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Will sighs and then proceeds to double over laughing. Mike doesn’t understand. How is Will laughing? Mike was vulnerable and honest. He told Will that the mystery guy he’s been talking about made him feel shitty. Made him feel like he was losing Will even though he was just an arms reach away. He’d tip-toed around using the word, but the mystery guy made him seethingly jealous as well. Will keeps laughing gleefully as he makes his way over to where Mike is sitting on his bed.
“Mike,” Will finally manages to make eye contact while giggling, and Mike can feel his cheeks flushing an unnatural shade of crimson. He might be shaking as well, but he can’t tell through the onslaught of embarrassment. “You don't understand, do you?”
“No! Will, I don't! Because I told you why I’ve been so goddamn miserable this entire week, and-and you’re laughing!” Mike huffs, shifting uncomfortably as Will puts a shaking hand on his shoulder. Why is he shaking? What is going on?
“Mike, listen to me as I say this. Really listen,” he begins. “The guy, he’s smart. Well, he’s- yeah.” Mike fights the urge to roll his eyes. The last thing he wants is to hear will ramble on about his stupid crush—who apparently is better than Mike at everything. “He makes me…” Will breaks their eye contact, searching for the correct words. “He makes me feel seen. H-he finds a way to include me, even if he’s — you know — sometimes a jerk,” will pauses, and suddenly Mike is ultra aware of the small amount of space left between them. He must have shifted closer at some point.
“If he’s such a jerk, why bother hanging out with him?” Mike grimaces, which weirdly enough, causes will to break out into another fit of giggles. “Oh my god will, what is so funny?” He’s exasperated at this point. Though, with every soft laugh coming from Will, he feels lighter.
Suddenly, Mike feels his lips slowly melting into a small smile of his own — that he quickly schools because this is not the time for that. He has to mentally remind himself he’s kind of annoyed with Will right now, but that annoyance disappears as soon as Will regains his composure and continues talking.
“He’s always been there for me,” Will continues, “always standing by my side and, I don't know, protecting me in his own little way.” Will’s hand slides from Mike's shoulder, resting on his bicep. “He’s honestly… and this is going to sound so cheesy but bear with me here.” Will takes a deep breath before sliding his hand all the way down Mike’s arm, and interlocking their fingers together. “He- He’s the paladin to my cleric.”
Oh.
Oh.
And, shit, Mike should have probably seen this coming. He was so fucking clueless. He didn’t know until it was staring him directly in the eyes.
Me? He thinks. He hopes. He pleads. His heart is racing now, all the earlier emotions replaced with a foreign feeling. Hope. It's almost tangible in the air. And Mike might be only slightly dense, but as he feels Will's grip tighten in his hand, he knows he’s not reading this wrong.
“He’s my paladin,” Will whispers softly.
Mike reaches up to clasp his other hand onto Will's neck, and feels him lean closer into the touch.
The world ceases to exist outside of this small alcove in the wheelers house. All that matters in that moment is the fact that Mike is leaning in, and carefully brushing Will's hair away from his face.
“Is-is it me?” He says incredulously.
“It’s always been you. I promise”
Mike inches closer to Will's face, and his breath hitches.
“Can I?”
Will nods, and closes the distance.
It’s soft and chaste, and Will's lips taste of the cherry chapstick he keeps in his left pocket. Mike smiles to himself, because it’s just so Will. Everything about this moment is reminiscent of him. Will lets his hand that's not currently intertwined with Mike's meander into his hair and, holy shit, this is quite possibly the best to happen to him ever. Will’s lips are slightly chapped, and Mike has to crane his head downwards to kiss him, but he’s kissing Will Byers. His best friend, his first friend, and quite possibly the most important person in his life. The thought makes him dizzy.
Will tilts his head slightly to the side, and their lips slot together like two pieces of a puzzle. Mike thinks, in the back of his mind, that he must have died and gone to heaven because there is no way this is happening. That thought is quickly silenced as Will softly opens his mouth, just a fraction of an inch, inviting him. Mike registers this movement at lightning speed and carefully reciprocates, feeling as if any fast movements will break this fragile moment.
After what feels like a millennia, but is most likely only a few seconds, they break the kiss. Will rests his forehead against Mikes, and laughs softly. That's probably what sends Mike off the deep end.
“Will I think I've been in love with you for as long as I can remember and please, please, please tell me I'm not dreaming right now,” Mike finds himself rushing to say. This makes Will laugh even harder.
“No Mike, I can guarantee you’re not dreaming right now.” Will huffs out a laugh, and lifts his head to make eye contact. “Am I dreaming?”
“Hmm.. only one way to find out.”
“Oh yeah? And what's that?” Will rolls his eyes.
Mike pinches the small of Will's neck, eliciting a small yelp from him. Will tries to squirm out of Mike's grasp and mournfully groans after he realizes the taller boy has wrapped himself around Will in such a way that he has no chance of escaping anytime soon. Mike preens at this, having a new found respect for his otherwise ungraceful limbs.
“You idiot. I thought we were having a moment,” Will mumbles as he rests his head against Mike's shoulder.
Mike's arms slot themselves around Will’s waist, and they pull him closer. “Sorry Will. Can I make it up to you?”
Will nods gleefully, and Mike kisses him again. Just because he can.