MIKE POV-

After what he just witnessed, the ravenette secured his seat in the cafeteria, lunch tray in hand as he settled beside his friends. Dustin, Lucas, Max, El and Suzie chatted amongst one another lost in conversation. He sat beside Dustin, opposite El with a small unbothered expression on his face. The cafeteria was bustling with people as the Party greeted him, noting his mood but not mentioning it; it was standard, he's been in a bad mood recently.

"Hey Wheeler!" Max was the first to greet him, moving her red hair out of her face while she ate,

"We thought you were skipping again!" Lucas suggested.

"Or in D&D with Eddie." Dustin added, taking a bite of his food.

"Nope! Nope!" The tall boy dismissed, "Just using the bathroom." he lied, not wanting to tell the rest of the group what he saw from Troy and James, he knew how they get when that happens.

Mike managed a half-hearted smile, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of Will and Robin; hearing the click of his tray hit the table.

He settled in his seat, poking around peas on his tray as El animatedly spoke before him; he always found that side of her endearing, she always knew how to brighten his mood whenever he was feeling weird. She chatted with him about her art class and the quirky antics of her friend, Jennifer.

"You won't believe what Jen did today in class!" the doe-eyed girl paused for a second, taking a sip of her grape juice, "She spilled paint all over her canvas and it actually turned into an abstract masterpiece."

The ravenette laughed, feeling enthusiastic as his girlfriend retold stories and engaged in light-hearted banter.

El then turned her attention to Max and Suzie, planning a 'girls trip' as Dustin and Lucas spoke about the D&D meet this Thursday; they tried to engage Mike into the conversation but the ravenette's eyes drifted, his mood souring upon seeing Robin and Will stumble into the cafeteria, their laughter and playful remarks turning heads. It was as if they were surrounded by a flirtatious energy; it had been two days and Mike was tired of seeing them.

Approaching the table, the group greeted the pair, "Oh hey Robin! Nice to see you again." Suzie waved seeing the blue-eyed girl wave in return,

"Yeah, sit down with us" El added, patting the seat beside her.

"I wish I could stay, but I have band practice." the blue-eyed girl pouted, only seeming half-apologetic.

"Oh, maybe next time!" Max added

"Aww too bad," Mike muttered sarcastically, but silently loving the idea of her not being here.

Robin then turned to Will in a teasing smile, "I will see you, later!" she winked, poking a finger into his chest.

The small boy blushed from embarrassment, he exclaimed, "I miss you already!"

Mike narrowed his eyes as he observed the exchange; the teasing, the goofy smiles, the incoherent flirting. It all felt like some sort of language he was excluded from; it's not like he wanted to be the one flirting with Will, he just... didn't like being ignored.

"Get a room." the ravenette muttered under his breath, his words barely audible as he poked his fork into his fries; his frustration was undeniable. He watched Robin give Will a flying kiss before turning to leave for her band practice. It was a simple gesture, but stung Mike for some weird reason.

"Catch you later handsome." she tilted her head before leaving.

Will's cheeks tinted red, trying to hold in his laughter; he and Robin deciding to 'flirt' in public was the funniest thing ever and the brunette didn't know how much longer he could contain himself without bursting with laughter. He stared at her till she left; that's what couples do, right? Stare longingly at one another?

"Un-fucking-believable." the ravenette rolled his eyes.

As Robin left, Will finally took a seat beside Mike, his cheeks flushing with the jokes he and Robin shared earlier; they were really acting like a cringe couple.

Will settled in the seat, placing his packed lunch on the table. The ravenette immediately thought the brunette would be sad or annoyed, like he usually was after dealing with Troy and James,

"Hey, umm how are you feeling?" Mike asked, a tad of compassion in his voice.

"Oh," the small boy replied stunned, "Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" the small boy was doing amazingly despite the predicament he had on his way here. He didn't feel sad, this past weekend, although weird was something out of a novel: bad birthdays, coming out, fake-dating, embarrassing your bullies; it was something incredible! He wore a bright gleam on his face.

Mike on the other hand, seemed to be behaving peculiar, but nothing that was overt enough to anyone else to take immediate notice. Infact, he appeared to be making an effort to act normal. Yet, his interactions with Will were punctuated by strange pauses, awkward phrasing and weird ways of speaking.

The ravenette repeated his question concerned, now explaining himself, "I saw what happened with Troy and James. Is... everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm sure! Don't worry about that; Robin handled them." he nonchalantly replied

Mike couldn't help but wonder why he wasn't the one protecting Will, but he kept those feelings hidden; weird. But then Will quickly changed the subject, gushing over a new video game as the tall boy found his attention shifting once more, finding himself captivated by Will's expressive emotions,

"... Robin said the graphics are unbelievable! It's like you're actually in the game!" the brunette rambled.

As Will spoke, Mike couldn't help but stare intensely at the brunette; from the shimmering of his green eyes to the contours of his face, his moles and the curves of his lips; how had he never noticed before?

Mike's jealousy brewed inside of him; he used to be the one who made Will's face light up with such excitement. He used to be the person who helped against his bullies. He just wanted Will's undivided attention... that's what all best friends want, right?

But then the small boy's voice faltered, feeling the weight of Mike's gaze. His eyes could bore holes into him and... Will didn't mind. The ravenette's expression was intense, only causing a deep blush to creep across Will's cheeks, blushing furiously; his heart pounding in his chest, realising just how closely Mike was examining him.

"Um, M-Mike? Why are you... Why are you looking at me like that?" the small boy stammered. He was usually good at keeping his blushing and crush around Mike a secret but... not when he was being stared at like that.

"Oh, uh, sorry Will." Mike replied, "I just zoned out... you were just kinda rambling a lot." His tone rather dismissive and harsh.

The comment of being 'zoned out' stung; Will was excitedly talking but now he just felt a pang of sadness, "Oh, sorry, I guess I talk to much sometimes." he muttered, turning back to his packed lunch, suddenly losing his appetite. Will had a big crush on Mike and moments like this always stung more. He couldn't help but wonder if Mike could ever feel the same way about him... probably not.

Mike's heart sank upon witnessing the change in Will's demeanour. He realised it must have hurt Will by not listening; he was always acutely aware of the brunette's way of acting; he would always go quiet in these types of situations; he was embarrassed. No wonder Will liked Robin more; at least she didn't zone out when he was talking! With a heavy sigh, Mike told himself that he messed up, he couldn't bear seeing Will downcast.

"Hey, um," he nudged the brunette's side, "What were you saying about the game?"

"Oh... never mind." Will hesitated for a moment, his crush on Mike making it difficult to resist, but he decided to lie to protect himself from future potential rejection, "I can't even remember now. It's no big deal anyway!" he shrugged, taking another bite of his sandwich, not wanting this embarrassment to be prolonged any longer.

Mike felt a pang of disappointment but didn't press further; after all there was a lot more to discuss. Yet, he made a mental note to apologise to Will sometime; maybe later during movie night. But for now, he needed to act normal... that should be easy.

---- 7:30 PM ----

After the school day, the shadows disappeared as the sun hid behind the horizon. Although it was Monday, he had something to look forward to – a movie night with his closest friends. Mike eagerly prepared for the evening, and there was one thing that made him particularly excited; Robin wouldn't be attending.

He had mixed feelings about Robin's presence, mainly because of the way Will acted around her and the things he said about her; more confident, more... flirty. There was something unnerving about their interactions that left Mike uneasy; he didn't like the way Will was acting. He couldn't place his finger on why, but he knew it bothered him.

After school Mike ensured everything was perfect, he couldn't help thinking about Will. In a weird way he wanted to make a good impression on him tonight, to ensure their friendship remained strong and meaningful. He wanted to show he could be closer to Will then Robin ever could be.

Dustin, Lucas, Max and Suzie had already arrived, claiming their seats on the couch in Mike's basement, each sitting beside their respective significant other; Dustin and Suzie sitting on the couch while Lucas and Max shared a beanbag sitting on the floor; the redhead always said it was the most comfortable.

The ravenette rushed around the room, placing snacks, drinks and whatever else was needed on the old coffee table; now he just had to wait for El and Will! The group could tell of Mike's excitement about movie night; he always was. They playfully teased him about it; mostly Max and Lucas, their friendly banter adding to the pre-movie atmosphere.

Suddenly, the door rang, disturbing his state of mind. He shot up the stairs to answer it, almost tripping on one of Holly's toys that was left haphazardly in the middle of the room. When he opened the door, their stood his girlfriend, El, with a bright grin on her face.

"Hey El," Mike smiled,

The doe-eyed girl waved, her brown hair framing her face; a stunning vision of radiance and without hesitation, El leapt into the ravenette's arms, allowing their lips to meet in a loving kiss.

Breathless, they finally parted, and Mike, with his heart fluttering, couldn't help but ask, "Where's Will?"

El's laughter tickled the air around them, "Don't worry, they're coming!" she replied, her eyes sparkling mischievously, "You know Will, he's not exactly the fastest walker!"

Mike's brow furrowed with confusion, 'They'? Who's 'they'? His curiosity was piqued. He wasn't entirely sure who 'they' were... it was just supposed to be Will left from the Party, right?

The door was still swung open, awaiting the brunette's arrival through the door at any moment; he heard chuckling from outside getting closer to the doorstep; it was unmistakably Will's laugh.

His heart skipped a beat, in walked Will, his usually tussled hair, neatly combed, his steps unusually confident. But what truly caught his eye and sent a surge of emotions welling through mind was who was with him; he understood who the 'they' were now.

Will and... Robin. 

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1927 Words

Stay Safe <3