━━━━ 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 !
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘-𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑
The unexpected kiss was nothing more than a quick and innocent peck on the lips, but in Will Byers' honest opinion, it was phenomenal. The simple gesture was a solid piece of evidence confirming that Mike Wheeler miraculously reciprocated his feelings.
What made the short-lived moment exceptionally special was the blatant fact that it was the brunette's very first kiss. That concept in itself explained why he remained as still as a statue when his best friend's lips were pressed against his own. The action occurred so unexpectedly and ended before his brain had the opportunity to process what was transpiring.
Will's cheeks grew redder than a fully-ripened tomato after the ravenette pulled away. His heart thumped at an alarming pace, practically beating out of his tightened chest. His stomach was filled to the brim with trillions of butterflies. Even though he barely had the chance to embrace the euphoric sensation, he found himself missing the warmth of the freckled boy's lips.
He discreetly pinched the skin on his left wrist to confirm that he wasn't dreaming. His breath hitched when he realized that he was indeed awake. He slowly trailed his index finger across his lips in an attempt to recall what the kiss felt like. This couldn't have been a reality.
Mike, on the other hand, experienced an entirely contrary reaction. A varying mixture of emotions flashed through his diaphragm. His face went ghastly pale and his mouth was agape. He appeared as if he were about to projectile vomit all over himself and the other boy.
"Shit," The ravenette panicked, an ocean of tears threatening to spill from his glassy eyes. "Shit, shit, shit! I'm so sorry — I don't know what I was thinking!"
Will was determined to convince the younger boy that he wasn't angry or upset with him in any manner, but it was too late. Mike had dashed out of the room before the brunette could allow a single word to slip out of his mouth.
"Mike!" The Byers boy called out. "Mike, come back!"
Hollering his name into the abyss of the hallway was no use, as the boy had already vanished. Will knew he needed to search for him, but he didn't want his step-sister to freak out when she realized both of them were missing.
As a solution to his slight dilemma, Will hastily yanked a pen and a sheet of notebook paper out of his tattered backpack. He quickly scribbled a message onto the paper to let El know that he was looking for Mike and would soon return.
After placing the note on top of the bedside table and exiting the motel room, his mission to locate his best friend had officially begun.
˗ˏˋ꒰ 🎱 ꒱
Will checked every nook and cranny of the small motel — or so he thought. There were zero signs of Mike in the lobby, the van, or the building's exterior. He knew the boy wouldn't have been bold enough to leave the property, so he didn't understand how he hadn't located him yet.
Suddenly, a brilliant realization struck his head like a lightning bolt.
He hadn't checked the swimming pool.
The pool was an odd location for one to linger in the middle of the night, but Will knew his best friend like the back of his own hand. If he were to flee to any location to calm his nerves, it would be near a body of water. Simply allowing the natural sounds produced by the liquid to flow through his ears was effective enough to shove his anxious thoughts aside.
The Byers boy carefully unlatched the old, creaky gate leading to the pool. Upon entering, he was met with the strong scent of chlorinated water as well as Mike's lanky figure perched at the edge of the pool, his black jeans rolled up to his shins so that he could dip his feet in the water. His freckled cheeks were stained with tears and he wouldn't stop sniffling.
Will gradually approached the boy, hoping his echoey footsteps wouldn't startle him. The ravenette immediately whipped his head around upon realizing he wasn't alone. He promptly looked away once he saw who had entered.
"Mind if I join you?" The brunette asked.
No response.
Will sighed and proceeded to sit down despite Mike's silent protests. He yanked his sneakers off and dipped his feet in the water as well, lightly swinging his legs to produce waves.
"Are you alright?" He queried, hesitantly placing a gentle hand on the boy's tensed shoulder.
Still no response.
"Mike, please say something," Will pleaded, his lips curving into a subtle frown.
"I'm sorry, okay? Just leave me alone," Mike sniffled, wiping a fresh tear away.
"You're sorry? For what?"
"For doing that . . . that thing I did in the motel room! I totally got the wrong idea and I'm sure you absolutely despise me now," The Wheeler boy rambled. "Can we just start over and forget that ever happened?"
"What if I don't want to forget it?" Will muttered under his breath, the question hardly audible enough for the other boy to hear.
Mike furrowed his eyebrows and scratched his head in thought. He eventually cranked his head around to focus on the brunette and signaled for him to continue.
"I've been waiting for you to do that for so long, Mike. You have no idea. It was such a painful thing to wish for because the chances of it happening were slim to none. And now, for the first time in years, I feel genuinely happy."
"So . . . you aren't mad at me?" The ravenette asked with a hint of skepticism.
"Of course not, silly," Will giggled, leaning his head on Mike's shoulder and beaming to himself.
The younger boy's face softened at his best friend's sudden action. In return, Mike slowly tilted his head to the left and rested it on top of Will's, snuggling close to him. He then proceeded to grab Will's hand and give it a gentle kiss before swiftly weaving their fingers together.
"Mike?" The Byers boy whispered out of the blue, his eyes fixated on the stunning crescent moon surrounded by a galaxy of twinkling stars.
"Yeah?"
"I really like you."
Mike found himself blushing profusely as a result of his best friend's confession. He used his hands to shield his reddened face while searching for the courage to respond.
"I really like you, too, Byers."
"Prove it," Will smirked, giving himself a mental pat on the back for his flirtatious remark.
"And how exactly do you want me to prove it?" Mike teased, mirroring the devious smirk on the brunette's face.
Rather than responding with words, Will gazed up at him with lustful eyes that seemed to sparkle in the moonlight. Those gorgeous eyes were Mike's weakness.
He gently grabbed the brunette's chin and tilted his head up, simply gazing into his glistening eyes. After a few seconds, he began to caress his cheek with a touch as light as a feather. Finally, he pulled him close enough to feel his warm breath against his mouth. If he were to move one more inch, their lips would be touching.
Will didn't want to admit it, but he was getting slightly impatient. His stomach churned with butterflies, giving him the same feeling he got while riding a rollercoaster. He wanted this so badly — no, he needed it.
After what felt like years of anticipation, Mike tilted his head to the right and ever so softly pressed his lips to Will's. At first, the Byers boy completely froze due to his lack of experience. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin everything by being a lousy kisser.
He decided to experiment by kissing back. And boy, did it feel good. It was a sensation he had never felt before, yet he never wanted to stop feeling it. The kiss lasted for approximately three seconds before the boys pulled away, their noses brushing together from their closeness.
"Is this okay?" Mike whispered, his warm breath fanning Will's lips.
"More than okay," Will nodded, his voice hoarse.
"Cool," The Wheeler boy mumbled, bringing his best friend in for another kiss.
The second kiss was significantly rougher than the previous one. It contained more desire and eagerness, like they had been starving for weeks and finally had the opportunity to indulge in a substantial meal.
Will ran his fingers through Mike's dark, wavy locks of hair as the latter grabbed his waist and tugged him closer. Will smiled against Mike's lips, wishing to stay in that moment for eternity. It was so wrong, but it felt so right. However, in that particular moment, he didn't care what the rest of the world thought about people like him. He was living in a state of pure euphoria.
Mike, on the other hand, felt utterly disgusted with himself. He shouldn't have enjoyed making out with his best friend as much as he did, especially considering the fact that Will was a boy! God, how would his parents react if they found out? He didn't even want to fathom such a tragedy, as he was certain that his parents would kick him out of the house if they knew.
Brushing his worries to the side, the ravenette pulled away and began peppering little kisses all over Will's face, causing him to wince and giggle uncontrollably.
"Stop, it tickles!" He giggled, lightly pushing Mike's head away even though he secretly didn't want it to stop.
"You're so cute," Mike smiled, leaving a lingering kiss on the older boy's forehead and bringing him in for a tight embrace.
˗ˏˋ꒰ 🎱 ꒱
After a few minutes of simply basking in each other's closeness, Will cleared his throat and decided to speak up.
"We should head back to the room and get some sleep. We've got another long road trip ahead of us."
"Oh, yeah," Mike nodded in agreement. "But one more thing."
"Sure, what is it?"
"We have to keep this a secret from everyone, and I mean everyone. I swear, if my parents find out about this, they'll literally kick me out of the house."
"Are you implying that you want this to be a regular thing?" Will smirked, teasingly wiggling his eyebrows.
"Uh, yeah? I really like you if we haven't already cleared that up," Mike snickered. "And I don't just want this to be a 'friends with benefits' situation. I want us to be more than friends. I want to be your boyfriend."
"Wait, really?" The Byers boy asked, grinning from ear to ear.
"Of course, you idiot," The ravenette teased. "So, is that a yes?"
Rather than responding with words, Will tackled Mike into another hug and pecked his lips over and over again.
"Did that answer your question?" He asked, jokingly batting his eyelashes.
"It did," The Wheeler boy chuckled. "But you promise to keep this a secret, right? I mean, El already knows that I like you, so we don't have to hide it from her, but everyone else is off limits."
"I promise, Mike," Will declared, giving his hand a squeeze of reassurance.
𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 !
ngl it's kinda hard to write a kissing scene when you've never been kissed