Chapter Text
Nancy: "the reason el broke up with you is because you kiss boys!"
" I don't kiss boys Nancy! " Mike says
He looks at will trying to hold in a laugh Mike feels his face start to go red.
Ohhhhhh your blushing"
"Shut up Nancy I'm not"
"Come on man she's just joking"
Max says . Jonathan says " guys we need to head home now! "
"Okay I'll get every everyone"
GUYS WERE LEAVING! "
She hears a okay from some people "
" Mike "
"Will"
" Are you okay you just seem a bit well you know.. -
"No will, i don't know ! "
"...upset"
"I'm not upset just, confused"
" about what? "
" well do you think Nancy knows "
Of course not mike "
" Can you two love birds get in that car "says Murray
Were not love birds ! Mike and will yell .Wills voice cracks on the word love.
And yes , we're going !
Every body looks over confused well
Steve,robin,Dustin,Lucas,max,Joyce,and el.
only el , Jonathan,robin and hop.
-Jonathan only knows because he walked in on them kissing when they
Forgot to lock the door.
- Hopper knows because we'll nobody knows for sure he either figured it out or el told him.
-and el and robin found out together.
The ride home was fine steve was doing his Tammy Thompson Muppet impression to a song on the radio. They drop people off then it's the wheelers house with will
They eat dinner it's chicken, mashed potatoes ,broccoli and carrots .
Then like every night they go and lock themselves in the wheelers basement and listen to music well only I think were alone now but only because they have been lending the party there tapes so it's like some of the music they can get a hold of.So Mike puts it on.
Children behave"
That's what they say when we're together
"And watch how you play"
They don't understand
And so we're
Running just as fast as we can
Holdin' on to one another's hand
Tryin' to get away into the night
And then you put your arms around me
And we tumble to the ground
And then you say
I think we're alone now
There doesn't seem to be anyone around
I think we're alone now
The beating of our hearts is the only sound
“Stop staring at me, Mike.”
“What?” When Will turned to face him, Mike looked like a little boy who had been caught stealing an extra cookie: eyes blown wide and red creeping up his neck.
“I can feel you staring.”
“I’m not,” He insisted, still staring.
“You’re seriously the worst.”
“I just don’t wanna lose you.”
“So you are staring?”
"Yes"
The tape clicks as the song ends.
For a second, neither of them moves.
The basement feels different when the music stops—too quiet, like the walls are listening. Mike reaches out without thinking and flips the tape over, letting the soft whirring sound fill the space instead.
Will hugs his knees to his chest on the couch. “Holly’s gonna be mad if she finds out we kept this.”
Mike snorts. “She literally said we could borrow it forever.”
“That’s not how borrowing works,” Will says, smiling anyway.
Mike shrugs. “It is when you’re twelve.”
They sit there, shoulders pressed together now, not pretending otherwise. Mike’s heart is still going a little too fast, like it didn’t get the memo that everything’s fine.
“You were really quiet earlier,” Will says.
Mike tenses. “Was I?”
“Yeah,” Will says gently. “In the car. And at dinner.”
Mike stares at the spinning tape. “I just keep thinking about how everyone looks at us sometimes.”
Will nods. “Yeah. Me too.”
There’s a pause. Not uncomfortable. Just heavy.
“But,” Will adds, bumping Mike’s knee with his own, “I like when it’s just us. Like this.”
Mike finally looks at him. “Me too.”
He hesitates, then reaches out and carefully laces their fingers together, like he’s still checking if it’s allowed. Will doesn’t pull away. He squeezes back.
From upstairs, they hear footsteps—Holly laughing, Karen calling goodnight, the house settling.
Mike exhales. “We should probably go up soon.”
“Yeah,” Will agrees.
Neither of them moves.
After a moment, Will leans his head against Mike’s shoulder. Mike freezes for exactly half a second—then relaxes completely.
The tape keeps spinning, silent now.
Just the sound of the basement light humming.
And two hearts beating, steady and close.