𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 ~ 𝐛𝐲𝐥𝐞𝐫

6

Will took Mike's hand as they stood up in front of their table. Will felt like his whole heart was going to explode, but Mike's stupid smile made him feel calm at the same time.

"Flashback, warm nights. Almost left behind."

Mike put Will's hands on his shoulders, and placed his hands lightly on Will's waist. Butterflies filled Will's stomach when that happened, Mike's hands were warm and soft, it was nerve racking. He couldn't really ignore the placement of Mike's hands because of that. It also didn't help that Mike pulled him closer as the next line of the song played in the background.

"Suitcase of memories. Time after.."

"This feels so nostalgic to me, same dance and everything." Mike said.

"Except we're in a basically abandoned roller skating rink.. in our socks." Will responded. Mike laughed.

"This doesn't weird you out or anything.. right?" Mike started, "You know, having a slow dance with your best friend?"

"No, not at all. We don't have feelings for each other in that way, so why would it be weird?" Will responded. As much as this actually was freaking him out inside, he wouldn't admit that to Mike, that would just reveal everything.

"Okay, just making sure, sometimes I feel like I make you uncomfortable." Mike said.

"What? No! I'm just awkward all the time." Will said laughing awkwardly. Mike smiled.

"That's a relief." Mike responded, "Not that you're always awkward, I mean that I don't make you uncomfortable." Mike smiled, and Will smiled back. They both smiled at each other for what seemed like a while.

"If you're lost you can look and you will find me, time after time."

"This is a great song." Will said trying to break the tension as the beginning of the chorus began to play.

"Will, I think there's something I should tell you." Mike responded. Will furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"If you fall, I will catch you, I'll be waiting, time after time."

"Sure, what is it?" Will asked. Mike hesitated a bit, but before he could say something, a voice came over the intercom.

"Hawkins Skating Rink closes in 10 minutes. Please start returning skates and preparing to leave." the worker announced over the intercom. Mike let go of Will's waist, and Will let go of Mike's shoulders.

"Never mind, it's not that important, you ready to go?" Mike asked. Will nodded. They both took their skates up to the counter, put on their shoes, and left. While they were on the bike, Will decided to ask what Mike had wanted to tell him.

"Mike, whatever it was you wanted to tell me, you can." Will said as they pulled towards Mike's garage. They both got off the bike in silence, Mike still not answering.

"You want me to walk you home?" Mike asked. Will sighed as Mike began waking across the street.

"I'm serious." Will said, managing to stop Mike. They were now in the middle of the road between the two houses.

"I was just rethinking my relationship with El, that's all." Mike said as he began walking again. Will caught up to him as they entered the Hopper-Byers residence.

"You act like that's not a big deal." Will started, "But why would you rethink anything with El?"

"I don't know, I guess I've just been rethinking it a lot lately, thats all." Mike started, hands in his pockets, "Besides, like you said the other night, I'm probably just overthinking it."

"Overthinking what though?" Will asked as they got to the door.

"It's too much to explain right now." Mike said, then he changed the subject, "Anyways, I'm having a party the Friday before school starts up again. Basically a week from now, you'll be there?"

"You're gonna force me to come anyways so sure." Will said smiling. Mike smiled back.

"Okay. Well, bye, and Happy Birthday, Byers." Mike said as he turned to leave. Will opened the door to the house.

"Bye." He responded. He stepped inside and closed the door. Upstairs he heard the faint sound of "Cherish" by Madonna, which pretty much meant that El was still awake. He went upstairs and knocked on her door. El opened the door with a smile.

"Hi, Will, did you have fun at the skating rink?" El asked. Will smiled as he walked in and sat on her bed.

"Yeah, it was fun." Will replied. El continued digging through her closet as the song's chorus played.

"Cherish the thought of always having you here by my side.
Oh baby, I cherish the joy, you keep bringing it into my life."

"Yeah, Mike seemed really excited about it." El said. She pulled out a blue t-shirt and a khaki skirt with a white turtleneck. She turned around and placed it on the bed next to Will, the turtleneck under the t-shirt and the skirt overlapping both. "What do you think?"

"Nice, like the colors." Will replied. El smiled.

"Thought so." El responded. Will looked down sort of sadly as El walked back to her closet and continued digging. Usually he told El a lot of things, but this secret seemed like the one thing he couldn't get her advice on.

"El, I have a question." Will said as he straightened out the clothes she was placing next to him. El liked organizing her closet, deciding which clothes went best together and such, and honestly Will liked helping her.

"Go ahead." El said as she pulled out a checkered black and white dress and a frilly white shirt.

"Say you weren't dating.. Mike, and one of your friends got a boyfriend and you.. developed feelings for them, would you tell that friend?" Will asked.

"Probably not, why?" El asked, placing the clothes on the pile next to Will.

"Just asking for.. my penpal.. yeah my penpal." Will replied, "I don't know how to deal with these girl troubles."

"Oh, well that makes sense. Did you ask Max too? I saw you two talking earlier and she's great with stuff like that." El said as began inspecting her closet more.

"Yeah, I did. She said the same thing.. I-I just needed two opinions to make sure." Will responded. El laughed.

"You know, I'm glad we've grown so close. You're such a good person to talk to, you know?" El said as she began putting another outfit set next to Will. Will felt like he was going to cry when she said that.

"Y-yeah same to you." Will started as he made his way to her door, "Anyways I have to get some sleep, you know, busy day! Night." Will said awkwardly before bolting to his room.

"Uh.. Night!" El kind of yelled as Will left. Will closed the door to his room, thinking of all the things that had occurred that night, what Mike had said about that night a few years back, and what El said that actually made Will feel terrible, and he realized

this was going to be way harder than he thought.

To be continued..