MIKE POV-

---- Two Weeks Later: Saturday 7:43 AM ----

"Do it with me too..." the brunette approached, his tone more determined than usual, "Kiss me, I mean,"

"What?" Mike stood underneath a swing set, his eyes wide.

"You kissed another boy, didn't you?" Will's voice was soft, almost teasing, but his gaze penetrating through the ravenette, as if staring into his soul, "Do it with me too."

[Urgent Mission: Kiss Will Byers]

Mike stumbled back, his mouth dry and his palms sweaty as the mission popped up before his eyes; how could it ask him to do that? And why wasn't he as annoyed as he'd thought he'd be? Mike spoke "That's not the point!" He gulped the lump in his throat, "You being a man isn't an issue, it's because it's you!" he stammered, unable to form a coherent thought. His heart racing with confusion and something else entirely.

But the brunette didn't stop, advancing even closer, his presence forcing the ravenette to sit down on the swing, holding the chain of the seat, trapping him in. The proximity was overwhelming as Will leaned closer, soft breaths against Mike's skin, his gaze fixed on the raven-haired boy's lips.

Mike felt frozen, he felt as if he had to push Will away, but all strength left his hands; the intensity of the moment consuming him. Their lips touched and then-

"This is crazy!" Mike exclaimed,

His vision was blurry, so he forced himself to blink; he was lying down on his bed staring up at the ceiling with Will nowhere in sight. "It was a dream!" Mike grumbled,

What kind of dream is that vivid? He couldn't understand why he could feel the kiss, remember the warmth of Will's breath and his own steady palms. He touched his lips with his fingers, feeling as if it was moulded around the brunette's mouth like two jigsaw pieces; blood rushed to Mike's cheeks, he was tired despite all the sleep he got; that dream really took it all out of him... but he couldn't help wonder, what would've happened if the dream continued?

He glanced at the clock – 8:01 AM; it was too early to get up for a weekend, but today wasn't just any normal weekend; it was the day of his and Will's adventure to the beach and theme-park... he was dreading it, but had to oblige because Will technically held up his end of the deal, he was being 'more' social than usual.

With a grunt, the ravenette pushed himself up from the bed, going to the bathroom and brushing his teeth; completing his daily routine as usual, even eating his breakfast and changing his clothes with diligence. Time ticked on, Mike was ready, but he hurried anyway.

The ravenette grabbed his pre-packed bag, slinging it over his shoulder as he made his way downstairs, "Nancy! I'm going!" he yelled one last time before grabbing his keys, leaving his house.

Closing the door behind him, he spot the brunette standing at the end of the driveway, his backpack fastened over both his shoulders. The moment Will saw Mike, his posture straightened up, offering a small smile and a wave, bashfully looking away. The early morning sunlight casted soft shadows on his face, making him look pure and innocent.

"What are you doing here?" Mike jogged over,

"I woke up early, so I came to get you." Will said with a warmth, jumping in his spot, clearly excited, "I was hoping we could walk to the bus station together."

"You're more responsible than me, huh?" Mike chuckled, "But thanks. Seriously." Will stood with a proud expression, like a puppy with his tail wagging behind him. "Let's go."

---- 9:23 AM ----

An hour into the coach drive, the vehicle rumbled along, following its route to the beach. Some time had passed since they boarded, the busy cityscape replaced by sprawling fields filled with cows, chickens and horses,

Mike sat next to the window; his gaze fixed on the phone that Will was holding up in front of him. The brunette was scrolling through messages, showing conversations he'd had with Dustin, Max and El, proving he had been in fact doing what Mike had asked him, 'to be more social', he really tried, just enough so Mike would notice and go on the trip,

The raven-haired boy nodded with each word, even though the texts consisted of one or two word sentences, but at least he was consistent. They weren't a lot by most people's standards, but the fact Will was sharing this much and talking about his text exchanges, was a big deal to him.

[Sub-Mission: Make Will Byers a Friend]

The pop up message reminded him of his current mission; it was clear Will didn't consider Dustin, El or Max real friends yet; it was still incomplete.

"Dustin sent me this meme, I didn't know what it meant at first, so I had to search it up." Will shuffled close, showing a goofy image the curly haired boy had forwarded, "He's been sending a lot."

"Yeah, he does that."

"Also, El and Max like to text me about art, it's fun... I guess." Will replied, flicking through his chats,

"Great job Will!" Mike reached out, ruffling Will's hair, "And I'm sure you were busy with art club too,"

The brunette nodded meekly, switching the app on his phone to the map app, "Looks like we got another hour and a half to go," he said, his voice soft.

The raven-haired boy shifted in his seat, a tad uncomfortable, "Oh really?" he replied, giving a quick smile, "By the way, why did you want to go to 'Upside-Down Land'?"

"Because you said you wanted to see the ocean," Will replied simple.

"I did? When?" Mike tilted his head.

"You mentioned it once. I remember,"

"Woah... I don't even remember that." Mike furrowed his brows in awe, "Do you even like the ocean?"

"It's not my favourite. The mountains are quieter and more peaceful, you know? But... I wanted to go because you seemed excited about it. You said you liked the beach, so... I wanted to be there with you."

Mike swallowed; Will only wanted to go because of him? He tried to brush off the sudden emotion welling up in his chest. "You're too nice sometimes, you know that?"

"I thought you said I was a brat?" Will teased,

"You still are..." The ravenette bit the inside of his mouth. "Next time, we'll go to the mountains,"

"Really?" the brunette smiled, a little too hopeful, more on the fact Mike promised a second trip, "I know all the best mountain climbing trails!"

"Climbing?"

"Don't worry, I'll carry you when you pass out," Will smiled, eyes twinkling with mischief.

"'When' I pass out?" Mike faked offence, "There's the brattiness again."

"I'm only like this with you,"

Mike's heart skipped a beat at that. He tried to play it cool, but he couldn't help the small smile tugging at his lips. Will's smile softened as he looked back at the map, the gentle hum of the bus filling the silence between them.

---- 10:58 AM ----

After the coach came to a halt, the boys stepped out into the salty air of the seaside town. The pier stretched before them, cracked rock beneath their feet as they walked side by side. The sea breeze lingered deep in their hair, the distant roar of waves crashing against the shore.

They walked in comfortable silence, it was late morning, the rhythmic sound of footsteps blending with the sounds of the ocean; the water beneath them churned as Will looked out onto the waves saying, "The pier gets covered when the tide come in, it'll disappear soon."

"Yeah... I think I've heard about that." Mike glanced at the ocean, imagining the water swallowing him, the image vivid in his mind, as if it was a core memory, he could feel the water filling his lungs... he was drowning.

"Have you been here before?" Will gave a curious look,

The ravenette shook out his thoughts, hesitating, his heart skipping a beat; he had been here before, but he didn't want to talk about that. Not now, not with Will here. "Uh, no," he lied, forcing a casual shrug. "First time."

Reaching the end of the pier, the boys sat down on the cluster of smooth rocks collecting at the edge, their legs dangling above the water. Will was the first to speak, "I've been thinking about what we could do today. There's some great seafood places!" he was smiling bright, proud of himself for planning ahead.

"Oh, sounds nice... but I thought you don't like fish?" Mike spoke out loud.

"How'd you know that?"

"Huh?" the raven-haired boy froze for a second, he had been so careful to keep the truth hidden; the fact he knew these things about Will was because of the dating sim he had spent hours on. He didn't want to lie, but it didn't make sense either, "I mean, you just give off that vibe."

Will laughed soft, a teasing tone in his eyes, "I have a 'hates seafood' vibe? Good to know."

The ravenette replied nervous, "Well you said you liked the mountains, so I just assumed."

"Sometimes I feel like you've known me forever," Will said, avoiding Mike's gaze as if he was trying to get something heavy off his chest. "I've never met anyone like you." His eyes returning to the ocean,

Mike felt his pulse quicken, feeling the sincerity behind the words, scrambling for a distraction, "So food, huh? I'm hungry, let's g-" he started to rise from his seat until his arm was grabbed.

"Mike," the brunette cut him off, stopping him with a gentle hand on his arm, his voice quiet as he continued watching the sea, "I get why you like the ocean now,"

Will finally turned to Mike with a soft smile, "I think I'm starting to like it too."

Bump

Bump-bump

Mike placed a hand to his heart; his chest was thumping. After a few moments of silence, Mike stood up, "I'm getting hungry, let's go eat," he held a hand out for the brunette.

Will's excitement was palpable, his eyes soft as he accepted the hand, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet. They walked down the pier once more, returning to the path, pulling out his phone, his fingers tapping rapidly as he brought up a café's website. "Look, Mike! This place is really famous, it's just at the top of the hill. I checked the reviews, and people are raving about it."

Mike hesitated seeing the name of the place, 'Saphire Pearls'. The memories tied to the area were unpleasant, "We're going to go to the theme park, why don't we just get coffee or something instead?" he tried to deflect,

"They serve coffee there too, but seafood is their speciality," Will added, showing Mike his phone once more, "And the view is worth it! Look at these pictures!"

"Oh... umm, but you don't like seafood!" Mike repeated from earlier,

"I'll bear it because it's your favourite, don't worry about me!" the brown-haired boy smiled bright, like a puppy wagging his tail.

Seeing Will's enthusiasm made Mike swallow his protests; he was eighteen, he can do this, it was just a cafe. Forcing a smile, it would just be a quick trip, maybe they can get their food to go, "Yeah, sure... let's go."

The brunette led the way, scanning the menu on his phone, "Hmm, I wonder what I'll get!"

Mike followed weakly, his steps becoming heavy as he approached the hill; his chest beating out his ribcage. He glanced up at the café looming at the top of the cracked stone stairs, memories of this place flooding back. His pulse quickened, a lump forming in his throat. He never thought he'd be back here.

"Just a few more steps!" Will chuckled, taking the few last steps before pushing the door open, holding it open for Mike. The chime of the bell rang soft as Will stepped toward the counter, immediately taking in the atmosphere. Mike hesitated at the threshold, his legs heavy, his heart pounding in his ears as he stared at the doorframe. His breath was shaky, but he forced his way inside.

Despite the abundance of seafood, the café didn't smell strong; it was familiar; too familiar to the experience he once had. Will didn't even notice the raven-haired boy's hesitation, his focus on the menu displayed above the counter.

"They've got crab pasta, clam chowder, and oh, they even have seafood pizza! You like pizza, don't you Mike?" Will asked casually, scanning their options,

Mike's eyes darted around, his brain scattered, "Just get me anything," he muttered,

Will looked over at him, puzzled by the lack of choice. "Why not try their signature dish? Reviews say it's amazing!"

Mike opened his mouth to respond but made the mistake of averting his gaze toward the counter. He froze, recognising the face behind the register. "I- Uh, I'll wait outside," the tall boy blurted, his voice wobbly, rushing out the door before Will could react, the bell chiming behind him as he left.

Will stood there for a second, stunned, the woman behind the counter started speaking, "What can I get for you today?" her voice drowned out by Will's concern for Mike.

"Sorry, excuse me," The brown-haired boy apologised to the woman, immediately turning on his heel, following after him, rushing down the hill; Mike was already at the bottom.

The brunette hurried down the steps, his concern growing with each passing second. He caught up to Mike at the bottom, watching as his friend walked absentmindedly, his expression clouded. Will grabbed his shoulder soft, stopping him, "Mike? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Mike mumbled, "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," Will furrowed his brows in concern.

"I just feel motion sick," The tall boy lied, his mind breathing erratic,

"Motion sick?" The short boy questioned, "But we're not in a car or boa-"

"Can you leave me alone!" Mike finally snapped; his voice sharp with raw emotion; glaring at Will, his chest heaving.

Will was taken aback; Mike had never used that tone with him. The words stung, and Will felt his heart drop, but he didn't let is show. He stayed quiet for a moment, giving Mike the space he needed, something must really be wrong. Will couldn't stop, not when Mike was hurting; he wasn't going to let Mike push him away, no matter how much he wanted to retreat to suffer in silence. Mike would always help him; it was his turn to do the same.

Instead of asking more questions about what happened, the brunette stayed quiet for a minute, gently reaching out, grabbing Mike's hand with both of his. His grip was soft yet firm, giving a small, comforting smile. Mike looked at him surprised but didn't pull away.

"Hey," the brunette said quietly, his voice warm and calming, "Do you want to get some ice-cream? My treat." His smile was genuine and reassuring, carrying compassion; understanding Mike would open up on his own.

The softness in Will's tone and the warmth in his expression broke through the tense atmosphere. Will wasn't asking for anything; he wasn't prying or demanding answers- he was simply offering comfort in the only way he could; the way Mike would've helped him.

The ravenette hesitated, slowly nodding, and without another word, the brunette gave his hand a gentle tug, guiding him away from the café and down the street.

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2530 Words

Stay Safe <3