Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

"Thank you so much for your hospitality, Karen, I don't know how I would have done  without your help" said Joyce busy rummaging through the inside of a box on which Home was written in capital marker.

Home, they had finally come home, the California experience had been strange, thinking about it now it seemed more like a fever dream than anything else, not to mention the time in Russia, the upside down...

Hawkins was everything and nothing to the Byers, it was the beginning of the end and the end of the beginning, it was many things but, above all, it was home. And at last they were home, it had been a blessing to be able to buy their old house - after all, people in Hawkins don't stay, people prefer to leave.  So with the keys to their new old home they were all trying to get back to normal, although normal is certainly not a word to associate with what their lives had been for the past few years.

Joyce was excited but the furniture had not yet arrived and the Wheeler family -actually just Karen - had offered to take them into their home for a while, at least until they could officially move in. Mrs. Byers had brought some boxes to the Wheeler house; she knew that house well and her children loved it so it had seemed like a good idea.

"You don't have to thank me, you know, you're family to us" the blonde woman picked up a string of Christmas lights from a box and showed it to Joyce, without saying anything a sincere smile appeared on both of their faces "You should have seen Nancy and Mike's faces when they heard, they were thrilled" she then added.

Karen Wheeler had her hair pulled back into a ponytail and was also hunched over some boxes, they were gathering mostly clothes and personal belongings -although the boxes were filled with all kinds of junk. The house that would accommodate them was big enough for everyone, and Karen had arranged everything perfectly, planning every detail of their impromptu stay. Joyce would sleep in the sofa bed in the living room, Jonathan and Will in the basement where they had set up two sleeping bags.

In fact, Joyce had also received another proposal, from Hopper, however, it had not yet seemed like the right time for her to sleep over at his place. Yes, the intention was there but it had seemed right to allow him to spend time with his newfound daughter; they definitely needed time alone.

Mike and Holly were lying on the couch. Mike would have liked to help but his brain actually prevented him from doing so; he felt almost as if he were in a dream, as if he were bound to a reality that he may not have wanted or wanted in part. His head was a mess. He was a mess. Since everything had ended he had not been able to have a serious talk with either Eleven or Will. Especially with Will, because basically by mutual agreement he and El had decided to remain friends and it was okay, it was really okay, he was okay with it, in fact he wanted it too. But still it seemed as if something was pending, as if she was not aware of the truth or maybe she was but the real problem was that he was not aware of the truth either.

He should have talked to her, yes, he should have visited her that very evening, in Hopper's cabin, he should have told her that he loved her but not in the way she wanted him to, he should have told her that he understood more about himself in the last few days than he had understood in the last few years.

He sighed without even realizing it, his sister's suspicious eyes on him, immediately he tried to look away. Perhaps in fact he should have talked to Will first, tried to explain how he made him feel, but when? And how?

"These go in the basement, Will's stuff" Joyce now held in her hands a stack of neatly folded shirts.

"Oh you can put those in Mike's room, the closet is quite large"

Just then from the kitchen appeared the Byers brothers, the trip had been long and tiring, and they were all basically a bit shaken up by the events of the previous days. They all deserved some rest. Joyce smiled as she saw her children smiling at each other; they were exchanging genuine smiles. It melted her heart to see them so close, so united. Jonathan was once much taller than Will while now they were almost the same height, a sure sign of time passing.

"What are you two up to?" their mom said smiling, wrinkling her nose slightly.

They both returned that smile, Will running a hand through his hair in slight embarrassment now that everyone was looking at him for some reason.

"You okay, Mom?" the youngest asked, getting just close enough to glance at the contents of the boxes.

Joyce nodded, stroking his back gently and then handed him his clothes.

"Honey, could you set these up in Mike's room?"

Okay. Yes, it sounded like a pretty simple task, right? Wrong, for Will it meant entering enemy territory, going through a minefield. They had been there for a few hours and he had avoided being alone with Mike as much as possible, the weight of something lingering between them was making his pulse race.

Now Mike's gaze was on Will, he analyzed him, he stared at him and realized it too late, he only came back to reality when his mother glared at him as if to say well what are you doing? Aren't you taking your friend to your room?

He took a deep breath and got up from the couch, bracing himself on his forearms. He tried to avoid Will's hazel eyes, however he could already feel them on him as he walked up the stairs.

"There's a bit of a mess, sorry" he said as he entered the bedroom.

Will smiled, it was a beautiful smile, his red cheeks indicating a hint of embarrassment as he held his clothes tightly in his arms. Mike lowered his gaze and offered to take them to store them on a shelf in his closet.

God what an embarrassment. Will had stood there motionless in the doorway, the air in the room so full of unspoken words that Mike almost lost his breath. With his gaze he tried to look away but really all he wanted to look at was Will, Will was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, in a red and blue striped T-shirt, hair neat, lips parted. Enough, he was looking at him too much.

 He brought a hand behind his neck, unsure whether or not he should interrupt that seemingly comfortable silence. Fortunately, Will took care of it.

"So..this is normality"

Mike turned up the corners of his mouth in a smile and lifted his shoulders.

"Maybe"

"Maybe" Will repeated before sitting down on the bed.

His gaze was drawn to some drawings he had done in the past that now hung on the wall of Mike's bedroom.

"Uhm..yeah, those, yeah they made me think of you so I thought I'd...I don't know, hang them up"

What a struggle to formulate a meaningful sentence with Will so close. Silence again. A few inches prevented their shoulders from meeting, perhaps Mike should have put on music to cover the silence that now seemed to be making a mess, more in his head than outside.

Will in the process had turned slightly, still smiling, oh my God Mike was making him smile, and it was such a genuine smile. He moistened his lips and Mike paid a little too much attention to that gesture but tried to focus on his eyes immediately afterwards.

"They made you think of me," Will whispered, turning his upper body slightly so he could get a better look at the boy in front of him.

"Yeah" Everything made me think of you, Mike thought. But he did not add anything else.

"Cool"

"Yeah, cool" Mike felt embarrassed beyond belief.

Endless minutes of looking into each other's eyes, hands fidgeting, breath quickening. He could have watched him for an eternity without ever getting tired. Who knew Mike Wheeler was so corny. In fact maybe it was time to come back to reality and get back to what could be done, what in his head he was allowed to do, his comfort zone. Staring at his best friend's lips was not allowed.

Will changed position, leaning his back against the mattress, he lay down on the bed and squinted his eyes for a moment, he was definitely exhausted from the trip and not even the shower had managed to wake him up. Mike looked at him from above still remaining seated, Will looked so relaxed in his bed, illuminated by the golden light of the sunset, he seemed like a dream. Mike swallowed. He didn't know where to put his hands, where to look at, what to do, he didn't know what to do.

"You okay?" asked Will then suddenly opening his eyes.

Mike maintained eye contact for a few moments. No, he was not. Or maybe he was, maybe Mike only felt good when he was with him, otherwise there would be no other logical explanation for that change of mood he had had when Will had set foot in his room. He thought that maybe when they were alone Mike could be himself, maybe he could let himself go a little because he knew that deep down Will would let himself go too, just a litte…

"Mike?"

"Uh sure. Are you?"

Will shifted his gaze to the wall as if looking in it for the answers to that question. Mike waited; he could wait.

“I don't know… it's just that sometimes it feels like things aren't really okay, you know? I mean now things are going well, no threats, everything is the same as before. But .. what if I want more? I just… I can't explain it” he bit his lower lip as a blush spread over his cheeks “And you wouldn't understand”

Mike swallowed again, his heart threatening to explode from his chest. He wanted to answer Will, he wanted to tell him that actually he would probably understand, because he too wanted more and not from life but from their relationship. He wanted more from him, he wanted him.

The thought of having admitted that feeling –in his mind of course-  made him shiver, he felt himself flush so much that he was forced to lie down next to Will for fear of passing out at any moment. He tried to act cool anyway.

"If there are things, situations that you would like to change, I don't know, maybe you should try to change them"

Will had now turned towards him, his hands relaxed on his chest contrasting those of Mike who instead traveled through his own hair because he could not stay still. However, he met his gaze, hoping that Will couldn't feel his heart beating so fast.

"I'm scared, Mike"

Will put his hand on Mike's leg, it was perhaps a little risky gesture but after all they were friends, he was just trying to make him understand his fear, maybe Will couldn't see anything wrong, while Mike was on fire. The friend's tapered fingers seemed to burn against the black jeans he was wearing, burning until they reached his skin. Mike found himself imagining Will's fingers on his skin and almost choked on his own saliva, his brain was thinking without his permission.

Will dared to lower his gaze to where his fingers were, in fact, touching Mike's jeans, it seemed to Mike that he had read his mind and it instinctively came to him to change position, he turned to one side without ceasing to turn his attention to the boy in front of him. Will, like a mirror, did the same, lying on the side opposite Mike’s so he could see his expression.

"Will..." came from the black-haired boy's parted lips.

Like a whisper, in a tone of voice that was barely audible but that the person he was speaking to was able to hear. I'm scared too, he wanted to tell him. But Mike said nothing, he lost himself with his gaze in Will’s eyes, in the details of his face that had changed with time but that had characterized him since he was just a child, his moles, his nose, he knew everything by heart.

Words floated in the air, they were on the tip of his tongue but he did not have the courage to say them, words that settled in the space separating his own lips from those of the boy. It was as if they both wanted to say the same things to each other but fear blocked any sensible sound that might come from their lips.

Mike had always been brave, when the people he cared about were in danger he had never hesitated. Yet his feelings scared him more than any supernatural thing he had ever seen in his life.

He saw Will swallow before lowering his gaze to his side, he quickly alternated his gaze from Mike's dark eyes to his bony hip on which he was about to rest his fingers with insecurity, the green T-shirt Mike wore was slightly raised and the space between the fabric of it and the rough jeans left a flap of skin exposed, a few inches that was enough, however, to make Mike shiver. An electric shock went through his spine the moment he sensed Will's hesitant fingertips, he was looking at him for approval, seeking confirmation, his dilated pupils seeming to say can I touch you?

I don't mind, Mike's gaze seemed to say, in fact do it, please.

Actually it had happened before, Will's fingers resting on Mike's skin and vice versa, as children they spent quite some time cuddling, playing wrestling in the pool, holding hands. Yet this time was different, for some reason it was different.

Both were so lost in their own thoughts that they did not notice the sound of footsteps on the stairs and the door opening in front of them.

"Mom, jeez, can’t you knock?" pronounced Mike annoyed, raising his tone of voice, and instinctively turning away from Will to sit on the bed.

"It's just me, sorry" Jonathan said instead without looking either of them in the eye, as if he had seen something he should not have seen "Dinner is ready"

Behind him there was Nancy, she, instead, was looking at them, studying them with her doe eyes, and Mike knew that in his sister's mind all possible scenarios were unfolding. After all, she knew him so well even though they never demonstrated that bond that sometimes binds a sister and a brother.

He stood up abruptly and offered a hand to Will to help him out of bed. Now that they were both standing again the height difference made him smile.

"Bad timing" ironized the boy with the bowl cut before hinting a laugh.

Mike laughed too, and in doing so he allowed himself to touch Will's shoulder naturally.

"Bad timing, as always"

Joyce and Karen had combined their skills to churn out a feast that could feed the entire town, Mike did not even make it down the stairs in time that his sister zapped him with a glance, and the vacant chair next to her felt like a punishment.

The adults were talking, talking about things that Mike did not care about, he tried to look at Will at times and winced when their gazes met, his cheeks were red and Mike wondered if he too was blushing because of their proximity but perhaps in that case it was better not to know.

"Yes! Drive-in night, I heard, you could go if you're not too tired. Or maybe you could watch a movie in the basement like the old days" Karen said, smiling broadly.

Mike had not followed the talk, maybe they were talking about new movies at the cinema, his attention had been drawn to the idea of him and Will alone in the basement.

"You could call the other guys too, do you think I should also invite Hopper and El?" proposed Joyce therefore.

Mike sighed internally; he would have rolled his eyes if he could. It wasn't that he didn't feel like seeing the others, he just didn't feel too much like socializing, he needed to spend time alone, alone with Will if possible, because Will was different from the others and because he would never refuse his company.

Speaking of Will, he evidently became aware of the panic in Mike’s eyes, the anxious way he held his fork between his fingers, the free hand rubbing incessantly on his own jeans. Will could often read him like an open book. And indeed he rushed to his aid.

"It's just that we're really tired" Will said "I'm going to go to sleep really early. We could watch a movie maybe but I'll definitely collapse after the first few minutes" he added, hinting at a laugh.

He looked so swaggering and calm now, and to Mike he seemed like a different person from the one who was in his bed a few minutes before.

"You are right" Joyce smiled as she raised her hands before resuming eating.

"Mom this was so good" Nancy said pointing to the food on her plate, Mike raised an eyebrow because he knew her well and he knew that when she gave compliments she wanted something in return "Listen I was thinking, Jonathan could sleep in my room tonight so the kids can have their movie night"

“We’re not kids anymore” Mike rolled his eyes, but she ignored him, continuing to wait for an answer from her mother. A smirk appeared on Will's face.

“Same bed? I don’t think so” said Mrs. Wheeler looking at Mrs. Byers for approval.

"As if they haven't already…." Mike's words died in his mouth when his sister kicked him under the table.

Nancy mimicked a shut up with her lips before leaning close to his ear to whisper.

"Shouldn't you and I talk?"

Mike blanched at those words and forced himself to drink the entire glass of water so as not to appear impaneled.

After dinner he managed to avoid the talk with Nancy and sneak off to his room, everything was running smoothly. Or almost. He had washed up and put on a tracksuit even though he was basically going to sleep in his underwear as usual, it didn't seem very nice though to walk around the house in his underwear with guests around. With Will around.

He winced as he heard the door knock and squinted his eyes to prepare himself psychologically for what was to happen next. Surely it was Nancy and surely she wanted to talk, but about what? And why then? Did she know anything?

He opened the door with his heart in his chest, and as soon as he saw Will he could not tell if he should be relieved or not.

"Sorry, I couldn't find my pajamas" Will passed him to head for the closet and Mike stood still like a fool with the door handle between his fingers "And I wanted to say good night to you"

He opened his eyes wide and exerted more pressure on the poor handle. Will wanted to say good night to him. He dissolved into a smile and went to close the door behind them wondering afterwards why he did that. His subconscious mind was clearer than he was, he wanted to be alone with Will and it was time to accept that.

"I'll lend you one if you want, I don't use it anyway" proposed the black-haired boy, running his fingers through his hair.

He didn't know why he had added the last sentence either, maybe he didn't even want to know but he was sure he had looked really stupid in his friend's eyes.

"Yes, thank you"

And so among the various drawers he picked up a clean pair of pajamas, his favorite, and handed it to the boy, in that exchange their fingers met and he swore he saw Will's gaze linger on his own lips.

"Good night then"

Mike smiled and stood as still as a statue in front of the one who was his best friend and whom he could not even hug for a good night because he was so terribly afraid.

"Good night Mike, see you tomorrow"

The boy turned around, step by step he reached the door and Mike was in a cold sweat, every single part of him was telling him to stop him, to stop him as soon as possible. And for once he listened to his heart.

"Wait...uhm"

Will turned at his words, perhaps with such speed that it hinted that he didn't want to leave that room either, he too needed to be near him.

"Would you like to sleep here with me?" he said all in one breath, waiting impatiently for his answer.

"Here?" Will looked at the bed and Mike did the same.

They had slept there before but now things were different and they had grown up and felt different things but at the end of the day they were still Will and Mike. Mike parted his lips as if to speak but he didn't really say anything, he wanted to say yes, I know, we'll have to stay close. We'll have to huddle together to be comfortable. Skin against skin. Breath against breath. We've already done that haven't we? Yes but I didn't have feelings for you.

He swallowed hard as he hinted a false smile at seeing Will walk out the door to change in the bathroom across the hall. He wanted to bang his head against the wall at that moment and didn't know whether to be more terrified by the fact that he had just admitted to himself that he had feelings for his best friend or the fact that he was practically talking to himself.

He quickly undressed, shoes, his shirt, the jeans he had touched Will just before. He quickly slipped under the fresh sheets trying to leave room for Will. He actually hoped to fall asleep before him so that he would not have to endure the heaviness of his own thoughts because of the closeness between the two.

Behind the bedroom door he vaguely overheard a conversation between Will and Joyce.

"How nice that you're having a sleepover, you've grown too fast" he heard her say before saying good night to her son.

The door opened a short time later, and Mike could not help but notice how well the pajamas fit him. Will placed some of his belongings on the nightstand near the bed before turning on the bedside lamp and turning off the main light. He smiled as he felt Mike's gaze on him and Mike knew why but he did not stop looking at him because they were finally alone.

"Do I look good?" Will took the edge of the T-shirt between his fingers so he could show the print to Mike as if he didn't know it by heart.

"You do, I could almost gift it to you"

They both laughed as Will joined him under the covers.

"You do know that many of your clothes ended up in my closet, right?"

Mike wrinkled his nose, feeling light-headed for the first time.

"I know, I know, I remember when your mom used to pick them up"

Will laid his head on the pillow without stopping smiling.

"And we used to go to your basement and play"

"Yeah I remember"

Memories swept over both of them simultaneously as they lay facing each other. He had never noticed how close they really were. Their hands were resting on the mattress, maybe two inches apart, he could have held his hand.

Will found the courage Mike had been looking for all day.

His fingers intertwined Mike’s, they held hands under the sheets but neither of them looked at their hands, they both looked at each other and it was nice, it was really nice. Mike wanted nothing more at that moment.

He felt his stomach churn as he looked at Will's lips, maybe there was actually something he wanted more than to hold Will's hand. When he looked back into his eyes he noticed that in fact the boy in his bed had his gaze on his lips as well. He watched his pupils dilate as a dim light illuminated the features of his face. Mike wanted to press his lips to his skin, to his flushed cheeks, to the tip of his nose, he wanted to kiss the moles on his neck, his jaw much more pronounced than when he was a child, he wanted to kiss him.

He sighed at those thoughts because as beautiful as they were they were thoughts accompanied by other thoughts, the other thoughts were more like suffocating, invasive thoughts. Part of his mind seemed to say you are a boy and so is he, this is not allowed, you are way too far from allowed things.

He squinted his eyes as if he could stop thinking but that's not how it works. When he opened them again Will still had that look, that look of someone who wants to be kissed and Mike wanted to kiss him, he wanted it so badly but he felt he couldn't.

"Mike…"

"Oh God I forgot to do something, here I..uhm I'll be right back hey don't fall asleep" pronounced Mike quickly and Will parted his lips but then smiled shortly after.

"It's okay" he said only pulling his hand away from his.

The magic was over and Mike had messed up because he was a mess. He walked smilingly out of the room and once the door was closed he walked to the kitchen. He sank his face into his hands regretting every gesture he had made in the last few hours, feeling like a coward and feeling confused, terribly confused.

"Shit, shit, shit" he sank his fingers into his hair, trying to regularize his breathing.

The kitchen was dark, only the range hood light was on, Karen used to leave it on in case someone had to drink in the middle of the night. In the distance in the living room Joyce was asleep but fortunately she was too far away to hear his exasperation.

Only when he calmed down he was able to take a better look around, to focus on a figure a few steps away from the refrigerator. Nancy held a glass of water in her fingers and watched him with a raised eyebrow.

“Shit..” Mike added, remaining motionless in front of his sister.

"What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing?"

God how he was regretting coming out of his room.

"Oh cmon What's going on with you and Will? And more importantly, why did you literally run out of your room?"

Mike's eyes went wide as soon as he heard her mention the fateful name, all the while Nancy had poured water into another glass and brought it to her brother.

"Sh!" said Mike under his breath, pointing in the distance to the place where Joyce was sleeping.

Nancy followed where Mike was pointing with her eyes, with a nod she invited him to follow her to the stairs where she sat down in the dark. He settled on the blue carpeted floor and took a sip from the glass sensing in the air a kind of agitation.

"Are you going to tell me?"

Mike took a deep breath and nodded slowly. Usually he and Nancy did not confide in each other at all, but evidently the situation was so desperate that he didn't know what else to do but talk to someone.

"You know when you feel like you really want to do something but you can't, you feel stuck because you feel that you’re not allowed to? I mean I really want to explain to this person how I feel and why I feel this way. I wanna tell them everything but I feel like I can't.."

Mike looked up at his sister and she nodded, with her free hand she laid her fingers on his shoulder.

"You can tell me anything"

"Can I really?"

Nancy nodded again, moving a strand of hair behind her ear.

"The fact is, I don't know if the person in question wants to...and even if they do, what happens if then the people around us don't...don't want to?"

Nancy laid her hand on Mike's back and stroked it gently. There was absolute silence around them, and even though they had been sitting on the stairs for a handful of minutes it seemed like an eternity.

"Mike, if you feel like you have to do something, you want to do something, if you feel it inside you, in your mind, in your heart, in your bones, if you feel the need to get close to this person, just do it. You have to do it, you can't keep everything inside, you have to try"

Nancy's voice was calm, her thin fingers still on her younger brother's back. Her words certainly did not bring a concrete solution to his problems however maybe they gave him some courage. Nancy was not so bad after all.

"Thank you" Mike merely said.

The two got up and after putting down their glasses they found themselves in front of the stairs.

"Wait...where are you going?" asked Mike upon seeing his sister walking toward the basement.

Oh no. The smirk on her face was enough to let him know where she was headed. His sister laid a finger on her lips to intimate him not to say anything about it and smiled. Mike sighed softly and turned to go back to his room but was stopped by her voice.

"Good luck with Will”

"Yeah, thanks" he turned again and opened his eyes wide as he realized the words that had come out of his sister's mouth and even worse, the words that had come out of his own mouth "Wait, what?"

"Sleep well, Mike"

A few more steps and there was the dreaded door to his room. Will was in bed, Mike stood at the doorway of the room a little longer but in any case the boy in his bed was turned away and Mike was unable to tell if he was asleep or not. He gently closed the door and settled under the covers, Will had his head resting on the pillow and his eyes closed. Maybe he waited for him and finally fell asleep because Mike didn't have the courage to come back, he kept feeling like a coward.

Will had an angelic face and a relaxed expression, Mike remembered well all those nights when Will had nightmares and Mike was there next to him, to give him support, holding him and making sure he was okay, that everything was okay. He turned to the opposite side and looked at the landscape outside the window, the tree branches were moving slightly because of the wind, the night was really beautiful, not a single cloud in the sky, just the incredibly bright moon.

Maybe the moon was also as lonely as he was, not that he was alone, not at that moment, Will was close, if he moved his leg he could touch his, he felt him close but also felt him far away. He sighed audibly and that sigh in the silence of the night seemed almost amplified.

"Asleep?" Will's sleepy voice indicated that he had woken him up, perhaps he had moved between the covers or perhaps it was his own heavy breathing, way too heavy.

"No"

There was no use pretending anyway, especially with Will, however, at least he could avoid his gaze a little longer, he could stare at the window and be content with his voice.

Will sighed and Mike felt him terribly close -he actually was- but as Nancy had said, Mike felt in his mind, heart, and bones that he wanted him closer than that.

"I'm sorry about before"

"You don't have to apologize"

"it's just that we were so close and shit, I don't know what happened to me"

Mike felt himself flaming and knew that if he looked in the mirror he would be as red as a tomato. Will hesitated, he actually didn't speak for minutes that seemed endless then Mike thought he felt the mattress move, maybe Will was moving.

"And you don't want? You don’t want us to be close?"

"What? Yes! Yes I do!"

Silence, Will was probably planning to drive him crazy, wasn't he?

Will did not add anything else but leaned in close to Mike to wrap an arm around his waist, he felt his chest against his own back, their legs intertwined. Mike remained still, perhaps stiffening so much that Will began to doubt the gesture he had surely made without much thought.

"Is this okay?” whispered the boy who was now holding him, and Mike entwined his hand with his, bringing them to his own chest where his heart was beating in an irregular rhythm.

He literally felt his heart in his throat, he felt himself burn in Will's arms, his hand was resting on his chest, Will's fingers were on his skin and God how he had wanted them on his skin. He felt like he was in heaven only it was all real, all incredibly real.

Mike wasn't actually sure yet what was stirring inside him, what kind of hurricane was sweeping over him in Will's vicinity but he knew he was okay and that at least for the moment, that was enough, being okay with Will.

"I'm sorry for everything"

"Mike, you don't have to"

Mike squinted his eyes and tried to sleep but nothing seemed to help him in that intent.

"I just wish I could be alone with you"

There, he had said it. He had dropped the bombshell. There was no turning back now, now he just had to go forward. It almost felt like his legs were shaking, even he did not believe he had been able to say such a thing, it was surreal. That newfound courage had certainly been unexpected, but even more unexpected was Will's response.

"We are alone now"

Mike wished he could have turned around and looked into his eyes, he wished he could have admired his expression at that moment. Will's breath against his own neck did not make him think straight; he had to try to regain his train of thought before letting words escape his own lips.

"Not enough"

"What do you mean?"

"My parents are in the next room, Holly's in the room in front of our, Nancy and your brother are in my basement doing who knows what" when we could be there, kissing, he thought, but he obviously didn't say it "We are not really alone, the house is full and I, I need to be alone with you"

So many unspoken words in Mike Wheeler's mind, words left hanging in the air that separated him and Will. I wish I could taste you, I wish I could stroke your hair, I wish I could touch your back, your arms, your legs, I wish I could memorize every detail of you more than I already do, I wish but I can't.

Mike turned around because he needed to see Will's expression, more to see if everything he had just said had just ruined their friendship or even his reputation.

Will was just as beautiful as he had imagined, hair tousled, a sleepy look on his face and a smile on his lips as he continued to hold his hand on Mike's chest.

"What do you think they're doing in the basement?"

"Will! Gross!"

Will chuckled, smirking to Mike and then running a hand through his hair, now that he could do so, now that the wall that initially separated them was falling down, piece by piece. Mike thought that perhaps raising barriers against Will and his own feelings had been futile.

"For the record, I don't like having my hair touched" the black-haired boy sentenced "but I let you do it" he then added, curving the corners of his mouth upward in a smile.

"Because I’m special"

"Yes, you are"

They looked at each other for a few minutes thinking about what they wanted to do but could not, not at that time or in that way.

Mike printed a kiss on Will's jaw that was enough to set his cheeks on fire, the red color could be seen even in the dark of the night.

"Turn around, cmon" Mike said.

And Will did, Mike moved closer to him and wrapped his hand around his waist sinking his face into the crook of his neck to gently rub the nose against his skin before settling back on the pillow.

"Better?" he asked therefore bringing their bodies together.

"Better. Good night Mike"

"Good night Will"

Chapter Text

Faint morning light filtered through the curtains and penetrated inside the room. The two boys were still deep in sleep, the tangle of sheets twisted around their entwined legs. Will kept his head on Mike's slowly rising and falling chest, his hand gently clasped around his side while the black-haired boy had his arm around Will's torso holding him close. Heavy breathing, sighs dictated by sleep, lots of free space in the bed.

When Mike opened his eyes he tried to focus on Will's face, which looked incredibly relaxed and serene, and Mike felt guilty for waking up, as if he had somehow broken the spell that had been created between them the night before. Since the boy on top of him was still asleep he took the opportunity to study the features of his face; his cheeks were slightly flushed even in his sleep, and Mike liked to think that that blush was due to their proximity. Then again, Mike's body was not immune either, feeling Will so close made him feel drunk, made his head spin, made him want to kiss him. And there was no use denying it because he had admitted to himself that he wanted to kiss him, that he had to kiss him. He did not care anymore about the things allowed and not allowed, in fact, he had almost found relish and comfort in that whole sphere of what’s not allowed.

He froze when Will stirred slightly in his sleep, as if he had read his mind. Ever since they were little Mike had always thought about it, often Will would complete his sentences, often they would understand each other without letting a word escape their lips.

With his fingertips he touched his own shirt, which, however, was now worn by the boy in his bed, Will's scent now mingled with his own. If Will had been a season, according to Mike it would have been autumn, those colors so warm that they conveyed comfort, a sense of relaxation, Will reminded him of the cascade of orange leaves on the asphalt roads, the scent of candles that filled Byers house, the woolen blankets inside Castle Byers, the nights watching horror movies, two little boys hugging in front of the fireplace.

Mike let his fingers slide to Will's back, he tried to stay relaxed against the pillow even as he slipped his hand under his shirt to gently stroke his back, sensing the spine under his own touch.

"Mike"

Mike stopped whatever movement he was making and stood as still as a statue, he tried to look around but Will's face was right there in front of him, two inches from his own and he did not know how to ignore his sleepy eyes that now scrutinized him.

"Good morning" he said pretending to be calm, even straining to hint at a smile.

"Good morning, Mike"

"Did you sleep well?"

“Very well”

Will was awake, he was awake and he was in his own arms, comfortable in the bubble that was Mike's room, they were so close, so close to each other and everything felt incredibly right for some reason.

"Maybe because of me" Mike ironized, turning a smirk on Will with what last bit of courage he had left.

As he maintained eye contact he regretted saying that sentence but fortunately Will -as always- made him feel he was in the right place at the right time.

"Maybe you're right" he smiled, "Like when we were kids"

Mike wished he could have caressed his cheek as he continued to look into his eyes like that, he seemed to think about it far too much, he didn't know what to do and Will, he was there and he hadn't moved, he didn't want to move away from his arms. He lowered his gaze to his lips and was forced to look away soon after to try to curb his instincts. Eventually Will got up stretching between the covers as his friend looked at him, still with his head on the pillow. You look beautiful, Mike wanted to say.

"I'm incredibly hungry" he said instead.

Will opened his mouth as if to say something dropping his eyes to Mike's lips, but turned away as soon as someone started knocking on the door, Mike pulled himself up slightly with his upper body, after all whoever was behind that door could just as easily come in right? They had nothing to hide the two of them, they were simply in the same bed but now they were far apart and Mike did not understand why, however he felt his pulse quicken.

"Yeah?" he said in a voice laced with sleep while rubbing his eyes.

"Sorry to have disturbed you two! I just wanted to see if you were still alive, since it's 2 p.m. and we haven't heard from you since yesterday" Nancy's voice behind the door was ironic and Mike could imagine her expression.

He exchanged a glance with Will and then smiled.

"Coming”

Will didn’t mind about leaving the room in his pajamas while Mike was forced to put on a T-shirt and a pair of shorts because it would not have been a good idea to swoop in his underwear while everyone was there.

The smell of pancakes still lingered in the air even though by now they had probably all eaten lunch, Mike obviously didn't care that he had skipped breakfast or even lunch, nothing was more important anyway than being squeezed into Will between the sheets of his bed, which now seemed to belong to him as well.

The table was mainly cleared but his mother had taken care to leave a plate of pancakes and maple syrup for the two sleepyheads, in the armchair his father was reading a newspaper, if Will had not been there, Mike would have been lost in quickly reading the main headlines but his head was clouded by one thought, spending time with his friend.

As he sank his fork into the soft pancake he pondered that word, that word that turned out to be so simple to say but hard to define, it was probably actually a word that generated comfort in him, he liked to think that he was Will's friend, he liked to think that he felt the need to be around him because they were friends, although in the last few hours that thought had been more of a twist, because friends do not feel like kissing, it wasn’t allowed.

So what were he and Will? He kept feeling his every certainty crumble under the weight of that question because maybe the answer was easy to find and it was inside him but for the moment Mike was not ready to dig that deep inside himself and so calling Will his friend made him feel safe. It was allowed. Perhaps someday he would be able to shed light on their relationship but for now, to avoid a panic attack, he decided to stick to the definition of friends. Will was his friend. And he wanted to kiss his friend, his best friend, that’s it.

Driven by the intensity of those thoughts he looked up at Will's lips, too focused on enjoying his breakfast-lunch to realize Mike's eyes. When he was with El he didn't want to kiss her so much, he liked kissing her, they were gentle kisses, maybe obvious kisses, maybe a kind of formality, but he had never felt the way he felt in Will's presence. All he had to do was look at him to think about what it would be like to kiss him but then a feeling would flare up in him, the feeling that those were wrong thoughts and so he would try to chase them away and convince himself that it would never happen.

"Sleep well?" said Mrs. Wheeler as she entered the kitchen interior.

Mike only flushed at that question, out of the corner of his eye he looked at his friend realizing that he too was blushing in the process. He nodded, trying to avoid his mother's gaze as he helped her clear the table.

"I haven't slept this well in years" Will added, taking his plate in his hands and casting a glance at Mike as if to say I haven't slept this well since the last time we slept together.

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Will, you know you're always welcome here" said Mike's mom smiling "Mike, me, your dad and Holly are going to take a ride to the mall, do you guys need anything?" she then said referring to Mike.

"I don't think so, no" he hated spending time with his family, mainly because of the relationship between his father and mother.

"Uhm, where’s my mom?" asked Will while looking around with a confused expression.

"Oh" Karen smiled as she poured coffee into a small cup before turning to Will "I think she went out with Hopper. But don't worry, your brother is watching a movie with Nancy in the basement so if you need anything he is there and of course you can ask us too"

Will nodded and smiled. Mike went to sit on the couch and the boy followed him sitting at a proper distance as if everything that had happened the night before had already vanished, just like a spell. Mike barely tilted his head so he could get a better look at his figure and realized that Will's eyes were already on him. Praying not to blush he hinted an awkward, decidedly embarrassed smile before inviting him to stand up with a nod.

"Shall we go see what movie they're watching? Maybe we'll join in"

And Will smiled as he thought about the pecedent evening, Mike couldn't help but hint at a slight laugh, not wanting to get too out of line in front of his parents even though they were about to leave the house.

After waving goodbye and watching the three of them walk out the front door Mike burst out laughing and Will did the same, bringing a hand to his stomach as he laughed out loud.

"God, I hope they're not-"

"Sh!" Mike interrupted him without stopping laughing, bringing a hand over Will's mouth to shut him up.

Was that necessary? No but Mike wanted to touch him and any excuse was good for a little physical contact. When they calmed down from their laughter they got up from the couch to head for the basement, actually along the staircase silence reigned so maybe they were not watching a movie.

"Yuck, when I think of my sister like that I feel sick" whispered Mike in Will's ear before they reached their destination.

"Gross, so gross"

"Yeah gross"

"Yeah.."

"I mean.." Mike froze nervously running his fingers over the sweatpants he was wearing "Gross because it's about them..I mean..."

"Let's go" Will cut it short, now with totally red cheeks, he overtook him but froze just because at the end of the stairs were Nancy and his brother.

Jonathan had his backpack on his shoulders and awkwardly waved to his little brother, Nancy also had a bag in her hands, she was busy looking for a set of keys among the various junk she kept inside.

"Are you going out?" asked Mike, feeling his pulse quicken just at the thought of what would happen next.

"Yes, it's a nice day, we were thinking of going to the park, do you want to come?" asked Jonathan.

Mike looked behind him where his sister now held a set of keys in her hand, evidently he had zapped her with his gaze since she picked up on what he was trying to tell her without speaking.

"Oh I think they'd be bored" she said smiling sweetly with a pointed look at her younger brother, "Mike, sorry, can I please borrow that thing?"

"Wha..what thing?"

Evidently the expression on Mike's face was so confused that even Will furrowed his brow, as if he was actually curious about what was being talked about.

"That thing, come on"

The Byers remained on the stairs, Mike saw them talking and smiling, they were probably talking about Joyce, and Mike felt a knot in his stomach thinking about Joyce, consequently thinking about Hopper and inevitably thinking about El, whom he should have talked to but did not feel at all ready to do so.

He followed Nancy as far as he could from the two boys and crossed his arms over his chest, knowing perfectly well what would come out of her lips.

"Remember what I told you"

Her gaze was sweet, caring, Mike thought that if Will and Jonathan were not in the same room as them, he probably would have hugged her. He said nothing because the words died on the tip of his tongue, he just nodded and went back to the other two.

In a few moments Jonathan and Nancy left the house and it seemed to Mike that the world collapsed under his feet. He had made no secret of his desire to be alone with him, and yet that moment had come, and Mike did not know what to do about it. The knot in his throat had overwhelmed him as soon as the front door had closed. The world outside, the two of them inside. Will seemed on the surface to be calmer, but Mike knew that his stomach was literally upside down as well. He could tell by the way his hands fidgeted and the way he let his gaze slide to every corner of the house but avoided Mike’s.

Mike had been standing motionless in the middle of the hall, his arms along his sides and his head in the clouds. Will had sat on the couch and now Mike could see him nervously rubbing his hands on his pajama pants.

"Uhm maybe I should get dressed" the bowl-cut boy finally said, daring to look up.

Mike maintained eye contact unable to help but smile as he saw a slight blush appear on Will's cheeks, he felt the same way and it was nice to know he wasn't the only one hyperventilating in the house. He realized too late that he was staring at his friend, so he was forced to look away, hoping not to blush.

"I don't know...I mean do you remember when we used to spend whole days in our pajamas?"

Will's eyes lit up as he heard those words come out of his friend's mouth. After all, Mike didn't mind at all seeing Will walking around the house in his pajamas.

"And when it rained we would make a fort in your basement and read comic books or listen to music" Will added as he got up from the couch.

Now that he was in front of him Mike again felt that chill go through his back, the chill he only felt with Will.

Suddenly an idea hit him full force and he seemed - for a moment - to come to his senses.

"By the way, you need to listen to this song I discovered” it makes me think of you, of us, he wanted to say.  “I'm sure you'll like it" he said all in one breath and then turned a smile to Will, and he smiled.

Without saying anything he turned on his heels and sprinted into the basement making sure to let Will walk past him and close the door, even though they were alone. Mike took the walkman from a cabinet and rummaged through the drawer for a few seconds looking for the desired cassette. While he was looking for it he occasionally looked up at Will, who was sitting on the couch with his knees to his chest and a relaxed expression. They looked at each other for a split second, and the tension seemed to turn solid the moment their irises met. Mike watched Will's pupils dilate and thought that if they had not been separated by a handful of feet he would have kissed him at that precise moment. However, he bent his gaze again to return to what, in his mind, he was allowed to do. To return to his search.

He finally found the desired object and slipped the cassette into the walkman before slinging himself with little grace between the cushions of the couch Will was sitting on, inevitably bumping his knee against his leg. They both burst out laughing, and even as Mike settled back as best he could on the couch, their legs continued to touch a little more. The dark-haired boy took the headphones and put them on Will, doing his best to touch his soft hair.

Will laid his head against the back of the sofa and relaxed his shoulders against it to listen to Billy Joel's This is the Time. Mike had his torso turned slightly toward him and watched every perceptible movement to make sure the boy was enjoying that song. Mike knew it by heart as he knew Will.

As the latter drummed his fingers against his pants following the rhythm of the song Mike let his gaze slide over his hand. He swallowed hard, trying to find the courage somewhere to take his hand but not finding it.

Did you know that before you came into my life
Some kind of miracle that I survived
Some day we will both look back
And have to laugh
We lived through a lifetime
And the aftermath

Mike silently placed his hand on Will's leg, a few inches from his fingers. Will instinctively opened his eyes and parted his lips, lowered his gaze to their hands so close, to Mike's fingers on his own leg, and sighed softly. That sigh was enough for Mike to melt. He moistened his lips by passing the tip of his tongue over them as his hand slowly moved closer to his and finally Mike met Will’s hazel eyes.

This is the time to remember
'Cause it will not last forever
These are the days
To hold on to
'Cause we won't
Although we want to

Can I?, he wanted to ask him, but he didn't because Will's gaze alternated perhaps too quickly from Mike's dark eyes to his lips, Mike felt Will's gaze on his own lips and wondered how he had managed to last so long without placing them on his mouth.

This is the time
But time is gonna change
I know we've got to move somehow
But I don't want to lose you now

The urge to get closer enveloped him like a cloud of smoke, there would be so many things to say but maybe for that the time would come in the future, the only thing Mike wanted to do was to feel him close and to do that he had to silence all those fears in his own head that were suffocating him.

Sometimes it's so easy
To let a day
Slip on by
Without even seeing each other at all
But this is the time you'll turn back and so will I
And those will be the days you can never recall

He cleared his throat as he finally went to intertwine his own fingers with Will's, curved his lips into a sweet smile trying to hide the nervousness that had taken hold of him. Will's hand was warm and reminded him of home because home for Mike was not Hawkins, it was not his bedroom with Will's drawings on the wall, it was not the basement where they had played dnd countless times. Home, for Mike, was Will. And his life was so connected to Will that he never realized before how much Will's influence was everything to him.

And so we embrace again
Behind the dunes
This beach is cold
On winter afternoons
But holding you close is like holding the summer sun
I'm warm from the memory of days to come

A sincere, perhaps slightly embarrassed smile formed on the face of the boy with headphones on his head, above this his red cheeks and shiny eyes were framed by his neatly combed hair.

Mike stroked the back of Will's hand with his thumb as he searched his own head for the right words to say. He could not find them.

This is the time
But time is gonna change
You've given me the best of you
But now I need the rest of you

Mike sank his teeth into his lower lip exerting perhaps too much pressure, Will's gaze landed on his mouth and did not leave until the boy let out another sigh. Yet another sigh that sent Mike out of his mind.

At this point the song had ended and the silence had become oppressive, despite this, the two boys could not for any reason take their eyes off each other. So much to say but perhaps no need to do so. They had always understood each other without speaking; that moment was yet another confirmation of that. A mutual agreement established without speaking to each other, just exchanging glances more intense than a thousand words. Mike and Will were also this. They were silence and they were noise. They were nothing and everything.

Will took off his headphones and put them down on the couch but immediately returned to look at his friend.

"I don’t like it, I love it" he said in a low, gentle tone of voice.

if I don't do it now, I never will, Mike thought before finally deciding to trust his heart for once.

“Will”

Will blinked as if waiting for more words to come out of Mike's mouth, when Mike did not parry Will squeezed Mike's hand further as if to say I am here, with you. And we are in this together.

“Mike”

His name said by Will had a different sound, sometimes sounding sweeter, sometimes more bitter. He sighed softly as he alternated his gaze one last time from their hands to Will's face focusing on his big eyes he had always loved and his lips. His lips looked so soft.

“I want to…”

Mike squeezed his eyelids shut and hated himself for not being able to say those words, those words that he felt so true inside his heart, however, he could not understand why fear would not let him go. He tried to speak again.

“I….I want to..” kiss you, to hold you, to know that you are mine.

Will looked patient but his gaze hid so much hope, and Mike could feel his heart beating in his chest at an abnormal rate.

"Then do it" Will said, lowering his gaze to Mike's lips in case the boy didn't understand.

And Mike finally did. He laid his free hand on Will's soft cheek, tilted his head to one side and went to zero in on the distance of the two, when his lips touched Will's he felt as if he were invaded by a jolt of electricity, he felt as if he had touched heaven with his finger, or rather with his lips. He tried to silence the beating of his heart and the thoughts in his own head for a moment to enjoy the kiss.

Will initially appeared as still as a statue but within seconds he let himself go because of that kiss that-evidently-he also wanted more than anything else. He squinted his eyes and brought his lips to Mike's; Mike did not care about his eventual inexperience and Will knew that. He would never tell him specifically, but Mike quivered at the thought of being Will’s first kiss. Will's tapering fingers found their way to Mike's dark hair, the latter relaxed at the feel of Will's fingertips against his own skin, that slow and gentle kiss seemed to say so many things, seemed to sum up in one gesture everything they had never had the courage to say in all the years they had spent together, seemed to be the culmination of that feeling that had grown with them and had varied over time.

Mike was the first to break off the kiss, just as he had begun it. Immediately he wasted no time and shifted his attention to the boy in front of him, Will's eyes shone, his irises looked like precious stones, and Mike had not yet realized what he had just done but felt as if he were in a totally different reality, a reality where those things that in normal life seemed forbidden to him were possible. They both tried to catch their breath without taking their hands off each other, Mike gently stroked Will's cheek with his fingertips, Will's hands were instead firmly in Mike's hair. And Mike would not let anyone touch his hair like that but Will. From his own lips he let out a sigh, finding himself once again looking at Will's mouth and then at his eyes, with his gaze he hoped to convey his own feelings to him.

Did I do the right thing? Did you want that too? What about now? What will change? These were all questions that were driving him crazy but at that moment any words could be put off until later because everything he needed was there in front of him.

"Mike"

Yes, please say it again, Mike thought as he saw Will's slightly flushed lips and thought that he was the one who had made them that way.

"Hmm?"

"Can you.."

Will's hand moved to Mike's neck, his touch seemed to provoke tiny electric shocks, his fingertips on his own skin unable to make Mike think straight. All his mind could formulate was a desire to want more, to want more from Will, another kiss, another touch, just to make sure he was not dreaming this and that it was real, every single gesture between them was as real and their feelings were real.

Mike moved his face slightly closer to Will's and hinted a sincere smile before moistening his lips, Will sighed letting his hand slide over Mike's face tracing the trail of freckles on the boy's cheeks with his fingertips and then lingering his thumb on Mike's lower lip. Mike left a kiss on his finger and smiled again.

"Can I?" he asked in a slightly defiant tone as if to say tell me what you want, tell me what you want from me and I swear I'll accommodate you, Will, ask me anything, for you I would do anything.

"Do it again"

"Do what?"

Will looked up at Mike, and this time he was the one who drew Mike's face toward him, and Mike certainly did not flinch when Will placed his hand on his neck to ask for another kiss.

The mouths of both met again and this time with less fear, no uncertainty, just the desire to belong to each other in that kiss, faces tilted, eyes closed, breaths uneven, lips red. The kiss was deepened more and more,  Mike loved driving Will, showing him what he liked, teaching him how to kiss, he liked it because Will listened and learned and he did he was so good at it. His scent was everywhere, invading his nostrils, enveloping his body, Mike brought one hand to Will's back and Will placed his own on Mike's leg exerting gentle pressure, both of them found it impossible to take their hands off each other, to stop touching each other, and both of them seemed to have the need and desire to be as close as possible.

Mike's fingers slipped under Will's shirt -which was actually his own- and stroked his back and then brushed his hips. Will's lips were soft and gentle, he loved kissing him.

They were forced apart just enough to catch their breath, their chests rising and falling at the same time as they tried to regularize their breaths.

They looked at each other again, they both knew they would still have to talk about it but they also knew that that moment would soon be over and they had to make the most of it. To Mike, normality had never been scary, he found comfort in everything he knew well and discouragement in what took him out of his bubble, the bubble he had created as a result of all the events of the past.

"Can I touch you?.." came out of Will's mouth as a whisper and Mike nodded with perhaps too much speed.

"Yes, please" he said therefore before biting his lower lip sensing Will so close to him.

"And can I kiss you?" Will's voice was slightly hoarse, his hair tousled and his lips red from kissing made him irresistible in Mike's eyes.

"Yeah"

Please take charge, I could go crazy right now, Mike thought. And probably his sanity was jeopardized at that very moment because Will -seized by a mysterious courage- did not hesitate to place his hand on Mike's chest and kiss his lips again but this time as soon as Mike went to kiss him back, Will moved away and smiled. The boy brushed Mike's lips with his own before leaving a trail of kisses on his cheeks, on his freckles, on his jaw.

"Will..." Mike sighed, exaggeratedly appreciating those attentions.

He wished he'd never stop. Will's lips descended to Mike's neck where they left a few moist kisses. Mike stroked Will's hair, letting his fingers run through the various strands. This is heaven, he thought.

He took advantage of the fact that he still had his hands on Will's hips to draw him in. Closer and closer to kiss him again. He would never get tired of him or his kisses, he would never get tired of his scent or even his touch. He wanted to stay like this forever but as usual everything had an end and even that moment so intense between them was forced to end. Will remained on Mike’s lap for a few more seconds, although they both heard the sound of the car parking in the driveway. They looked at each other for moments that seemed immense, as if to take a mental photograph of that moment to remember it in the future.

When this won’t be possible, Mike thought, I will think of nothing else but you. And in the process he stroked Will's tousled hair and delighted in the warmth emanating from his body and the flush of his cheeks. Eventually Will went back to sit on the couch, Mike sank his face into his hands to recover and especially to prepare himself psychologically to meet his family after an hour of intense kissing with his best friend. He still felt like a mess, but he felt right, he felt relieved and not only because Will reciprocated but also because stifling his feelings had always been simply pointless and the clearest demonstration was just that.

Will tried to avoid his gaze as he absentmindedly played with the cassette of the song they had heard earlier.

"I think your parents are here" he finally said, and Mike nodded.

He couldn't afford to let that intense atmosphere of a few moments earlier die just like that; he couldn't take any steps back.

"Did you like it?" he asked as he looked at the cassette in Will's hands and Will turned red in the face "the song, I mean" Mike then added, knowing that he had already been misunderstood.

He let out a laugh from his own lips and went to wrap an arm around Will's shoulders to pull him closer to him, after all, the desire to feel him close certainly had not gone away.

"Very much" Will said as he laid his hand on Mike's thigh and rested his head on his shoulder before resuming speaking, "although I liked what happened next better"

Mike swore he saw a smile appear on Will's lips and hoped that he did not blush too much at those words.

"Will"

"Mike"

Now they were both looking into each other's eyes as if they could read each other's souls.

I love you, Mike wanted to say.

Will probably would have wanted to say it too but it was not the right time and that was okay, maybe in the future they would be able to say it out loud but both were now aware of the feelings they had. Feelings that Mike could no longer ignore or lock away in the furthest part of his mind, if he wanted to be okay he had to accept and embrace them.

They didn't say I love you to each other that day, not with words, they said it to each other with looks and yet another kiss on the lips before the basement door opened.

Whoever opened it stood motionless in front of the staircase and they remained silent.

"Guys, it's Nancy, I'm on my way down, right now, I don't want to disturb, I’m coming" she warned them.

Mike tried to hold back a laugh but Will could not and burst out laughing at the precise instant Mike's sister reached them.

"I'll take Jonathan's things and take them to my room" the girl said, raising her hands as if to apologize in advance for that intrusion.

Mike knew his sister and could tell by the way she pressed her lips that she was trying not to smile. Fortunately -or unfortunately- Will got up from the couch that suddenly appeared cold without his body next to him.

"I think it's time for me to get dressed" he said before turning a glance to Mike and climbing the stairs.

Mike followed him with his gaze until his figure disappeared and he relaxed on the back of the sofa.

"So…" said Nancy as she approached the sofa while holding Jonathan's backpack in her hands "I won't tell you anything, I won't ask anything but..I mean..."

It came naturally to Mike to smile, curving upward both corners of his mouth into a grin.

"What?"

"I know, and I’m happy for you"

Mike imagined that it wasn't very difficult, especially for Nancy who was always watching everything, he knew he was red in the face and he knew his hair was messed up, he knew he had a dreamy smile on his face and he knew Will was in the exact same condition as him.

"I know you know"

He smiled at her and she did the same before returning to her room.

With effort Mike got up from the couch, from the place where everything had happened, and headed to his room where he found Will intent on preparing the necessary things to take a shower.

"Hi" he whispered, closing the door behind them and leaning against it.

"Hi" Will replied, smiling broadly at him before catching up with him and resetting the distance between the two of them to zero.

Maybe someday, Mike thought as he wrapped his arms around Will's waist and basked in his scent mingled with his own, maybe someday I will tell you.