the permission-and-blowup that happened, Joyce was extremely sad for Jane…but also couldn’t be happier for Will, who was sitting as stiff as a board, back snapped straight from the “Boyfriends” comment and Hopper’s glare.
As soon as the movie ended, Will wanted nothing more than to bolt out of that room and never look back, but as soon as he stood up and was about to grab Chance and run— Hopper grabbed his wrist.
“Kid,” he sounded stern, and looked three times worse, “door wide open. not 3 inches, not 4, all. We clear?”
“...Yes dad.” He mumbled, looking more than embarrassed, even through the white foundation and black contour on his face it was clear he was blushing.
“And you.” Hopper glared at Chance. “One wrong move and you’re dead. Understood?”
“Yes Hop— Chie— Sir…?” Chance found it’s much harder to talk to policemen when they’re your boyfriend’s father.
“Sir.” Hopper stated, sounding a bit too harsh for Will’s liking.
“Sir.” Chance said it back to him, looking much… smaller in the soft living room light.
William looked at his mom, cuddled up next to Hopper, asleep, and his heart couldn’t help but clench at the realisation that if he was just normal he probably wouldn’t have had that talk, him and Chance could’ve been there cuddling too, if only—
He was snapped out of his thoughts when he realized he was walking up the stairs with Chance, hand in hand, fingers intertwined.
They reached his room, and Will let the door fall wide open, hitting the door stopper with a slight thud that was almost too quiet to be heard, but it was too loud for Will.
He flinched slightly at the sound, before sitting on his bed, feeling the weight of the situation crash down on him.
Chance stared at him before sitting near, knees touching, hand on Will’s shoulder.
“Are you alright?”
“...Mhmh. I just— never thought I’d be the one getting those warnings– and I especially never thought my sister would hate my first boyfriend— or that my dad would out us. I’m just so sorry this whole thing happened in the first place, I should’ve talked to her about this as soon as I started falling for you—... I’m sorry.”
“Hey hey hey, breathe. You have nothing to be sorry for. Your sister’s right, I was a dick. And your dad—...I mean, he’s seen what I used to get up to, I totally get that he doesn’t like me at all.”
“But you’ve changed.” Will glared at him slightly.
“I have for you. Or well— I’m trying to.”
“...You still do all that crap?”
“Well I- I still party? and sometimes drinks and smokes go with it.”
“...Can I come with you next time…?” Will mumbled.
“What?” Chance sat straighter.
“Can I come with you? To… the next party. …” William paused, and immediately started realising that maybe Chance doesn’t really want to be seen with him in public, or maybe he has a secret girlfriend who he actually likes… “Actually no forget it—”
“No no, you can come.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. The next party’s after the game though, promise you won’t be too tired from cheering me on?” Chance asked him, smirking, as if he was teasing.
William rolled his eyes, smiling slightly now, all the tenseness in his body gone in a second. “I really don’t think it will be a problem, Romanillos.”
“Oh you wound me, Byers.” He smirks, getting all up in Will’s space, almost crowding him.
“So about the game though, remind me, what’s your jersey number… and the squad’s colors?” Will smiles sheepishly, not too proud of having forgotten those things.
Chance gasps, faking offence. “You don’t remember? That’s outrageous William.”
“Come on, I'm sorry-”
“I’m joking. I’m #2, and the team's colors are yellow and green, pretty.”
“Pretty?”
“You are.” Chance smirked
Will got flustered but relented, mentally jotting down Chance’s number and team colors for later.
“We should go to bed, you know, it’s late.”
Will checked the time on his alarm clock and— shit it is late. The numbers 1:03 AM stared back at him, red and angry, as if knowing he normally shouldn’t be up to see them.
“Right- uh- you can borrow these.” He gives Chance a pair of sweatpants that’s too big on Will anyway and an oversized shirt that he knows will look tight on Chance, seeing as he’s double the size of Will. “And you can uh- change in here, I need to go to the bathroom anyway and take off my makeup.”
“oooh. Finally gonna let me see what’s under there uh? I feel so lucky.” Chance smiled, it was a soft gesture but felt loaded, so Will just nodded and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind himself.
As he washes it off he can almost feel the small grip that he had on his words slip through his fingers, the courage going away with the makeup as if it held all the power, making Will sense himself as small and almost useless without it.
He took a deep breath, the smell of the micellear water entering his nostrils with a slight sting of rubbing alcohol.
He takes it all off, watching as it cleanses off the disposable wipes he bought recently, the now white and black stained disk slowly going back to purple under the water pressure.
He brushes his teeth too, mentally envisioning his newest diy work of replicating Chance’s jersey to wear to the game, and to make a big sign supporting the whole team but just with Chance’s and Lucas’ player numbers.
He takes a deep breath before going out of the bathroom, the slight vapor that created from the scalding water Will likes using followed him out, and the sight he was greeted with was a very… ridiculous and domestic Chance. The black tshirt looked seconds away from ripping at the seams, and the sweatpants were riding just slightly too low on his waist, enough to expose his V line and God damn it if Will didn’t want to just drop to his knees right then and there— but no. Gotta keep it cool. Until he realised without his makeup even the faintest blush he could turn would show.
Chance’s breath caught in his throat at the sight of Will. With the makeup he’s all edges and angles, but now, without it, he’s… he looks soft and warm and Chance can’t help but want to kiss him.
So he stands up, and walks towards him, making Will instinctively walk backwards into the wall, staring up at him once Chance crowds him, before he connects their lips.
Chance isn’t holding back anything at all, he puts his right hand on Will’s neck, finger cupping his jaw to tilt his head up, and his left hand on Will’s waist, pulling him in.
Will accidentally lets out a whispered moan into his mouth, and he would regret it if only it didn’t make Chance more eager to continue kissing him.
Will wraps his arms around Chance’s neck, pulling him closer, and tilting his head slightly to deepen the kiss.
They only pulled apart when Will heard steps on the staircase, immediately pushing Chance off and dragging him to bed.
“How do we-” He was gonna ask something but Chance just lays on his back and pulls Will on top of him, cuddled into his chest innocently, rubbing his back in circles.
Will is immediately shut up by the smell of his shirt– which now smells like Chance– against his nose, the jock holding him tightly but also delicately as if he’s something that could break at any given moment but also he’s his.
Eventually sleep sweeps them away, both cradled in each other’s arms and enveloped by the other’s smell.
The next morning was hell.
The sun filtered into the pulled down blinds, light reflecting off of the small dust bunnies floating in the room, the Byers’ household’s usual morning chaos was silent today though, almost felt eerie to Will.
He woke up still wrapped in Chance’s arms, head on his chest, the warmth of the night engulfing him, and despite it feeling highly suffocating he will definitely agree to die like this, feeling like he’s in an oven.
Chance stirred a bit, arms tightening around Will’s body, head falling further in the boy’s hair.
“mornin’” Chance mumbled sleepily, placing a soft kiss on his head.
“morning” Will looked up at him, and gave him a sleepy kiss, lips clashing on one another’s, softly, they both cringed a bit ‘cause of the morning breath, but the want to kiss overshadowed everything else.
They stayed enveloped in each other, kissing like their life depended on it, and it was totally innocent! before Chance’s right hand gripped Will’s thigh under the covers, pulling it over himself, successfully shifting their position so that Will was now on top of him, cowboy style.
They continued kissing, and Will felt like he was ascending to heaven in that moment, hips crashing against each other in a wild, non existent rhythm.
And God he was just starting to forget the tense atmosphere that was probably brewing downstairs, but the universe seems out to get him ‘cause he heard Joyce’s soft steps coming up the stairs.
He sighed and gave Chance one last heated kiss before climbing off of his lap and settling back beside him, the only explanation given was the mouthing of the word “mom.”
And just as he settled down, Joyce knocked softly on the doorframe, despite the door being open his mom was always so respectful of his space.
“Can I come in honey?” She asked softly, even though she had no way of knowing if he was awake.
“Yeah mom come in” He sighed, not in annoyance but in tiredness.
Joyce walked in and gave a friendly warm smile to Chance, before sitting on Will’s painting chair.
“I made waffles, Jane and Hopper went for an early run… they’re both still a little tense.”
“mh…”
“Honey they’ll come around— this is just a bit of a shock.”
Her words truly meant no harm but they flickered a fire in Will’s heart that made him jump to his defenses.
“What’s a shock.”
“You know…”
“That I have a boyfriend now or that HE’S my boyfriend?” He really didn’t want to sound so rude but he grew up thinking he could never be loved, not after Mike rejected him, and now finally he found someone that seriously loves him but— surprise surprise— half the family hates him.
“Will, you know I don’t mean either of those things. It’s a shock for Jane to have to socialize with a… basketball player— no offense Chance—”
“none taken Mrs Byers.” Chance smiled softly, his hand reaching under the covers to gently stroke Will’s lower back in solidarity.
She smiled back at him.
“—and for Jim… well I don’t think he ever thought he’d have to deal with his two kids having completely different boyfriends all at the same time.”
“Jane doesn’t have a boyfriend now.” Will spat, slightly linked with venom but not voluntarily, he was just mad.
“Yes but she still likes him, Will, that doesn’t just go away.”
“Yeah I know how loving Mike feels okay? But he’s a mess, and she’s way better off without him.” He was now feeling on the verge of tears, but made sure to push them back in, not wanting to look as if he’s still hung up on Mike, cause he’s not, he has Chance.
“Honey I know, but just– let’s try to be…civil? at least while the situation sinks in.” She gives them both a sweet smile before standing up and leaving… closing the door behind herself.
Chance takes this as a green light and immediately hugs Will.
“Hey, are you okay?” he mumbles, holding Will tightly against himself.
Will sniffled for a second but ultimately nodded.
“Yeah. They wanna be shocked? I’ll give them a reason to be shocked.”
He stood up, giving Chance another kiss before going to the bathroom to get ready.
“What do you mean?” Chance asked, sitting up. “Will?” He was brutally ignored by the guy though, only ‘till 6 minutes later when Will came out in his usual full goth makeup.
“When’s the game?”
“Tomorrow, why?” Chance was now extremely confused, mostly by how quick Will had done his makeup.
“Do you want to… keep this a secret at school?”
“Keep what a secret?”
Will stared at him with a killer stare. “Us.”
“Oh! No. No way— unless you want to…?”
“No no! Quite the opposite actually.” Will smirked.
“You scare me” Chance chuckled, hugging him now.
“Good.” Will laughed as well, planting a kiss on Chance’s neck, knowing that would leave a black lipstick mark extremely visible.
They went into the kitchen and Joyce’s eyes immediately fell on the mark, but she decided not to comment on it.
Hopper and Jane, with their exceptional timing, walked in just in that moment. Hop’s gaze settled immediately on the lipstick mark, and Will’s defiant smirk, a stark contrast to the soft, small Will he was used to seeing at home.
Jane also noticed, but she just burned red, and looked away.
“You know, mom, I’m actually not that hungry…” He stretched, his arms reaching over his head, back arching forward, and he flashed a look at Chance, purposely and unshamingly checking him out as he went back to standing normally. “Last night left me quite full so I say we should just go. Bye.” He grabbed Chance’s hand and left.
Leaving the very sexual implications of his last sentance hanging, knowing the double-entendre he made.
Chance followed after him, and stopped him before they got to his car. “I think we should go back for a second.”
Will stared at him. “Why?”
“I need a cold shower-” Chance mumbled, now smirking too, despite the embarrassment.
“Oh you idiot.” Will laughed.
As they drove to the school, they accidentally blew a red light…
“That won’t send Hopper after us, right?” Will joked.
“Nah, nobody really cares.” Chance chuckles, driving only with his left hand, his other hand propped on Will’s thigh.
They arrived at school and suddenly the situation felt too real to Will. They parked right in front of the Bike Racks… where Mike, Lucas and Dustin were waiting for Will who usually comes biking too.
And just behind them, the rest of Chance’s team, but specifically Jason, Andy, and Patrick.
There’s no way of getting out of this without everyone knowing anyway… But William wasn’t expecting Chance to get out and jog around the car to open the door for Will.
“Such a gentleman…” Will mumbled, staring lovingly at Chance with a smile.
“Only for you.” Chance closed the door and locked the car after Will got out, and despite feeling the stares of everyone on them, they kissed.
Will’s arms around Chance’s neck, and his arms around Will’s waist.
The kiss breaks and they share a look, before Chance walks Will over to the bike racks, letting a small kiss on his cheek, even in front of Will’s friends.
“I’ll see you at recess?”
“yeah.” Will reciprocated the cheek kiss, and Chance went to his team.
Will kept his eyes on Chance, until he was roughly taken out of his own head by Mike staring holes in his face.
William sighed, and looked at his friends.
“WH–...Since WHEN is this a thing?!” Mike whisper-yelled.
“You don’t have to whisper, we aren’t keeping it a secret, and officially since… yesterday-ish? unofficially since like a week or two ago?”
“WHAT?” This time it wasn’t only Mike, but Dustin too joined in.
“I totally clocked it.” Lucas smirked.
“Clocked it?” Will raised his eyebrows in question
“Sorry, Max is rubbing off on me.” he said sheepishly
Will laughed and nodded. “Yeaah I figured.”
As Will and Lucas laughed, Mike and Dustin stood confused, not having expected this character development from Will…
Behind them, The Tigers had a completely different reaction.
Chance walked up to Jason, who looked confused and fuming.
“Yo.” He gave, with a slight nod of his head.
“yo?! YO?!” Jason yelled. “Was that FUCKING William Byers with you?!”
“Uh–...yeah.” Chance sighed.
“You a fag now Chance? He turned you into a damn fairy?”
“Jason. Dude. Insult me all you want but don’t throw slurs around.”
The Party obviously heard him, Jason wasn’t being exactly quiet and they were only a couple metres away…
Mike coughed. “We should go, don’t want to make him mad by just existing.”
Dustin and Lucas agreed with him, but Will stayed still.
“Will come on.” Mike urged him.
“I’m not leaving him alone-”
“Oh please he can handle himself” Mike sighed.
"Micheal I am NOT gonna leave my boyfriend here alone to be yelled at by his asshole homophobic team leader, if you wanna go then get the fuck out of my sight.”
It was like someone flipped a switch on the world, cause not only did the party fall silent, but Will marched straight to Chance’s side, who wanted to tell him to go, to stay back, but he was blown away by how damn hot he thought Will looked when he was mad.
“You heard him Jason, shut up.” Will snarled, settling next to Chance.
“Holy shit the fairy’s talking to me.” Jason scoffed a laugh. “Aw did I hurt your boyfwienddd”
Jason teased, using the kind of voice you’d use when talking to a child.
“Yes actually you did, so fuck off.”
“And If I don’t, Byers? Gonna sing about me, whine to your cop daddy?”
Will saw red, and before he knew better he had thrown a punch to Jason’s jaw.
Jason’s head flew to the side, spitting out a bit of blood. He ticked, his hands itching to beat him up.
“You’re fucking dead Byers.” he glared at him and got all up in his space.
“Come at me.”
Luckily for Will, he’s strangely good at physical combat, so when Jason swung his fist, he dodged and hit his side, making him double over.
Chance was frozen still, torn between the moral choice of breaking the fight up, and the selfish want of seeing Will all sexy and bloody.
“gah–” Jason hissed, his breath heaving, the hit took all his oxygen from his body. “I’ll fucking kill you!”
William stared at him, and he laughed. Not in the soft way everyone knows, but in this weird twisted bordering on crazy way. “Gonna cwy?” Will matched Jason’s earlier tone, the kind of condescending tone that makes it sound as if he was talking to a child.
Jason tried to hit Chance this time, his fist diving straight for Chance’s hip… but Will grabbed his arm and twisted.
“Try again.”
He looked so hot in Chance’s eyes… but his view was broken when he saw Hopper and Jane pull up. Time seemed to move in slow motion, Jane being held back by Mike, Hopper running to stop the fight just as Will was about to swing, distracting him enough to let Jason land ONE blow to Will’s stomach. The only thought that settled in Chance’s brain was: “Jason hit my boyfriend.”, so without thinking he kicked Jason in the balls.
Then everything became a blur.
A blur of Hopper breaking up the fight and legally having to put all three of them in handcuffs, and in the back of Hopper’s car. Then being taken to the station and being put in the waiting cell. In a cell.
Once they were in the cell, Hopper took the handcuffs off of Jason and Chance, but Will resisted him.
“Kid, I have to take the handcuffs off.” He sighed.
“If you take them off I can’t promise I won’t kill him.”
“...William don’t say these things in front of me, I have to stay impartial and professional here. If you stay in the handcuffs you’ll make it a record, so give me your hands.”
Will looked at Chance, and then back at Hop… and reluctantly extended his hands.
Hopper took his handcuffs off and left the cell.
Will immediately turned towards Chance, grabbing his hands.
“You kicked him, why did you kick him, you could lose your spot—”
Chance silenced him with a kiss, a soft peck.
“I did it cause he hit you, and I don’t care about spots. Are you okay?”
“...Yeah, I am.”
Jason got retrieved by his parents and got off with a warning, so now Chance and Will are sitting side by side in Hopper’s office.
“I just want to ask: Why did you both have to hit him?” Hopper sighed.
“He called us fags, and threatened me, so I hit him.” Will wasn’t backing down.
“I only hit him after he hit Will.” Chance mumbled.
There was a moment of silence in the room.
“I know he’s annoying, okay? he got let off since you hit first, his hit was personal defense.”
“That’s Bullshit!” Will yelled.
“William. Quiet.” Hopper looked exhausted. “Since it’s your first ammunition, despite it being assault, I could leave you out with a warning. But you.” He turned to Chance. “This isn’t your first strike, so I’m legally obligated to hold you for at least a night here.”
“Oka—” Chance was gonna oblige without problems, but the boy beside him jumped up.
“WHAT? No!”
“William.” Hopper stared at him.
“NO. I— If you hold him here then I’ll stay here too.”
“WHAT?” Now it was Hopper’s AND Chance’s turn to yell.
“Kid, you do realise that if you stay here, this will be on your PERMANENT record?”
“I don’t care.”
Chance, who was once staring at Will with admiration, now is looking at him as if he sprouted a second head.
“Will, darling, you won’t stay here.”
“Uh— yes I will!”
“No, honey, you won’t. I’m not gonna let you ruin your legal record for this okay?”
Chance was trying to reason with him.
“Will, listen to me," Chance said, reaching out to grab Will’s arm, his voice dropping to that low, grounding tone. "You have school. You have your friends. You have... everything. I'm used to this. I'll sit in that cell, sleep it off, and I'll be out tomorrow. Don't do this."
“You’re ‘in it’ because of me! I won’t let you sit in a cell for defending me while I go off with a warning when I did most of it!”
Hopper slammed his hands down on the desk. “ENOUGH. This isn’t some romantic movie, William! You’re not being heroic, you’re being idiotic!”
“It’s not about being heroic, it's about what’s right!” Will yelled back.
Chance stared at him, “Will, baby, please. You don’t have to throw your life away for this.”
Will was starting to cave in at the pet name, when the door flew open, crashing on the wall.
She doesn’t look at Hopper at first, her gaze falling onto Chance, who sat like a wounded puppy trying to calm Will down, her son whose knuckles are bruised, makeup running down his cheeks and he’s standing up to a man three times his size— his father.
“Jim.” She started, with all the calmness she could muster. “Mind telling me why my son and his boyfriend are talking about spending the night in a cell, and why Jason fucking Carter walked out of here with his mother like they’re going for ice cream?”
Hopper sighed, looking like a scolded exhausted child.
“Legally—”
“Jim.”
“...You know what? we won’t speak of this, you’re both off with a warning, YOU’re grounded for the week.” He said specifically to Will. “And… you… whatever. off with a warning. I’ll pull some strings.”
As soon as they’re out of the room, Chance feels the need to hug Joyce, so he does. tight.
Joyce was surprised to say the least, but hugged him back.
Will just… watched. Staring at his boyfriend hugging his mom, and a small sense of warmth filled him, he wanted to join the hug, to hold Chance too, but he didn’t want to take away from the moment, so he stayed quiet, just looking at them for a full minute.
Then Chance broke the hug and transferred his affection from Joyce to Will, attaching to him like a suction cup.
Joyce smiled at the two boys.
“Get in the car, both of you, I’m taking you home.”
They got in the car together, cuddling up in the backseat. The drive was silent, Joyce leaving them to bask in the reality of what happened without the adrenaline from the fight.
Then when she arrived at the Byers’ front porch and parked, she turned around to look at the two boys.
"Will," she said, her voice soft but still carrying the sternness she had when she was talking to Hopper, "Jim meant what he said and I agree. You are grounded. No phone, no D&D, no wandering off to the 'Wheelers' or anywhere else. You’re staying under this roof."
She paused, "But... Chance. If your parents are okay with it, you can come over. I’d rather have you here where I can see you than out there where Jason and his friends are looking for trouble."
“But mom- There’s Chance’s final basketball tournament tomorrow.”
“...You can go but I’ll come too then, okay?”
“Yeah, perfect,” Will smiled.
They went inside the house and Joyce immediately took to tending to Will’s stomach and knuckles.
Once he stopped being flaming red everywhere, Joyce sent them upstairs with a warning, “Behave.”
They went upstairs and closed the door, taking a few minutes to just drink in everything that happened in the last hour, then, it was like some primal instinct took over, they looked at each other and began kissing, realising they could’ve lost each other for an homophobic bitch.
Chance picked Will up by the thighs, taking him to the bed, he dropped him on his back and got on top of him, kissing like a man-starved.
He left Will’s lips only to travel down his jaw, biting a bit, before dipping down to his neck, placing wet open mouth kisses travelling to Will’s sweet spot, where he started biting and sucking, suddenly feeling the need to make a mark.
They got pulled out of their haze when they heard the front door slam shut, signaling Hopper had returned home.
Chance reluctantly parted from Will’s neck, staring down at the reddening mark on the fair skin, tracing his thumb over it.
“You’re so pretty…” Chance whispered, kissing him once again before standing up.
Will was still catching his breath but he knew he needed to get down to business, so he soon stood up as well, grabbing a green hoodie from his wardrobe, as well as fabric paint.
“Wanna help me?”
“Oh- I’m not an artist, darling, I wouldn’t wanna ruin your masterpiece.”
“Nonsense, come here.”
Chance sat next to Will, watching as he decorated the hoodie with a 02 on the back, and Chance’s last name “ROMANILLOS” over it. Only now did Chance realise the major implications of William wearing his last name and player number in front of the whole school.
“Wearing my last name huh?”
“Well yeah” Will smiled.
He dried the back with a hair dryer, and then turned the hoodie around to paint the front, he did the name around the logo… WILLIAM ROMANILLOS written in a circle.
“Hey pucker your lips” He sploshed a glob of red paint onto a plate and took it on the brush.
Chance cocked an eyebrow but puckered his lips, and Will painted them as if putting lipstick on him.
“Kiss in the middle of the circle.”
Chance had to bite back the urge to just kiss Will all over instead, but he did as Byers asked, planting the little kiss stain in the middle of the circle.
That small detail was the start of their newfound relationship.