MIKE POV-

The ravenette leaned slightly closer to Eddie, "Can I ask you something?"

The long-haired boy raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued, "Of course, shoot."

Mike shifted uncontrollably, his cheeks turning a faint hue of pink as he prepared himself to ask the question. Never in his life did he imagine his heart fluttering just over getting advice, "Well I've been hanging out with this guy, and I really like him, and I just wanted help with wooing him." he admitted in one go,

"Is this about... oh, what's his name?" Eddie struggled for a mere second before guessing correctly, "um, Will, right?"

"Yep!" Mike nodded

"I thought you were going with 'the plan'?" Eddie air-quoted, remembering the foolish plan the tall boy had regurgitated to him yesterday.

"I mean since then we kissed and we've kinda been flirting and holding hands," The ravenette admitted bashfully.

"Holy shit! So, it's working?" the tall haired boy raised his eyebrows in surprise

"I guess, but not really, I'm not sure how to, you know, take things to the next level, any advice?" He asked

Eddie's eyes twinkled with mischief as he leaned in, offering his unconventional wisdom, "Ah, the next level, huh? Well, my advice is to go all in; be as flirty and bold as possible. Show you're interested; do something really romantic, something he always wanted. And you know what? Give him something meaningful, like a sign of trust. Like your D&D ring. That will definitely get the message across."

"Is that how you got with Steve?" Mike questioned hopeful.

Eddie nodded with a grin, "I got on my knee offering the ring and popped the question; the most important thing was that I was calm, flirty and collected."

Robin scoffed from the side with a small chuckle, not even allowing him to finish, "You were calm and collected? You got on your knee and mumbled something incoherent in Spanish; it was lucky I was able to translate it to Steve." she accused.

"Thank you for that Robin." Eddie deadpanned seeing the blue-eyed girl just give a thumbs up in return, not replying as she wiped away a stubborn stain from one of the tables.

The long-haired boy turned his attention back to Mike, "The point is, it worked! And like you, we only met for like a week before that, and now look at us; three years and still going strong!" he cheered, "I'm sure Will already likes you; I can see it in his eyes! With killer confidence and your 'little plan', I think the next step for you would be to marry him honestly." Eddie chuckled in a jocular tone as usual, a tad sarcastic.

Before the ravenette could respond, Steve returned with the case of chocolate ice-cream, hearing it thud against the counter before replacing the old batch and clicking it into its correct place.

Eddie turned his attention back to Steve; complimenting his muscles and almost every part of his body, including places the ravenette didn't know could be complimented. It left Mike to contemplate Eddie's advice.

The funky boy started to fill the tubs again, this time trying not to be swayed by the barrage of compliments and romantic remarks from his boyfriend. He passed the tubs with their own little spoon, handing it to the ravenette,

"Sorry for the long wait Mike!" Steve smiled, a casual one that would make almost anyone swoon; it was obvious why Eddie became so enamoured with him.

With a small smile in return, the ravenette scanned the funky boy's fingers, seeing one of Eddie's favourite D&D rings on his left ring finger. Mike raised his eyebrows, paying before returning to the booth where Will was seated; ice-creams in hand. He tried to appear nonchalant, though within, his heart raced. Sliding onto the seat across from the brunette, he placed the tubs on the table, pushing one toward Will.

"What took so long? I thought you were milking the cow to make the ice-cream," the small boy chuckled,

"Oh, umm just ice-cream related mishaps." The tall boy replied, vague over his answer.

"Mishaps? You seem a bit off, everything okay?" Will, being the caring and empathetic person he was, questioned.

Mike smiled genuinely; Will cared for him. Sure, it was a simple question, but the fact the brunette noticed something being wrong in the mere moments of his return meant the world to Mike... maybe Will did like him back?

But the ravenette shook his head, speaking, "Yeah of course I am!"

"I'm glad," the small boy smiled with a nod, taking the spoon and taking a bite of his ice-cream; a satisfied hum escaping his lips.

Mike realised to act on Eddie's advice, deciding to follow them completely; first step was... be bold and flirty, he could do that. Using some of what he just heard from Steve and Eddie's romantic teasing earlier.

He stared at the brunette for few seconds, taking a simple bite of his ice cream before speaking, "You know..." The tall boy began, "I'm surprised you didn't get a lot more dessert considering I was paying."

"Oh really?" the brunette let out a sarcastic chuckle, "How generous of you. I mean I would love to pay for it myself, but all my money was in the phone you so graciously threw away." he smirked, emphasizing the irony.

"Well, if it's any constellation, I'm offering to be your sugar daddy here, treating you to the finest ice cream money can buy... and maybe even more if you play your cards right." Mike grinned, allowing the spoon to hang in his mouth.

Will physically winced at the words, yet a faint blush coloured his cheeks. He cleared his throat, trying to maintain composure. "Right, well, um, I guess I'll consider myself lucky?" he replied unsure, his sarcastic persona wavering.

Aware of the intended effect his words had on the small boy, he winked, "Oh, looks like someone is turning a bit sweet himself." Mike reached over, wiping Will's lips with his thumb. Then, he licked the thumb that graced the brunette's lip with the ice-cream on it, "I was right... really sweet!"

The small boy groaned, burying his face in his hands, his blush deepening, "I can't believe you did that!" he mumbled.

Mike leaned over the booth, reaching a hand over and adopting a husky tone, grabbing Will's chin to lift his head so they could stare eye to eye, "Gareth was right, you're absolutely adorable when you blush." Mike didn't know where all this confidence was coming from, "But I like it better when I make you blush."

The brunette gulped shaking his head, "I-I don't... I'm not..." feeling a weird twisting feeling in his gut... it was nice; he liked the way Mike was making him feel.

"Trust me, it's a good thing, Sugar baby." the tall boy said, only half joking, tapping Will's head before retracting his hand; he was starting to sound a lot like Eddie.

Will's heart raced at the ravenette's words, feeling a rush of warmth spreading through his chest, losing grip of his spoon as it slipped through his fingers and landed on the floor, "Oh shit." he mumbled, going to reach it.

"Leave it! I'll go get you a new one," Mike stopped him, his smile warm and genuine.

The small boy retracted back to his seated position, feeling a surge of gratitude despite his embarrassment. "That would be nice- thanks." he uttered bashfully.

With a playful wink, Mike rose from the booth heading toward the counter. The small boy watched his every step, analysing his walk before picking up the menu, fanning himself with it; half due to the heat and the other due to Mike's consistent flirting. The brunette knew it was all joking in the ravenette's eyes, but he couldn't help but want it to be real. It was something about Mike that he... liked.

In the matter of moments, the ravenette returned with a new spoon, flashing a charming smile, "A spoon for the bowlcut boy."

Will blushed but still furrowed his brows, "Thanks... but must we really call me bowlcut boy?"

"Why? What else do you want me to call you?" The tall boy smirked, "Angel? Willy bear? Baby Byers? Teacup?"

"Uh, uh, uh." Will cut him off; not liking any of the names, well 'Teacup' was fine, but he would never admit it. "I'd rather you call me bowlcut boy."

Continuing their playful banter, Mike released barrages of flirty comments at Will, most of which going over the brunette's head because Mike... had a weird way of flirting. They enjoyed their ice-creams as people entered and left the store, the atmosphere between them was sweet even compared to the dessert on the table, they laughed and joked as time passed and their scoops melted.

---- 7:12 AM ----

As the pair finished their ice-creams' stepping outside, the heat hit them; the gentle rays of the early morning bathed the surrounding in a warm ethereal glow. The world seemed to slow as they found themselves in a magical space, and Mike couldn't help but notice the beauty of the moment; despite all the time he's spent travelling across the continent to complete his criminal tasks, he's never stopped to appreciate the journey.

His eyes landed on Will; perhaps that was the reason he was appreciating the journey so much. The brunette stared off into the horizon, mesmerised by the rising sun. A soft breeze ruffling his hair and background music that seemed to add to its ethereal nature.

"Beautiful." Mike's voice was soft, filled with compassion.

The small boy turned to him, a smile tugging at his lips, "Yeah, the sunrise is."

Mike didn't correct him, the thing he found beautiful was Will; his heart swelled as he cleared his throat, realising the perfect opportunity. "Hey, um you know how you mentioned you never got to go to prom?"

The small boy's smile faltered for a moment, his gaze dropping to the ground, "Yeah, but it's not a big deal." he dismissed, unsure of why the ravenette was bringing it up.

Mike shook his head, a determined shimmer in his eyes, "It is a big deal! You deserve those cheesy prom moments and more."

But before the brunette could protest, Mike stepped closer, gently taking hold of the brunette's hand with the other on his waist, his touch warm and reassuring,

He was going onto phase two of Eddie's plan: doing something memorable and romantic for the brunette.

"What?" was all the small boy could ask.

The ravenette's smile grew wide, "I was thinking, we have the music, we have the lighting..." he gestured around, hearing the soft melody of 'Close To You' by the 'Carpenters', as he continued speaking, "And we have each other, so let's make this something to remember."

Will pondered for a moment before nodding, allowing Mike to take the lead, neither really knew how to dance so they complimented each other perfectly. The ravenette gently pulled Will close, guiding them in a slow and rhythmic sway. The music seemingly wrapping them together as they moved in harmony.

As the sun continued to rise, casting its warm glow upon them, Mike's eyes locked onto Will's, his heart pounding in his chest as he leaned in, closing the distance between them. His body burned with instinct as no thoughts crossed his mind, brushing his lips against Will's in a tender kiss.

The moment was euphoric, a mixture of anticipation and longing, but as soon as the senses returned to Mike, he pulled away, his eyes washing with concern; this was the second time he's stolen a kiss from the brunette; third if he counted Will's drunken one that he may not have indulged into for a mere moment, "I'm sorry Will." he stammered, worrying he wasted his chance, "I shouldn't have-"

The brunette's expression shifted, his lips curling into a mischievous smirk as before Mike could react, Will closed the distance between them, pressing his lips against the tall boy in a warmth filled with both sweetness and care... Mike tasted like chocolate. It was different then their past kisses, this was intimate, more passionate, more hopeful. Mike never wanted this moment to end.

As the pair of Mike and Will broke apart, Will's lips curled into a mischievous smile, "You're getting better at this kissing thing."

The tall boy's laughter mingled with the surroundings, "I have my moments."

Unbeknownst to them, Eddie, Steve and even Robin who had never met the pair before this moment, watched from a distance, their smiles mirroring joy and love that radiated from the pair before them. The long-haired boy held up his phone as he had been since the pair started dancing, recording the sweet and spontaneous moment. They could see everything but couldn't hear a word.

After the kiss, Mike's heart raced but for a different reason, remembering to move onto the third phase of the plan; Eddie's voice rung in his head, urging him to 'pop the question' and seal the deal. Nervousness tangled with determination as he took a step back from Will.

Nervously clearing his throat, Mike looked down at the ring on his fingers, fidgeting slightly and wondering if it would fit on Will's hand; despite having bigger hands then the brunette, Mike's fingers were slimmer and longer. He spoke up, "Hey, Will..." his voice wavered slightly, his gaze meeting the small boy with vulnerability, trying to find the right words amidst his jumbled thoughts, "There's something I want to ask you."

The small boy looked at Mike with a furrowed brow urging him to continue.

With a deep breath, the tall boy lowered himself onto one knee, his heart pounding in his chest upon realising the significance of what he was about to do. He looked up at Will, his words trembling slightly as he held the ring, slipping it off his finger. "Will Byers, I know it may seem sudden, but I feel a connection between us, and I know we've only known each other for only a week, and you were handcuffed for most of it... but I really like you." Mike rambled, saying things one should never say during this type of exchange.

The small boy's eyes widened in shock as he looked at the ravenette, his heart racing as he tried to process what was being said. This surely wasn't happening right? This must be some type of miscommunication or something.

But the tall boy's gaze and confidence never wavered as he continued, his expression hopeful "So, Will Byers... will you marry me?"

Mike had misunderstood Eddie's advice... completely! 

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2439 Words

Stay Safe <3